Homecoming In Corona Times Posted by Aslinur Akdeniz, Mar 25 2020 Corona has arrived while I am writing my book “Coming Back Home”. Such a timely arrival! As I am from home, it did not occur to me that it would change my rhythm. Yet it did a great deal, to my surprise. Before telling you what kind of transformations I am going through, I would like to talk about “homecoming”. As for me, it is at the center of what we have been experiencing with the arrival of corona times. The first 18 couplets of Masnavi talk about homecoming in detail through the story of the reed flute. It is cut off from the reed bed, carved hollow from the inside and burnt. We hear its complaints. It tells us the stories of separation. Let’s for a second put ourselves in its shoes. Are we aware of the separations we have been going through? If not, corona is voicing it on behalf ... Read Full Story

Can This Be A Turning Point For Global Solidarity? Posted by Dustin Harber, Mar 24 2020 [Doctor-poet Sri shared some illuminating remarks during our "Physical Distancing, Social Solidarity" call last week. Below is a transcribed excerpt. From the meta lens of the human condition -- and the "universal suffering that is part of existence" -- to standing in a circle of emergency room doctors, as a chaplain steps forward and invites: "We are ordinary people called to do sacred work," UCSF doctor and Heal Initiative founder, Sriram Shamasunder offers: "Can this pandemic be a turning point of global solidarity? Can this be a turning point for humanity?"] As this pandemic started in China, as the momentum gets closer to home, the more panic that starts to arise. We saw this with Ebola as well. Pandemics are this great foregrounding of universal suffering that is part of existence. At the end of life, with patients who are suffering, you're dealing with mortality in an individual way; and in ... Read Full Story

Giving In The Conditioned World Posted by Preeta Bansal, Mar 22 2020 [On our "How Does A Heart of Service Respond?" call last week, Rev Heng Sure shared illuminating insights that reflected back collective themes shared; described three forms of giving of wealth, insight and courage; and more. Below is the recording and transcript.] So I'm here in Gold Coast, Queensland [Australia]. I'm looking forward to hearing from Bonnie as well. Bonnie, glad to be on the panel with you. We've been part of ServiceSpace together for some time. And getting to hear from Preeta and Aryae and all our ... and also from Sri from the front lines. This is rich. So I'm a preacher and you have to stop me before I preach again, because I go long -- and I don't want to do that. My prep info was five to seven minutes, so I'll try my best. But looking at the luminary -- looking at the light gathered on ... Read Full Story

Corona To Karuna -- A Poem Posted by Ward Mailliard, Mar 22 2020 After seeing ServiceSpace community's KarunaVirus.org response -- it was just such a brilliant notion -- this poem just flowed out of me. Rashmi from Manzil Mystics may set it to music, and I'll keep you posted. Thank you for your continuing inspiration. Corona to Karuna Corona is the name they give to separation’s cost Change it to Karuna and seek what has been lost What compassion’s hearts now do, as heavy as they be, will make moments together to help each other see What we’ve put off now daily in the busyness of life We must reclaim with others to end the endless strife To see us each as human in our common need, to cure and grow equality with love its only seed Our mother’s love a fundament by which we all have grown humanity is vested here to all this must be known Intimacy and trusting, cooperation’s gold the light of all intelligence we human beings hold. Take the time together now, and help remove the veil of stories that have never served, and let love’s light prevail. Corona is the name they give to separations cost Change it to karuna, and seek what has been lost

5 Ways To Design Our Lives For Impermanence Posted by V.R. Ferose, Mar 22 2020 [I just put out a blog on Forbes, on a very important idea that I've learned from so many of you, and especially Nipun: designing for impermanence, and not permanence!] “Nothing in the world is permanent, we are foolish when we ask anything to last, but surely we are more foolish not to take delight when it lasts” – Somerset Maugham I remember how when I was interviewing a candidate for a job, he mentioned to me, “I am looking for a permanent position.” The reality is, there is no such thing as a permanent position, there are only regular ones. Why are we so obsessed with permanence when nothing in the world is permanent? Not jobs, not relationships, not friendships, not our nationality, not our status, not life itself. We want things to stay exactly as they are. Because permanence feels like security. The rich try to beat impermanence by putting their ... Read Full Story

Compassion Enables Hypercollaboration In A Pandemic Posted by David Bullón, Mar 21 2020 Hi everybody! The past few days in Central America have been a wonderful invitation to really reflect on what we might learn from the coronavirus pandemic. In my neck of the woods, the health and economic crises are about to unfold, and there is a strange sense of "urgent stillness", in which many change-makers have had their usual "in-person" approaches stripped away, yet are eager to support. I realized a couple of days ago that it is precisely in this kind of situation that social action rooted in compassion is uniquely fit to contribute. We are in a situation in which effective action is needed at lightning speed to save lives as the spread of the virus follows its exponential curve. Compassion is the only answer because of way in which the speed of love lubricates the often rusty hinges of collaboration. In essence, compassion enables what I would call hyper-collaboration. The link ... Read Full Story

Physical Distancing With Social Solidarity! Posted by Helen Kimura, Mar 21 2020 This past Tuesday, 90 of us gathered online, in response to an invitation to collectively hold the question: How Does A Heart of Service Respond To These Times?: Coronavirus has uprooted the fabric of our lives. How does a heart of service respond to an unknown cause, how do we build resilience when we can't be physically together, and how do we amplify lotus in the mud? Uncertain times raise significant questions that can architect a new story for our future. Carbon emissions have dropped dramatically, but xenophobia is rising. Nursing homes are being evacuated, only to bring elders home to their families. Shopping malls are empty but family meals are on the rise. Awakening of kindness is pervasive, but the inequality of human suffering is evident. Borders are still present, but the boundaries of our shared humanity are getting blurry. Yes, undercurrents of fear are everywhere, but so are prayers. ... Read Full Story

Nipun's Talk In Vienna: Cultivating Compassion Posted by Christine Lendorfer, Mar 15 2020 If you'd like a respite from Coronavirus news, :) here is a January talk by Nipun to couple hundred educators at University of Vienna -- that was very well received, and is creating many ripples. Despite having just landed in Vienna that day, he showed no signs of jet-lag on his favorite topic of "Cultivating Compassion Quotient". :)

From Transaction To Trust: One-day Retreat In Houston Posted by Ashima Goyal, Mar 14 2020 “Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the Earth, "You owe me." Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky.” – Hafiz About a month ago, a couple of us gave voice to a deep desire — of holding a one-day retreat in Houston. We didn’t know where to begin, where to host, whom to invite - to volunteer and to participate… except for a desire and a need to cultivate an intentional community. We put that intention out and just like that the whole universe conspired to make it happen.Michael (Venu’s Aikido teacher) offered his studio for the entire day to host the retreat. Audrey, Trishna, Birju, Amit, Jasky were more than forthcoming in sharing resources, suggesting ideas for flow, activities, videos, even food menu! Someone tagged us with diaries for the retreat, and from different corners came heArt offerings for tagging the participants! It was ... Read Full Story

Kindness Contagion During Coronavirus :) Posted by Audrey Lin, Mar 14 2020 A few stories some of us stumbled across, around constructive (and beautiful!) responses to coronavirus: Kindness Proves Contagious As Coronavirus Spreads 10 Heartwarming Ways Everyday Heroes Are Helping People Affected By Coronavirus Also, a 1.5-min video of the woman distributing masks, featured in story above How To Keep The Greater Good In Mind During The Coronavirus Outbreak After coronavirus cancelled their daughter's bat mitzvah party, a family turned the food into meal deliveries for people in quarantine Coronavirus acts of kindness: Are you committing them? Have you witnessed any? (They're polling readers, via form submission, for any acts of kindness done!) Stories of Kindness From Wuhan Also, few educators have been dialoguing on how to hold space in suddenly-turned-virtual classrooms for intimate sharing, dynamic engagement, and transformation: How To Hold Virtual Learning Space In These Times? If others have thoughts, insights, stories or resources that come to mind, would be great to hear more...! :)

From One Field To Another, And Beyond Posted by Dustin Harber, Mar 13 2020 [Below is a touching story that Brinda M. shared during our Awakin Circle this week -- on the reading, I Have No Need For An Enemy.] The passage was beautiful, about "othering" and "not othering," and learning to see that we are one, and to meet each other out in that field, out beyond right and wrong. [...] There have been moments where I was really set on "othering" somebody. Early in my career, I was trying to transition from one field to another field. And I had a manager, who I was having a hard time with. He was someone I really looked up to. I really looked up to the work that he put out, but I had a very hard time communicating with him, because he was very introverted and he wasn't able to articulate what he was expecting from me. So I got pretty frustrated and very stressed out. ... Read Full Story

Meeting Two Brothers On The Wrong Street Posted by Dinesh Mehta, Mar 12 2020 [A striking story Tim shared in his opening of last night's Awakin Circle, on the passage: I Have No Need For An Enemy.] I was really struck by a couple of different things. I mean, one, obviously that beautiful Rumi quote "beyond right and wrong, there's this field." This notion of freedom and being able to choose the non-dual way. I was remembering a time when I was in India volunteering with this incredible nonprofit, which was just a heart-centered kind of organization. I was spending so much time with all these incredible Gandhians and children, and I remember seeing all these kids go up to Jayeshbhai (this elder in the community) and go down and touch his feet, out of respect. I was just so moved by the love of everybody who is trying to live a different way -- not of the "haves" and the "have nots" or "those who ... Read Full Story

Gandhi 3.0 -- Oneness Posted by Sister MIgs, Mar 12 2020 GANDHI 3.0 - ONENESS A Journey to Becoming by: Sr. Mary Ignatius Vedua, ra (originally posted here) My week-long Gandhi 3.0 Immersion-Retreat experience in Gujarat, Ahmedabad, India has opened windows, doors and even roofs for me to experience a concrete breaking down of “barriers”. The participants were from a spectrum of people – from those who own private jets to those who choose not to have a bank account; from those who helped craft the constitutions of Afghanistan & Iran to those who plant earth flags along borders to advocate for a world without borders; from those who represent various faith traditions to those who do not have any religion. We were along this spectrum yet felt the same unity, sharing our ONENESS with one another. This coming together claims to be agenda-less. It pursues no target objective nor want for an output. It was just open to emergence. To whatever will come ... Read Full Story

Glimpse Into Laddership Journeys :) Posted by Jane Murray, Mar 11 2020 Has been a joy to be a witness to the intentions and journeys behind various applications for an upcoming Laddership Circle! An excerpt: Radical generosity feels like an act of kindness so out of the ordinary that you can hardly breathe and you lose your words when you see it or experience it. I feel like it comes from a place either deep within where we are all connected at the Soul level. [...] My husband and I, along with our 3 kiddos, started practicing what I would call more intentional generosity a few years ago around the holidays. The goal was/is to turn Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving marked with hectic consumerism) into RAK Friday, encouraging friends and family to participate in radical acts of kindness and soulful generosity all day. It has turned into our favorite day of the year. The most inspiring part of this day is when you ... Read Full Story

Awakin Readings In French Now! Posted by Somik Raha, Mar 10 2020 One of the quiet features of Awakin Readings are the weekly translations, used in circles around the globe. Just Hindi and Spanish have 500 translations! There's a rotating crew of about a dozen very dedicated volunteers just for those two languages. German, Gujarati, and Turkish are among the various other languages. Romanian started recently and already has 82 translations, courtesy of Marius coming on board recently. And newest in the list is French! Olivier, Jasky and likely the "French Gang" have just started spreading inspiration in French ... ...

The Gardener And The Builder Posted by Evan Sharp, Mar 09 2020 [Originally posted Jan 25, 2020. A poem shared during Gandhi 3.0 retreat.] The Gardener and the Builder Two people came into the meadow, to make it their home. The gardener looked over the meadow, picked a patch of sun for his garden, and then set about moving his favorite plants from across the meadow to that spot. Meanwhile the builder surveyed the meadow, picked a sheltered site for her home, and set about cutting down trees for timber. After a time, the builder was almost done. She needed just one more tree to finish the home. But when she looked around, only one tree remained, and the gardener’s garden had grown around it. So she became jealous of the gardener, and she went to him saying: “I worked and worked at such full tilt, Such a fine home has never been built! All that remains is to use this last tree, To decorate my home for all to see!” But ... Read Full Story

Mystics In The Making Posted by Bonnie Rose, Mar 07 2020 My husband and I have a lot of animals so I spend a lot of time at our local feedstore. The one I use is run by a family with four children under the age of sixteen. The kids are home schooled so they help out at the store. It’s not unusual to have their thirteen-year old daughter ring up your Rabbit Feed; or to have their fifteen-year old son forklift a bale of hay over to your car. I’ve talked to their parents about this. “Your kids are getting quite an education here, right? I mean not only are they learning about math and writing. You’re helping them develop business and customer service skills. That’s an amazing gift you’re giving them.” The parents seem pleased. The kids shrug and carry on business as usual. One time their ten-year helped me load up my car. He carried a 30-pound bag of dog food ... Read Full Story

Leading With Kindness Posted by Mia Tagano, Mar 05 2020 I haven't written much in a while - not since my grandmother died really -thought I'd write a little today. Wanting to bring back again stories of kindness that I was able to share when she was alive. Feeling a little rusty. Thank you for your understanding. Enjoy..... Went to the doctor yesterday - for the first time since just before she died and that was with her. This was my first time at this hospital and with this doctor for a check up. I was unsure of where to go or what to do. I decided to lead with kindness gratitude and humility. I asked the first person I saw, as I was walking out of the parking lot, if they could point me in the right direction. It turned out it was only her second day working there. We both laughed at the irony. She pointed me towards the main ... Read Full Story

Gandhi 3.0 -- Vortex Of Noble Friendships Posted by Nipun Mehta, Mar 04 2020 [TLDR -- In January 2020, dozens of global luminaries convened in the ambiance of Gandhi Ashram in India -- without an agenda, expectation or save-the-world plans. Yet surrendering into the "Law of Love", through the paradoxes of our unique backgrounds, we witnessed that it truly is a Law. :) To get a heart flavor, here's two videos. For a shorter read, here's some quick stories. For more nuance on the unimaginable emergence, read on below.] A photographer in Spain captured an image he didn’t realize he had taken. While reviewing his camera after, he saw it: A giant murmuration of starlings had spontaneously come together for 10 seconds to respond to a predator, and the formation dissolved in another 10 seconds. The collective flock knows what no single bird knows. This is not an unusual phenomenon in the natural world; yet such emergence is scarce in the realm of human cooperation. Last month, ... Read Full Story

Returning To The Village Posted by Hang Mai, Mar 01 2020 I belong to the baby-boomer in Vietnam after the end of the war in 1975. My generation experienced the difficult life in the city after the war. We did not have enough food, clothing, and even clean water. After school, all of us children were involved in housework like standing in line to collect water, carrying water home by foot or by a wagon. We all had to find a way to fetch enough water for our family. Once I asked my dad: “If the war happens again, and we don't have water and electricity, what shall we do?” He said: “Go back to the village.” So I began to understand that in the war time people can go back to the village or go to the forest. Only in the village or in the forest can we find food and shelter. In times of peace, people destroy the forest ... Read Full Story