Holding Space in Emergent Systems
Toni Petrinovich
sacred at anacortes.net
Wed May 1 16:35:15 PDT 2002
Lovely explanation, Birgitt - and it fills the spaces of what is it that we
are doing when we are loving - it is a state of consciousness - the form
takes the manifestation of emotion - yet "love" is a state of our conscious
awareness that brings us to union that is beyond words. In the space of
open space (both physical and non-physical), there is room for this state of
awareness without definition.
Blessings in the One Heart,
Toni
----- Original Message -----
From: "Birgitt Williams" <birgitt at mindspring.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2002 12:43 PM
Subject: Re: Holding Space in Emergent Systems
> Chris and Tim,
> thank you for your contributions regarding Love.It is difficult to
describe
> and yet when we experience it we know it. This includes our love
> relationship with what we cannot experience through our five senses, it
> includes our love relationship with Creator/Spirit. When we are in that
> state with Spirit, there is a huge knowing, an ecstacy that cannot be put
> into words. And in those moments, in our knowing, we can experience that
> there is only one Whole of everything. All is Spirit and all is perfect
and
> balanced. There is this knowing, which is like a stillpoint, a place of
> REST from which, through thinking, all that is created finds form.
Anything
> that we do to describe stages, or systems or to describe separation, does
> not seem to fit with this inner knowing. Our experience of systems, of
> separation is only one aspect of the whole.
>
> My worldview is that all form stems from this source and that to
experience
> form/matter we require both rest and motion. If all is rest, we cannot
> experience matter. If all is motion, we cannot experience matter. I do not
> have any concept of what governs rest, except that rest is governed by
love.
> I believe that what we perceive as the universal law/laws govern motion
but
> do not govern the whole..
>
> Blessings to you and all whom you make genuine contact with,
>
> Birgitt Williams
> Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness
>
> visit us at www.genuinecontact.com <http://www.genuinecontact.com/> and
> join the list serve at http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact
> <http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact>
>
> "I believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. I know that
> organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results
> including wealth, prosperity, and abundance. Daily, these organizations
> attend to their health and balance. Participating in the Genuine Contact
> program takes you on a learning journey of HOW to achieve the healthy and
> balanced organization (the conscious Open Space Organization)." Birgitt
> Williams, Dalar International Consultancy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of
> Sullivan, Tim J. MCF:EX
> Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2002 2:58 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Holding Space in Emergent Systems
>
>
> That's easy for me to answer...Chris will have his own response, similar i
> am sure.
>
> LOVE operates at ALL the levels:
>
> Love manifesting according to degree of
penness/Willingness ->Participants
> in a meeting
> |
> Channel for Manifestation of Love -> Sponsor/facilitator
> |
> SPACE/TIME conditions for manifestation of LOVE in Action -> OST
> |
> LOVE-in-ACTION -> Principles of self-organization
> |
> Operating Plan
> |
> Principle of Divine LOVE/Action (HOLY LOVE)-> Basic universal laws
(givens)
> |
> LOVE = Creator (One of the 99 names of the Creator..according to ONE
> Tradition)
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Chris
> Corrigan
> Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2002 2:42 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Holding Space in Emergent Systems
>
>
> Love is another one of those things that fails in the telling.
>
> Years ago I had an insight into love that has stuck with me. I was in a
> group talking about communication tools and someone drew a couple of
> concentric circles, and then drew a line between the two outermost
circles.
> We talked about this as a form of communication. Then we drew the line
> deeper and deeper and added another, so that now we had two lines moving
> between the circles. Finally we extended both lines to the centre of both
> circles and i immediately blurted out "That's love."
>
> So, I feel like I know it when I see it. :-)
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> Birgitt Williams wrote:
>
> > Chris,
> > I will answer and gladly, but first I wonder if you could add to what
you
> > have written by sharing from your worldview where love fits into this
and
> > what love is. This will help me in what I say in my response.
> >
> > Blessings to you and all whom you make genuine contact with,
> >
> > Birgitt Williams
> > Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness
> >
> > visit us at www.genuinecontact.com <http://www.genuinecontact.com/> and
> > join the list serve at http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact
> > <http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact>
> >
> > "I believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. I know that
> > organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results
> > including wealth, prosperity, and abundance. Daily, these organizations
> > attend to their health and balance. Participating in the Genuine Contact
> > program takes you on a learning journey of HOW to achieve the healthy
and
> > balanced organization (the conscious Open Space Organization)." Birgitt
> > Williams, Dalar International Consultancy
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Chris
> > Corrigan
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2002 1:37 PM
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Holding Space in Emergent Systems
> >
> > Birgitt, I'm curious about some things in your email on
> > self-organization. As I read your note, it suggested to me, to borrow a
> > term from Ken Wilber, a holoarchy of organization. I see the holoarchy
> > proceeding from level to level something like this:
> >
> > Participants in a meeting
> > |
> > Sponsor/facilitator
> > |
> > OST
> > |
> > Principles of self-organization
> > |
> > Divine Operating Plan
> > |
> > Basic universal laws (givens)
> > |
> > Creator
> >
> > This is my rough sketch suggesting that each level (from the bottom up)
> > emerges in time and includes and transcends the level below it.
> >
> > So my questions are:
> >
> > * What is the difference between the Basic universal laws, and the
> > principles of self-organization?
> > * How were/are the basic universal laws organized?
> > * Did the Creator self-organize and if so, how?
> >
> > I guess I am essentially wondering at how deep the principles of
> > self-organization extend, and whether they simply manifest things in the
> > sensory world (five senses) or whether they manifest ALL things,
> > including the Creator and the basic universal laws that keep the planets
> > from colliding. I think my world view suggests a bit of a different
> > holoarchy that places something like the principles of self-organization
> > on the lowest level.
> >
> > In my world view, evolving as it is, I see the "principles of
> > self-organization" if that's what we want to call them, as that which
> > manifests everything. Lately my world view has been greatly informed by
> > Taoism, but it is also informed by the Ojibway Midewiwin teachings which
> > essentially say the same thing. What they say is that there is a Way
> > (in Taoism) or the Mide (in Ojibway) which is like a road upon which
> > everything travels. It is also something which can never be experienced
> > by talking about it, so putting words on it like this is folly. The Way
> > or the Mide is the path of basic nature, and everything travels along
> > this path. In Taoism it is said that the Tao gives rise to all things,
> > and that it can be used but never exhausted, like the space within a
> > bucket. One can use that space forever and ever, but it never gets
> > depleted.
> >
> > In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu writes:
> >
> > The Way is always uncontrived,
> > yet there is nothing it doesn't do.
> > If lords and monarchs can keep to it,
> > all beings would evolve spontaneously.
> > When they have evolved and want to act,
> > I would stabilize them with nameless simplicity.
> > Even nameless simplicity would not be wanted.
> > By not wanting there would be calm,
> > and the world will straighten itself.
> >
> > (Chapter 37)
> >
> > In both Taoist teachings (found in spades in a book called "Wen Tzu"
> > among others) as well as Mide teachings, there is a strong equivalence
> > between the Way and virtue, or goodness, or life affirming choice.
> > These are often put together so that it is sometimes said that "the Way
> > and Virtue gives rise to all things."
> >
> > All of this is just background for my questions. My own world view
> > includes people like Lao Tzu, my Midewiwin teachers, Stuart Kauffman,
> > Kevin Kelly, Ken Wilber and others all trying to get at an expression of
> > the lowest level of the organization holoarchy, that which gives rise to
> > anything. I see this really interesting discussion as another way of
> > getting there too.
> >
> > Chris
> >
> > Birgitt Williams wrote:
> >
> > > Harrison,My belief and worldview is one that is grateful for the
> > > greater Open Space of the world, created by our Creator, and for the
> > > Divine Operating Plan inclusive of basic universal laws (givens) for
> > > which I am greatful and if they weren't being attended to we might
> > > just have our planets colliding with one another and so on. Within
> > > this Divine Operating Plan that I view as a matrix of some sort (the
> > > finite mind has a problem grasping the infinite, despite a deep
> > > knowing that is within me) every organism, including humans, seem to
> > > have free will to make choices that are either life depleting or life
> > > nurturing. As such, the visible world can appear to be self organizing
> > > within this greater Divine Operating Plan. Whether our free will takes
> > > us to a collective will that organizes ourselves to be life nurturing
> > > or life depleting is still unknown. Thank goodness that the seen world
> > > (the world experienced by our five senses) is not the total picture. I
> > > have a lot of faith in the unseen world to assist us to choose a life
> > > nurturing future. Within Open Space Technology, created by yourself,
> > > we have a magnificent window to heighten our conscious awareness about
> > > our choices. That which is experienced by the five senses in an OST
> > > meeting may appear to be self organizing within a matrix developed and
> > > held by the collaboration of the facilitator and the sponsor and any
> > > others who so choose as the meeting unfolds. A matrix seems to be
> > > needed for the self organizing to appear. The richness and depth of
> > > the "self organizing" within the OST meeting seems to be impacted by
> > > the ability of the facilitator to work with the unseen world (in my
> > > experience, this is the opening and holding of "space" which is not
> > > empty space at all but indeed very full). In the games you are
> > > referring to, a matrix is created, within which the players have
> > > choice, usually again choices between life depleting and life
> > > nurturing.
> > > Blessings to you and all whom you make genuine contact
> > > with<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
> > > "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
> > >
> > > BirgittWilliams
> > >
> > > Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness
> > >
> > > We invite you to visit us at www.genuinecontact.com and join the list
> > > serve at http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact
> > >
> > > "I believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. I know that
> > > organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible
> > > results including wealth, prosperity, and abundance. Daily, these
> > > organizations attend to their health and balance. Participating in the
> > > Genuine Contact program takes you on a learning journey of HOW to
> > > achieve the healthy and balanced organization (the conscious Open
> > > Space Organization)."Birgitt Williams, Dalar International Consultancy
> > >
> > > Contact information for Dalar International Consultancy
> > >
> > > Mailing address: Po Box 19373, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619 or
> > > for courier 12136 Shooting Club Rd., Raleigh, North Carolina USA 27613
> > >
> > > Phone: 919-522-7750Fax: 919-870-6599
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On
> > > Behalf Of Harrison Owen
> > > Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 9:36 AM
> > > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > > Subject: Holding Space in Emergent Systems
> > >
> > > I am, as some may know, afflicted with the notion that all
> > > systems are essentially self-organizing, and that in Open
> > > Space we are basically dealing with one more such emergent
> > > system. Holding Space, therefore has something to do with
> > > the art and practice of sustaining self-organization. turns
> > > out we are not alone. Programers who do games of an emergent
> > > sort seem to be playing in the same sandbox. See the
> > > following:
> > >
> > > "One of the pleasures of what I do," Zimmerman tells me,
> > > over coffee near the NYU campus, "is that you get to see a
> > > player take what you*ve designed and use it in completely
> > > unexpected ways." The designer, in other words, controls the
> > > micromotives of the player*s actions. But the way those
> > > micromotives are exploited- and the macrobehavior that they
> > > generate-are out of the designer*s control. They have a life
> > > of their own.
> > >
> > > Sound a little Familiar? For more, check out Steven
> > > Johnson's book "Emergence" (Scribner/2001)
> > >
> > > Harrison
> > >
> > > Harrison Owen
> > > 7808 River Falls Drive
> > > Potomac, MD 20854 USA
> > > phone 301-365-2093
> > > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
> > > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
> > > Personal website
> > > http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
> > >
> > > OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> > > view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu
> > > Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > --
> >
> > CHRIS CORRIGAN
> > Consultation - Facilitation
> > Open Space Technology
> >
> > http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> > chris at chriscorrigan.com
> >
> > *
> > *
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> --
>
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Consultation - Facilitation
> Open Space Technology
>
> http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> chris at chriscorrigan.com
>
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