Do we open space or...

Birgitt Williams birgitt at mindspring.com
Sun Aug 24 16:20:54 PDT 2003


Jim,
I believe in the "love your neighbor as yourself" and that one of the
reasons that we are collectively in such a mess is that we are doing just
that. Cross culturallly we don't love ourselves and indeed the wars that we
see externally are mirrors of the internal. "As above, so below".

I agree with you that the way to bring about any change is simply to love,
to be love and to act love. But it must be from a genuine self love to
really work.

Blessings to you and to all with whom you make Genuine Contact,
Birgitt

Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
www.dalarinternational.com <http://www.dalarinternational.com>
View the calendar for upcoming training in the Organizational Health and
Balance series of workshops featuring the Genuine ContactÔ program at
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html
<http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html>
We invite you to join the Genuine Contact list serve at
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact
Contact information for Dalar International Consultancy: Po Box 19373,
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619 Raleigh, North Carolina USA
Phone: 919-522-7750     Fax: 919-870-6599
As mentors to leaders and organizations we assist you in going beyond what
has been before. We provide inspirational and practical “how to” guidance
for leaders who want to achieve healthy and balanced organizations to
produce exciting, tangible results for the organization and for its people.
Our approach is holistic, creating a better future by tapping into ancient
wisdom.

We believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. We know that
organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results
including wealth, prosperity, and abundance. These organizations tend to
their health and balance on a daily basis.





-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Jim
Metcalf
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 6:10 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Do we open space or...


Dear Julie and Birgitt,
Please excuse me for jumping in on your conversation regarding free will,
accepting and not accepting. Such things are hot topics to me.
The first thought that came to my mind is from Suzuki, the great teacher of
music. He asked his students to memorize certain aphorisms, one of which is
"When love is deep, much can be accomplished." That's been especially dear
to me recently.
My second thought is that extending a loving acceptance of others, full of
promises, caring, and invitations, tends to create the reciprocal desire in
others to accept and love in their turn. Of course, they can also choose to
remain hard-hearted, stuck in their own old ways of dong things. I hope,
though, that eventually our love will win out, and even such people will
become open to loving, caring, communicating, i.e. to a genuine open space.

Love with best wishes,

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Birgitt
Williams
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 5:51 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Do we open space or...

Dear Julie,
Your words are wise about free will and the gift that we can either accept
or not accept. It seems to be about accepting or turning away from who we
truly are.

I add one point though to what you say about "OST offering wide open
accepting space" I add to that my thoughts that it is certainly wide open
space and that the facilitator provides the best possible "wide open
accepting energy". However, most OST meetings are within an existing context
of an organization of some sort that likely does not have a "wide open
accepting space". This larger "container" within which the OST meeting is
done has an effect and indeed may create the conditions in which people do
not feel that it is accepting or safe.


Blessings to you and to all with whom you make Genuine Contact,
Birgitt
Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
www.dalarinternational.com <http://www.dalarinternational.com>
View the calendar for upcoming training in the Organizational Health and
Balance series of workshops featuring the Genuine ContactÔ program at
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html
<http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html>
We invite you to join the Genuine Contact list serve at
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact
Contact information for Dalar International Consultancy: Po Box 19373,
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619 Raleigh, North Carolina USA
Phone: 919-522-7750     Fax: 919-870-6599
As mentors to leaders and organizations we assist you in going beyond what
has been before. We provide inspirational and practical “how to” guidance
for leaders who want to achieve healthy and balanced organizations to
produce exciting, tangible results for the organization and for its people.
Our approach is holistic, creating a better future by tapping into ancient
wisdom.

We believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. We know that
organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results
including wealth, prosperity, and abundance. These organizations tend to
their health and balance on a daily basis.





-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Julie
Smith
Sent: Saturday, August 23, 2003 7:12 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Do we open space or...


Doug, Birgitt and all ~

Synchronicity strikes again.  Two minutes ago I read your exchange over
Doug's question:

>>>

2. You said: "mankind has so long turned away and not realized the great
gift that we can all make use of." Yet I wonder about that and I cannot
very well put words to my wondering. Is this gift purely potential? Or
does
it actualize someplace?

In other words, it is probably an assumed truth in OST circles that in
each
group are all the answers and questions that group needs--there is no
need
for an outside expert to come in and solve their problems for them. From
this perhaps our "Whatever happens..." derives. If we then say that the
Divine gift has been given to all humans, how can we say that some
people
have accepted the gift and others have turned away? Even if they turn
away,
is not the gift there? Somewhere in the Old Testament, maybe Isaiah,
there
is something to the effect that "my words do not return to me empty." If
the gift is given, it comes back in some form.

The logical answer is your words, "when we work with it intentionally."
Still, I can't help but think that no matter how loudly the 5 year old
rejects the parent, the parent still loves the child, still makes the
gift.
Agree?

<<<

Not quite an hour ago I was inspired to open the Dhammapada and came
across what turns out to be a nice response to Doug's question.  This
comes from the introduction to my version of the Dhammapada, written by
Ram Dass:

        "Here are the sayings of the Buddha, the Enlightened One.  Had
you but ears to hear, these very words could awaken you and through them
you could realize your Buddha nature.  These words come to you in
purity; for them to touch you they must be received in purity.  These
words come out of divine simplicity; to liberate you they must be heard
in simplicity.  These words come from the soul; to feed that in you
which thirsts, these words, which are words of wisdom, not knowledge,
must be heard by the soul, not the intellect.  For that which feeds only
the intellect entraps, while that which feeds the soul liberates.  And
it is the soul that thirsts for truth.  The intellect thirsts only to
satiate its fascination.
        A transmission of truth is poured from one vessel into another.
If you as a vessel are impure in body, heart, or mind, the truth cannot
be contained... what is pure becomes impure... the power of the truth is
too much... the cup is smashed... the transmission lost, and man
continues to walk in darkness.  In your lifetime you have read thousands
of words such as those contained in this volume: the words of the
Christ, of Lao Tsu, of the Patriarchs of Zen, of Rumi or Kabir or Saint
Teresa or John, of Solomon and Abraham, of Mohammed, of Krishna or the
Vedic Rishis... words that bespeak the secrets of the Universe.  But how
few you have received, how many transmissions you have lost again and
again because you were not ready to hear."

Returning to the heart of your question, Doug: "If we then say that the
Divine gift has been given to all humans, how can we say that some
people
have accepted the gift and others have turned away? Even if they turn
away,
is not the gift there?"

I think the answer is yes, the gift is still there, and eternally
offered by God/Creator/Universe/SwiftlySwirlingSlowlySprialingSource.
As Children of God, we have free will.  We can choose to accept the
gift, and we can also choose to turn away, to not accept the gift that
is offered to us.... AND, the fact that we don't accept it in this
moment doesn't mean it isn't still there, still being offered in each
unfolding moment.  Free will doesn't mean we get to choose what the gift
is or the means by which it is offered, but free will does mean we get
to choose when to accept it.

For me, OST simply offers wide open accepting space for people to fill
with their current understanding of their world.  Because the space is
explicitly wide open and accepting, people have an opportunity to
explore and work and play in resonance with their true selves, to
whatever extent they are willing and able, meaning they will get as far
and go as deep as they are ready for. Since they're deciding, they'll go
just the right distance for them in the moment they're in. OST raises no
internal or external barriers to our true selves and therefore does no
harm and wastes no time. That's why it's so good.

Julie

*
*
==========================================================
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
---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.510 / Virus Database: 307 - Release Date: 8/14/2003

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/2003

*
*
==========================================================
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

*
*
==========================================================
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
---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/2003

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 8/19/2003

*
*
==========================================================
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



More information about the OSList mailing list