Do we open space or...

Sun Aug 24 18:28:34 PDT 2003

A lovely deep and enriching conversation - thanks folks.

I agree - the journey inwards is necessary for me to hold in tension some
of the paradoxes I encounter - within me and in those I meet...in my work
with spirituality and nonviolence, I often refer to the words of Gandhi -
whose concept of satyagraha refers to 'soul-force' or 'holding firmly to
truth' - this is a notion that I feel in touch with while opening and
holding the space for others - in situations of conflict or addressing
what's important to them - its not so much what is going on 'out there' as
what is going on in me - holding to my truth of universal connectedness and
compassion....love I guess - and let the Spirit flow as she will

Brendan

At 07:20 PM 24-08-2003 -0400, you wrote:
>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
>
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