Do we open space or...

[Janet Pinto]

Yes indeed, " lovely deep and enriching conversation -- and so close to my
heart.  The journey inwards is long. There are no quick fixes or
techniques -- but an ever deepening surrender in faith and hope.  To me Open
Space is essentially  about 'being' -- about holding the Space within one's
self in a way that makes it safe for people to explore and express their
essential abundance of mind, heart and spirit.

Birgitt, Julie, Jim and Brendan --  thanks for holding the Space for this
sharing.

Janet



----- Original Message -----
From: "BrendanMcKeague" <mckeague at iprimus.com.au>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 6:58 AM
Subject: Re: Do we open space or...


> 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
> >
> >*
> >*
> >==========================================================
> >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
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> 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