Fear and control (waxing lyrical)

Julie Smith jsmith at mosquitonet.com
Thu Nov 6 14:02:18 PST 2003


Hi Mike,

I think you had it right the first time.

Becoming centered and remaining at peace amidst huge turmoil does not
require that you lose your humanity, though it probably does mean you
transcend your current concept of humanity.

I think recognizing we're out of balance is good because we become aware
we have a lesson to learn.  The act of learning the lesson brings us
more into balance, helps us recognize more of our inherent centeredness
and wholeness, and provides us with the strength and courage we need to
meet the next lesson.  The point of all the lessons is to help us learn
to keep balancing what is imbalanced until we are perfectly balanced.  I
think that place of perfect centeredness, wholeness and balance is
available to all of us, and is the entire reason we're here.  Balancing,
or resolving our polarities, is good, good, good.  In the way we're
using terms here, "balance" isn't death, but enlightenment.  (Though as
I ponder it, there is the death of the ego to contend with, so yes,
there is a death.)

As for balancing fear/control and letting go/going with the flow... try
this.  Draw a triangle with a base line at the bottom and two lines
moving up to the third point at the top.  Write "fear/control" under the
left point at the base of the triangle, and write "letting go/going with
the flow" under the right point at the base of the triangle.  This is
the polarity you're trying to resolve.  Now you have the remaining
point, at the top of the triangle, with nothing written yet.  This is
the point of the ascended balance, the state of being that transcends
this particular duality.  Now sit with your polarity and feel into it.
What attracts you to each polarity?  What repels you from each polarity?
Feel into a state that transcends the attraction/repulsion of both, and
find that place where you are centered and whole and sure.  If you can't
find it, stay with it.  Ask for help and trust that you will receive it.


Now that you've brought this up, I can see so many of my ponderings
about OST embedded in this very triangle.  Thanks for bringing a bit
more light to my understanding.

This method of polarity processing is based on Leslie Temple-Thurston's
work and especially her book The Marriage of Spirit.

Julie


-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Mike
Copeland
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 10:23 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Fear and control (waxing lyrical)

Thanks Harrison

You have just blown my idea of Nirvana. I've always thought there must
be a place where I can be centred and remain at peace amidst huge
turmoil. But you're right if I was always there I'd lose my humanity;
life.  I still get angry and you from time to time  even let myself feel
a little joy!

So from where I float in the South Pacific, New Zealand, its far better
BEING IN the river than out!

Mike Copeland
-----Original Message-----
From: Harrison Owen [mailto:hhowen at COMCAST.NET]
Sent: Tuesday, 4 November 2003 2:11 p.m.
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Fear and control (waxing lyrical)
Michael wrote:

how does one find the balance between fear/control and letting go/going
with the flow?

I don't think you ever will. And if you did - you would be dead. As the
fellow says - when you reach equilibrium in biology, you are dead. So
then what? I would guess we are all on a journey up or down the river -
replete with all sorts of ebbs and flows. It would be great if it all
would just even out (balance out). But it never does. Unless of course
you choose to leave the river . . .

harrison.

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Mike
Copeland
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 7:19 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Fear and control (waxing lyrical)

Beautiful words everyone

You have all brought me to the guts of my initial enquiry:

 Finding that balance comes back to being a co-creator with spirit for
me. I am spirit's hands, eyes, ears, mouth piece; yet I am not all of
it!

Spirit flows regardless of whether I hold its waters tight or with open
palms. My experience is enhanced or diminished depending on my stance.
This is what open space is teaching me. My co-operation, malleableness,
flexibility, ultimately openness to spirit is what life is all about.

The four principles, one law and spirit of open space are not just for
meetings. They are for living! In trying to live these things out, in
the furnace of everyday trials, especially in relationships, open space
provides me with a framework to be receptive to spirit; mine and the
world's.

That's all
Mike Copeland



-----Original Message-----
From: Peggy Holman [mailto:peggy at opencirclecompany.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 4 November 2003 9:35 a.m.
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Fw: Fear and control (waxing lyrical)
Robyn -- lovely image!

This conversation reminds me of one from last January called
"self-organization is what consciousness (spirit) does".

I pulled this snippet of mine from it:

I recently was given a gift of an image around this that I've found
quite
helpful.   A Buddhist priest attended Spirited Work (a learning
community
that gathers quarterly in OS).  He used an image of hands for holding
space.
Actually, here are Master Chang's words:

>Since I left Whidbey Island, I've constantly thought of OS and its
spiritual manifestation in earthly conditionings. It's dawn[ed] on me
that
>we constantly create mental boundaries and then transfigure them into
organizational rules, etc., which we call containers. Thus, there are
>levels upon levels of containers, depending on levels of minds that we
have. What OP[OST] methodology attracts me is the way it can
>facilitate and accommodate multi-levels of containers by very few
simple
rules of gathering and interaction. The challenge for me in >creating an
OP[OST] organization is to be able to make available (and to promote)
evolutionary & consequential levels of
>unfoldment ... so one can evolve from "container/2 hands cupped, facing
each other" to "supporter/2 hands open, facing upwards" to
>"being/handless
gesture" ...


I LOVE this picture of hands reflecting the evolution of space, perhaps
because it mirrors my own growing comfort with space.  (While I aspire
to
it, I'm not sure I'm ready to hang out in the space of "look ma, no
hands!")
It reminds me that we are all at different places of comfort with
openness.
I may go screaming from the room when the space feels too closed and
someone
else go running to their room because the space is too open.
Peggy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robyn" <pov at IINET.NET.AU>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 6:22 AM
Subject: Re: Fear and control (waxing lyrical)

> RE:
> If you close those two hands - you end up with two fists. Definitely
not
> what we want.
>
> ~ (delighted laughter!) I pictured the closing of two open hands, like
> an almond.  The result, according to a dear and wise women that I
know,
> is the mandorla, which has become a very powerful symbol for me in my
> journey towards wholeness.
>
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