powerful poem! help me understand it.--to John Engle
EVERETT813 at aol.com
EVERETT813 at aol.com
Sat Aug 13 10:46:30 PDT 2005
John,
Wonderful to see you again in Halifax. The event was quite moving for me on
several occasions. Great that we had 12 countries represented and many
first-timers from Canada as well as a few from elsewhere. The Canada OSonOS team
did marvelously and I found the setting most appropriate.
On the issue of "struggle". One of our great teachers, Oz Swallow from
South Africa ( mining engineer turned philosopher/transformation teacher) taught
that we must never fight against......, we must be all for..... in our outlook,
no matter the difficulty of the situation. Thus, we must be all for
defeating the forces of tyranny, of poverty, of deprivation, etc. He certainly
experienced it in his life as a mining engineer in South Africa. He almost lost
his life several times in the mines where he worked closely with the miners
(mostly blacks) solving problems. He was also raised (counseled) in his youth
by an important Zulu warrior and leader.
I don't think this is just a shift of words or semantics because in my own
sheltered life I have experienced how that shifts one's mental set when other
kinds of difficulties arise besides figuring out how to maintain the body with
food. Thus, the poem's intradiction against "struggle" spoke to me in that
sense. Because I think of struggle as being against the current situation,
whatever it is. Thus, one is thrown into the against mindset because of the way
'struggle' is usually thought of. I can also think of the use of "struggle
for freedom", etc., but it still carries an "against" feeling in it for me.
Not sure if this is of any use to you.
John, I deeply respect you and the work you have chosen to do. It takes
great courage to be where you are at this time. I know in my own heart and soul
that the Universal Spirit (God, etc.) is all for your work.
Sincerely,
Paul Everett
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