A Note for Josef

Fri Aug 11 09:43:19 PDT 2006

I have read these posts with great interest and I hope great heart.  In reding
your post Josef I feel like I get a sense of the great isolation Israelis must
feel in the current situation but also in the general climate of polarization
that is growing in the world.  I am not sure I know what evil is exactly or that
I can always recognize it when I encounter it.  I sense that your definition
will serve as well as another.  There does seem to be a "Black Hole"
characteristic to it.  What I feel I have to add to the conversation is some
words about what is opening space.  I too am an artist and agree that opening
space is much like the creative process and like in the creative process the
opening provides a channel for whatever is there or possible to flow.  I know
for myself I go into art making with concrete ideas about the product that will
emerge.  But usually I am faced with letting go of my concrete intention if the
process and ultimately the product is to emerge.  In the end I always feel like
the physical channel for the art to emerge through.  Sometimes I like and feel
connected to what emerges and sometimes I have it.  My job is simply to know
when it is complete. 

I do think that opening space is much the same.  It is not my job as the opener
to edit or judge what comes into the space.  My job is to keep the space open so
that all that is ready to flow into the circle can.  I close the space when I am
attached to an outcome for the space.  I really believe and trust in the process
so I stay focused on the principles of OST "whoever shows up is the right
person, whatever happens is the only thing that could happen etc".  Evil may and
does show up in the bodies, minds and experiences of the participants.  The
space is not opened for evil but it is open to evil.  And so it must be because
we all carry the seeds for evil.  All human beings have the capacity to nurture
those seeds. For me personally that is the only way to counter evil.  My belief
is that evil gets norishment, power and strength from fear and fear lives in
closed space.  Even physiologically when we feel fear our bodies limit blood
flow to only the essential parts of the body.  The evil superstars feed on fear.
 Fear is their oxygen.  Physically for me the way I face fear is to open space,
to open to whatever is creating the fear.  The process for me is exactly the
same as in art making the moment I face that something invisible to me wants to
manifest in the work.  there is a moment that I experience fear and
hopelessness.  If I do not open the space and let go of my preconceived ideas
the piece will never be completed.  But if i let go and just continue to open to
whatever I can complete the work.

In the context of this discussion I would agree with that the reports about
Israel and Lebanon seem biased.  The legitimacy of Lebanese fears seems to get
center stage.  More people are dying in Lebanon many of them are women, children
and elders.  I think it is even possible that Hezbollah counts on that being
true.  Manipulation of people's sympathies and fears is a tool of evil.  I have
not heard much about Israel's fears.  We are mostly informed about Israel's
might.  We hear nothing of Hezbollah's might and I do believe that staging your
battle in a place that insures the most civilian casualties which fuels
sympathies for your position is a powerful weapon. But thinking and talking
about the issue through that lense changes the discussion.  Fear is fear.  Pain
is pain.  Injustice is injustice.  Dead is dead.  One people's fear or pain is
not more legitimate than the others.  They all exist simultaneously whether we
choose to let them into the space or not. 

I am sorry for the evil you face. 
Pat Black

Date:    Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:36:40 +0200
From:    joralt
<joralt at netvision.net.il>
Subject: Re: A Note for Josef

Dear Harrison

Thank you for the reply. Rereading what you say few times allowed me to feel
the rightness of some of what you say but we do differ in regard the plain

old evil and the usefulness of opening space to heal it. Evil in my opinion
is nothing more or less then condensed hatred that lost all capacity for
compassion let alone love. And it feed on the denials of people of good

intent who believe that there is some misunderstanding which after being
sorted out will create the conditions for opening space for peace and love.
I would not suggest you to wait for that day.

 Still, my intent was not to be derisive towards the beautiful process of

OST or toward the wonderful people over the world who practice the art of
listening, sharing and communicating with good intent. I have also no desire
to burden this space here with arguments over the legitimacy of using

violence as I personally believe in the ways of Ahimsa. I do not suggest an
eye for an eye attitude or adopting the violent ways of hatred. What I am
referring to is the way of acceptance. It means that by accepting  the

existence of evil we can allow it to move out from our space. In vastness of
the Space which is the matrix of all that exist there can be a place for
evil but it doesn't have to be our space.  With all the respect ,dear

Harrison, there is  much more to opening space then just good plumbing.
Opening space is a sacred work that should create a safe heaven and a sacred
ground for love to feel safe enough to manifest and flourish. Denials of bad

intent are not  peace and talking peace will never replace the fact that
Hezbollah and extreme Islam is preaching hatred towards anything that
doesn't look or feel like them. We the Israelis are the most convenient

excuse for the use of their violence, knowing well that the rest of the
world will buy the argument that Jews are the evil of the world of which is
their sacred duty to get rid of. And the world stands by and does nothing as

it always did.

Doing nothing is also a good way to open space but usually what enters is
exactly the reflection of what people where hoping to avoid by doing
nothing.

Thank you for the link. I red your description of opening space for peace

and it was very moving.

Josef

Josef Ralt

mobile:972528000278

home:97236821621

HYPERLINK

"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeralt"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeralt

   _____ 

From: OSLIST [
mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 3:21 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU

Subject: A Note for Josef

Josef -- I am not sure that Opening Space with or for Ben Laden would have
done much good, but I am pretty sure that had we (that would be all of us)
diligently opened space for the peoples of the world so that the chaos,

confusion and conflict that inevitably occur in the course of human living
might have found resolution prior to explosion -- the Ben Ladens of this
world would find little fuel for their fires. That did not happen and the

fires are burning. It could have been different, I believe -- and may still
be different if we get to work.

Personally, I have never seen an Open Space for  "bad intent if not plain
old evil." What shows up in all the Open Spaces I have experienced is just

plain people, who come in all shapes and sizes with multiple desires,
histories and passions. Even in violently conflicted environments, such as
the Open Spaces I have been part of in The Middle East, the people soon

found themselves with more in common than difference. To be sure the
conversations were loud and confrontational -- but for the most part, they
were conducted with respect -- which often turned into hope and trust, and

strangely, even affection. Recently in Seville where I found myself in the
midst of several hundred Rabbis and Imams, that was the case. And several
years ago in Rome, with a smaller, but much more political group of Israelis

and Palestinians, the situation was the same. For the story you might check
--(HYPERLINK
"http://openspaceworld.com/opening_space_for_peace.htm"
http://openspaceworld
com/opening_space_for_peace.htm)

To be sure there are psychopaths and thugs. Every society has them -- but

when the space of that society is keep open (there are multiple ways to open
space in addition to OST) -- the pathology of such people can be
marginalized and the toxins they produce flushed away. Alternatively, when

we close space, build walls, seek to dominate and control these same toxins
are concentrated and eventually become lethal. We know all about that, I
think.

To me it is less a matter of morals and ethics and more about good plumbing,

although maybe this is the ultimate ethic and morality. The fact of the
matter is that everyday human life produces toxic by-products. It is
inevitable and quite natural and may be prevented only with the cessation of

life, which is not quite what I would have in mind. The critical issues is
to keep flushing the system -- and that requires lot of space in order to
keep things moving. I grant you this may not be the most delicate way to put

things, and one might conclude that OST is simply the community commode --
but it seems to work.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD  20854

USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website HYPERLINK "http://www.openspaceworld.com"
www.openspaceworld.com
Personal Website HYPERLINK "http://www.ho-image.com"
www.ho-image.com

----- Original Message -----

From: HYPERLINK "mailto:joralt at netvision.net.il"joralt

To: HYPERLINK

"mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU"OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU

Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 4:52 AM

Subject: Re: A Note from a Young Friend

Hello to all

I am new in this place. I joined the list after discovering recently the
concept of OST and ever since I am studying this idea with it's many

possibilities and connotations.

As an artist I couldn't ignore the many similarities between some of the
ideas of OST and the opening of space for the creative flow within a
framework of art making be it a painting, a poem, apiece of sculpture etc.

But since it is a time of war I thought to write few words about the
negative connotations of opening space without realizing how denials of evil
intent open the gap in opposition to any good intent of loving people

everywhere.

Reading some of your letters here regarding the war between Lebanon and
Israel I couldn't not notice how much some of you seem to disregard the
power of opening space for bad intent if not plain old evil.

How about opening space for stupidity of the western cultures who still
disregard the bad intent of the militant Islam that despises  most of what
the western cultures regard as good and valuable?

How about opening space for deceits and evasions of the European countries

that allow their business corporations to sell any lethal knowledge that
turns out to be the weapons that are used to instigate terrorists activities
around the globe?

What about the Lebanese government that opened space for murderous intent of

the Hezbollah ?

Why do you think that space is limited only to love and good? Isn't space
unlimited by definition?

Where did you got the idea that disregarding evil intent by denying it's
existence will not open space in direct proportion to the force with which

it is being denied?

Opening space for evil (knowingly or not) is nothing new and it has always
created the gap that feeds on the denials of people of good intent
everywhere.

It is not enough to open space for good intent. You must accept

responsibility for your own denials that you throw into the gap in
superstitious belief that if you dispose of your bad intent by denying it
into the gap you will not have to face it one day.

Well, the day has arrived and guess what? Most of you in the free western

society will have to face how ludicrous is your belief that terrorists will
sit with you in open space circles and allow you the freedom of doing things
in your own way.

Do you believe that perhaps opening space with Bin Laden could have

prevented the attack on the WTC?

All the best

Josef from Tel Aviv 

Josef Ralt

mobile:972528000278

home:97236821621

HYPERLINK

"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeralt"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeralt

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist