books about being human?

Thu Aug 28 23:43:10 PDT 2008

"Le Petit Prince" from Saint-Exupery

Henri

       On n'entend bien qu'avec le coeur
        L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux

On Aug 28, 2008, at 8:20 PM, Tree Fitzpatrick wrote:

> Wow, it is fun to learn what some folks are reading, what books have  
> been particularly meaningful to them. And it is fun to think about  
> books that have been important to me.
>
> If I have to pick just one book -- praise goddess that I don't have  
> to choose only one -- that influenced my thinking about being human,  
> it might be Riane Eisler's The Chalice and the Blade.  Eisler's book  
> allowed me to find a new relationship to culture, particularly as it  
> relates to the fact of my gender in this particular lifetime.  Only  
> after I read this book did I realize how hard it had been for me,  
> all my life, to feel connected to the surrounding culture, which is  
> one rooted in domination.  This book freed me to, well, be me, it  
> helped me accept that I do not have to be defined by surrounding  
> culture, that i can shape culture for myself.
>
> Today I happen to be rereading The Occult Significance of  
> Forgiveness by Sergei Prokofiev.  This Prokofiev is the Russian  
> grandson of the great composer. This Prokofiev is an  
> anthroposophical researcher. I am rereading this book because I am  
> working on forgiveness, again. Again and again and again, I have to  
> work on my forgiveness skills. Darnit.  The book is kinda obscure  
> and might not be very accessible to people unfamiliar with  
> anthroposophy but Prokofiev's message, that it really, really,  
> really matters that each and everyone of us forgives everything, is,  
> imho, central to what it means to be human.
>
> And, imho, Where The Wild Things Are, a children's picture book by  
> Maurice Sendak is another great approach to the occult significance  
> of forgiveness.
>
> Two works of fiction have been profoundly influential for me.   
> Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and Michael Chabon's The  
> Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay.  Each of these novels delve  
> deeply into the darkness of the human heart while simultaneously  
> reminding us of the light that also resides in it.
>
> Man on the Threshold by Bernard Lievegoed and anything else this guy  
> ever wrote.
>
> I am vaguely disappointed to have to reveal that more books by men  
> come to mind as I contemplate this question than books by women.  I  
> have considered sharing a false list, only listing books by  
> women. . . but I am working, today, on sharing my microscopic truths  
> in all streams in my life.  Just for today.  Just for this moment.   
> And in this moment, it is true that men's thinking has been  
> important to me.
>
> On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 12:39 PM, Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com 
> > wrote:
> The Tao te ching by lao tzu ( i like Stephen Mitchell's translation  
> these days) is like an owner's manual for this life, at least in my  
> experience.  It's very simple, very profound, full of theory, poetry  
> and practices and surprises, even after many years of reading and  
> befriending it.
>
> Chris
>
>
>
> On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 9:13 AM, Metta <metta at open-space-technology.com 
> > wrote:
> Three Classics -- 2 Western, 2 Eastern:
>
> On Being Human, Ashley Montague
> Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
> I Am That, Nisargadatta Maharaj
>
> ============================================
>
>
> At 11:20 AM 8/27/2008, you wrote:
>
>> Greetings All,
>>
>> I realize that this topic is a little broader than the focus of  
>> this list, but selfishly, I would love to tap the rich breadth and  
>> depth of humanity here, so…I have a request for all of you Open  
>> Space readers out there who have ever pondered what it means to be  
>> human.  I'm wondering what books have you discovered along the way  
>> that taught you the most about being human those that helped you  
>> understand something about yourself or others.
>>
>> If you could recommend your top one or two, I'd appreciate it…
>>
>> Appreciatively,
>> Karen
>>
>> Karen Sella
>> Coaching:  www.luminacoaching.com
>> Consulting:  www.integralventures.com
>> Blog: www.lumina.typepad.com
>> Phone: 1.206.780.2998
>> Skype: karensella
>>
>> lumina fr. L. light, air, opening...
>>
>> The information contained in this message may be privileged,  
>> confidential and protected from disclosure.  If you are not the  
>> intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution or copying is  
>> strictly prohibited.  If you think that you have received this  
>> message in error, please notify the sender by reply and delete the  
>> message and any attachments.
>
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>
> -- 
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Facilitation - Training - Process Design
> Open Space Technology
>
> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>
> Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
> http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com
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>
> -- 
> Love rays,
> Tree Fitzpatrick
>
> http://thecultureoflove.blogspot.com/
>
> . . . the great and incalculable grace of love, which says, with  
> Augustine, "I want you to be," without being able to give any  
> particular reason for such supreme and unsurpassable affirmation. --  
> Hannah Arendt
>
> 1335 Montecito Ave Apt. 35
> Mountain View, California 94043
> (650) 967-9260
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