<html>
At 09:59 PM 12/12/2001 -0900, Julie Smith <jsmith@MOSQUITONET.COM>
wrote:<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>
<dl><font face="arial" size=2 color="#333399">
<dd>This conversation reminds me of some things I ve read recently about
and by Meister Eckhart, a 14th</sup> century theologian. Eckhart
talked about letting go and letting be as an essential aspect of
spirituality. Eckhart s description of letting go and letting be,
as well as his linking of that choice with spirituality, seems to
parallel some of the conversation here. Here are a few
excerpts.</font><font face="arial" size=2 color="#333399">
<dd>Thus what letting go does is to develop sensitivity and openness to
the spirit and this receptivity results in letting be&. Letting be is
an act of respecting the autonomy of all things. It designates the
attitude of a human who no longer regards objects and events according to
their usefulness, but who accepts them in their autonomy. Thus a
good synonym for letting be might be reverence. Letting be is an
attitude of reverence for all things that allows them to be themselves
and God s selves. This represents one more reason why the path of letting
go and letting be is not one of putting down anything or any event.
It is rather to enter so fully into events and things that we reverence
all that is there. This reverence is a gentle letting be.
What is being spoken of here is to meet with gentleness, in true humility
and selflessness, everything which comes your way. </font></blockquote>
</dl><br><br>
Nicely put, Julie. Occasionally I am asked prior to a training program
(or even during) -- If Open Space is so simple, why do we have to spend
several days working on it? My answer, which may be a little bit flip,
goes something like, "Well, there a few details to be considered,
but mostly it is about learning to let go. And that seems to take a lot
of time for most of us. The harder we try, the behinder we
get."<br><br>
Harrison<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>
<dl>
<dd>Harrison Owen</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
</dl><div align="center">7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-365-2093<br>
Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
<br>
Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
Personal website <a href="http://www.mindspring.com/~owenhh" eudora="autourl">www.mindspring.com/~owenhh</a><br><br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
</u></font>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>
view the archives of <font color="#0000FF"><u>oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu<br>
</u></font>Visit: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br><br>
<br><br>
</font></u></div>
</html>