July 8 Tip: Learn about Radical Forgiveness from Colin Tipping

Learn about "Radical Forgiveness" from Colin Tipping

(The July 8 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.soundstrue.com/weeklywisdom/?source=podcast&p=8037&category=WW&version=full

Everywhere we look—in the newspapers, on TV, and even in our own personal lives—we see exam­ples of people who have been egregiously victimized. We read, for example, that at least one in every five adults in America today was either physically or sex­ually abused as a child. TV news confirms that rape and murder are commonplace in our communities and crime against people and property is rampant every­where. Around the world we see torture, repression, incarceration, genocide, and open warfare occurring on a vast scale.

In the early 1990s I began offering forgiveness workshops, cancer retreats, and corporate seminars. Since then I have heard enough horror stories from quite ordinary people to convince me that there is not a human being on the planet who has not been seri­ously victimized at least once, and in minor ways more times than they could count. Who among us can say they have never blamed someone else for their lack of happiness? For most if not all of us, blame is simply a way of life.

Indeed, the victim archetype is deeply ingrained in all of us, and it exerts great power in the mass con­sciousness. For eons we have played out victimhood in every aspect of our lives, convincing ourselves that victim consciousness is absolutely fundamental to the human condition. The time has come to ask ourselves this question: how can we stop creating our lives this way and let go of the victim archetype as the model for how to live?

To break free from such a powerful archetype, we must replace it with something radically different—something so compelling and spiritually liberating that it magnetizes us away from victimhood. We need something that will take us beyond the drama of our lives so we can see the big picture and the truth that, right now, lies hidden from us. When we awaken to that truth, we will understand the meaning of our suf­fering and be able to transform it immediately.

As we continue to move into the new millennium and prepare for the imminent next great leap in our spiritual evolution, it is essential that we adopt a way of living based not on fear, control, and abuse of power but on true forgiveness, unconditional love, and peace. That’s what I mean by something radical, and that is what my book is all about: helping us make that transition.

If we are to transform anything, we must be able to experience it completely and fully, which means that to transform the victim archetype, we must first experi­ence victimhood fully. There is no shortcut! Therefore, we need situations in our lives that allow us to feel victimized so we can transform the energy through Radical Forgiveness.

To transform an energy pattern so fundamental as the victim archetype, many, many people—souls who possess the wisdom and love necessary to accomplish this immense task—must awaken and accept this as their spiritual mission. Perhaps you are one of the souls who volunteered for this mission. 

July 7 Tip: Learn about Life on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned

Learn about life on Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned

(The July 7 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/06/world/africa/where-mandela-kept-hope-guide-tells-their-shared-saga.html?hp&_r=0

For nearly 20 years, Mr. Kathrada, an African National Congress activist who later served in the Mandela administration, has led heads of state and global celebrities through Mr. Mandela’s steps on Robben Island. In 1994, five years after Mr. Kathrada’s release, Mr. Mandela asked him to take on the role of a guide, given the number of people who wanted to visit the prison site.

July 6 Tip: View short video of Carrie Newcomer singing "I'll go too"

View short video of Carrie Newcomer singing "I'll go too"
(The July 6 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ech7sBDMzIQ

When I was young I often said
That there were ugly things beneath my bed
I'd slip downstairs when I got scared
Into the safety of Dad's easy chair
That chair was like a long deep sigh
And I'd stay until he'd say it's time
But he'd always put his hand in mine
And tell me
"I'll go too."

I'll go too
I'll go too
That's what he'd say
That's what he'd do
Don't go alone I'll walk with you
I'll go too

When I was learning how to swim
I'd look down at the water and back at him
He'd say "Take my hand, we'll both jump in.
I'll go too."

I'll go too
I'll go too
That's what he'd say
That's what he'd do
Don't go alone I'll walk with you
I'll go too

So many nights I've wondered
So many things to brave
So many acts of courage we face each and every day

I put on my new white dress
[- From: http://www.elyrics.net -]
I had my doubts if I could do the rest
And he said "Take my hand just do your best.
I'll go too."

I'll go too
I'll go too
That's what he'd say
That's what he'd do
Don't go alone I'll walk with you
I'll go too

In the quiet cold of the April snow
It was time to finally let her go
I took his hand and said "I know.
I'll go too."

One day we all will understand
As we walk right in to the Promised Land
But I hope an angel takes me by the hand
And tells me
"I'll go too."

I'll go too
I'll go too
That's what he'll say
That's what she'll do
Don't go alone I'll walk with you
I'll go too

I'll go too
I'll go too
That's what he'll say
That's what she'll do
Don't go alone I'll walk with you
I'll go too

I'll go too

I'll go too
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>

July 5 Tip: Listen to "The Last Quiet Places"

From "On Being": Listen to The Last Quiet Places
(the July 5 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.onbeing.org/program/last-quiet-places/4557/audio?embed=1

Silence is an endangered species, says Gordon Hempton. He defines real quiet as presence — not an absence of sound, but an absence of noise. The Earth, as he knows it, is a "solar-powered jukebox." Quiet is a "think tank of the soul." We take in the world through his ears.

July 4 Tip: Do you know what you want (spiritually)?

From Sounds True: Do you know what you want (spiritually)?

(The July 4 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.soundstrue.com/weeklywisdom/?source=podcast&p=8007&category=AGM&version=full

How do we reach a state of spiritual awakening? We might think we must go through certain portals to get there—such as regular meditation, right-thinking, self-discipline, exploring compassion and forgiveness, and many other valuable practices. Yet Adyashanti believes that we often overlook what may be the most authentic and vital part of the journey when we try to follow an “acceptable” path to awakening. In this clip, he invites you to discover what happens on your spiritual journey when you ask the simple question: “What do I want?”

July 3 Tip: Read about "The Suicide Detective"

From The NY Times Magazine: Read about "The Suicide Detective"
(The July 3 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/30/magazine/the-suicide-detective.html?ref=magazine

For reasons that have eluded people forever, many of us seem bent on our own destruction. Recently more human beings have been dying by suicide annually than by murder and warfare combined. Despite the progress made by science, medicine and mental-health care in the 20th century — the sequencing of our genome, the advent of antidepressants, the reconsidering of asylums and lobotomies — nothing has been able to drive down the suicide rate in the general population. In the United States, it has held relatively steady since 1942. Worldwide, roughly one million people kill themselves every year. Last year, more active-duty U.S. soldiers killed themselves than died in combat; their suicide rate has been rising since 2004. Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the suicide rate among middle-aged Americans  has climbed nearly 30 percent since 1999. In response to that widely reported increase, Thomas Frieden, the director of the C.D.C., appeared on PBS NewsHour and advised viewers to cultivate a social life, get treatment for mental-health problems, exercise and consume alcohol in moderation. In essence, he was saying, keep out of those demographic groups with high suicide rates, which include people with a mental illness like a mood disorder, social isolates and substance abusers, as well as elderly white males, young American Indians, residents of the Southwest, adults who suffered abuse as children and people who have guns handy.

July 2 Tip: Explore readings from world religions on peace in the face of violence

Explore readings from world religions on peace in the face of violence

(The July 2 Compassionate Living Tip from Interfaith Paths to Peace

Here are a video and a set of readings shared with us by Louisville's Baha'i community:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vT_7AX06UQ

Baha'is of Louisville

Sunday morning, June 30, 11:00 am
at the Louisville Baha'i Center
3808 Bardstown Rd. in the Buechel Business District.

The program consisted of sacred writings and prayers on the subject of the human and justice.

 
It was offered by the Baha'i community in response to the multiple homicides and suicide on June 19

in

the Lakeview Condominium Complex.  

O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.  O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy Mercy.  O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony.  O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.  O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.  Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.  O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.  Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind.

Baha’i Faith: 'Abdu'l-Bahá

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

Christianity: JesusChrist

“We believe in God, and that which hath been sent down to us, and that which hath been sent down to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes; and that which hath been given to Moses and to Jesus, and that which was given to the prophets from their Lord.  No difference do we make between any of them…”

Islam:Qur’an, Sura II:130

What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour: that is the entire Torah....As thou desirest that evils not befall thee, but to partake of all that is good, thou shouldst act in this spirit to thy subjects and to offenders.

Judaism: Babylonian Talmud; Letter of Aristeas

None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.

Islam: Hadith (Saying of Muhammad)

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

                King James Bible, Genesis

Man has two powers, and his development two aspects. One power is connected with the material world and by it he is capable of material advancement. The other power is spiritual and through its development his inner, potential nature is awakened. These powers are like two wings. Both must be developed, for flight is impossible with one wing. Praise be to God! material advancement has been evident in the world but there is need of spiritual advancement in like proportion. We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station.

                Abdu’l-Bahá

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise....Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven; give, and it shall be given unto you....For with the same measure that ye mete, withal it shall be measured to you again.

 Christianity: The New Testament, St. Luke 6:31, 36-38

...O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.  Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for any one the things ye would not desire for yourselves. This is My best counsel unto you, did ye but observe it.

                                                                                                                Baha’i Faith: The Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 128

The second attribute of perfection is justice and impartiality. This means to have no regard for one's own personal benefits and selfish advantages, and to carry out the laws of God without the slightest concern for anything else.  It means to see one's self as only one of the servants of God, the All‑Possessing; and except for aspiring to spiritual distinction, never attempting to be singled out from the others. It means to consider the welfare of the community as one's own.

It means, in brief, to regard humanity as a single individual, and one's own self as a member of that corporeal form, and to know of a certainty that if pain or injury afflicts any member of that body, it must inevitably result in suffering for all the rest.

 Baha’i Faith: `Abdu'l‑Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 39

O ye who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well‑acquainted with all that ye do.

...If thou judge, judge in equity between them. For God loveth those who judge in equity.

                                                                                                           

Islam: The Qur’an 5: 9, 45

Man is in the highest degree of materiality, and at the beginning of spirituality; that is to say, he is the end of imperfection and the beginning of perfection. He is at the last degree of darkness, and at the beginning of light; that is why it has been said that the condition of man is the end of the night and the beginning of day, meaning that he is the sum of all the degrees of imperfection, and that he possesses the degrees of perfection. He has the animal side as well as the angelic side; and the aim of an educator is to so train human souls, that their angelic aspect may overcome their animal side. Then, if the divine power in man which is his essential perfection, overcomes the satanic power, which is absolute imperfection, he becomes the most excellent among the creatures; but if the satanic power overcomes the divine power, he becomes the lowest of the creatures. That is why he is the end of imperfection and the beginning of perfection. Not in any other of the species in the world of existence is there such a difference, contrast, contradiction, and opposition, as in the species of man.

                Abdu’l-Bahá

Music

Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word  proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. If any man were to meditate on that which the Scriptures, sent down from the heaven of God's holy Will, have revealed, he would readily recognize that their purpose is that all men shall be regarded as one soul, so that the seal bearing the words "The Kingdom shall be God's" may be stamped on every heart, and the light of Divine bounty, of grace, and mercy may envelop all mankind. The one true God, exalted be His glory, hath wished nothing for Himself. The allegiance of mankind profiteth Him not, neither doth its perversity harm Him. The Bird of the Realm of Utterance voiceth continually this call: "All things have I willed for thee, and thee, too, for thine own sake." If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure. Were the earth to attain this station and be illumined with its light it could then be truly said of it: "Thou shall see in it no hollows or rising hills."

            Baha'u'llah

O SON OF SPIRIT!

I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I molded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.

            Baha'u'llah

Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It is none other than reward and punishment for the deeds of men. By the power of this force the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment. ...It ill beseemeth the station of man to commit tyranny; rather it behoveth him to observe equity and be attired with the raiment of justice under all conditions. Beseech ye the One true God that He may, through the power of the hand of loving kindness and spiritual education, purge and purify certain souls from the defilement of evil passions and corrupt desires,...that perchance the evidences of injustice may be blotted out and the splendour of the light of justice may shed its radiance upon the whole world.

 Baha’u’llah

Overstep not the bounds of moderation, and deal justly with them that serve thee. Bestow upon them according to their needs and not to the extent that will enable them to lay up riches for themselves, to deck their persons, to embellish their homes, to acquire the things that are of no benefit unto them, and to be numbered with the extravagant. Deal with them with undeviating justice, so that none among them may either suffer want, or be pampered with luxuries. This is but manifest justice. ...Let My counsel be acceptable to thee, and strive thou to rule with equity among men, that God may exalt thy name and spread abroad the fame of thy justice in all the world.

 Bahá'u'lláh

The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.

            Baha'u'llah

"Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy  generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.”

            Baha'u'llah