today’s obsession / social responsibility
march, 2020i wanted to share with you on my blog something that i've been spending more time on with myself. when i got to a point of recognition that i had a serious mind/body disconnect, i tried to focus more on how to manage my mind and to work on letting go, to see the universe as showing me my path rather than having such a staunch idea of my direction. the idea that i could let my steps show me what was naturally coming my way and the open doors that i might have been blind to in the past. some of my study has focused on meditation and also on buddhism and a number of kind teachers that have resonated with me throughout my life. i spent almost a year in india, some 20 years ago now, and i would say that that this was my introduction to buddhism and wanting to find a different way. at that time, i was really unhappy in my life and with my work in technology, and my mind was creating a lot of pain that i didn't need. it’s funny how life goes in waves and i had to remind myself to return to this teaching again after closing mira mira. i had dropped it along the way.
one of the teachers that has always stood out for me is ram dass and he passed away sadly, i think think about (twelve) weeks ago now. i have been spending a lot of time on his podcast and his readings and teachings, which thankfully they recorded and i'm going to share with you. i don't want to go too much into his history because maybe you know it but i want to share with you one of his most recent shows from his ‘hear and now’ podcast, and this was really a societal reawakening, which i think we're doing a lot of right now in the world and he hearkens this back to the quakers, who had a very simple way of living and of seeing their lives and roots in american culture and he shares with us, the shakertown pledge, which they created in 1974. i want to share with you the pledge, myself, just because i think it would resonate with a lot of you and i think that this is really something that could be beneficial to all of us today struggling with so many different fears and pressures and things.
so here's a link to the podcast. here's a link to ram das’ website. here's a link to a terry gross’ interview with ram das to get a bit of his succinct history which is a really cool radio show. and here is the shakertown pledge. email me at theedit@miramirasf.com, if you want to talk about it more and thank you for following my blog.
1. i declare myself a world citizen.
2. i commit myself to lead an ecologically sound life.
3. i commit myself to lead a life of creative simplicity and to share my personal wealth with the world’s poor.
4. i commit myself to join with others in the reshaping of institutions in order to bring about a more just global society in which all people have full access to the needed resources for their physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth.
5. i commit myself to occupational accountability, and so doing I will seek to avoid the creation of products which cause harm to others.
6. i affirm the gift of my body and commit myself to its proper nourishment and physical well-being.
7. i commit myself to examine continually my relations with others and to attempt to relate honestly, morally and lovingly to those around me.
8. i commit myself to personal renewal through prayer, meditation and study.
9. i commit myself to responsible participation in a community of faith.