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Here another paper I wrote recently on the story of Cinderella. While most fairy tales have been butchered into meaningless "childproof" drizzle, they are still deep rooted myths and in their origin contain powerful archetypal principles that can help us understand ourselves, our thoughts and emotions, our own personal stories, and life as a whole (e.g. the in the original frog king, the princess never kissed the frog, but instead threw him against the wall with all her might - much more interesting psychologically). Been studying with Jonathan Young over the last weeks (who worked with Joseph Campbell and started his archives), which has been quite fascinating. Really reminded me of the power of myth. Gave me quite a different view on myth and fairy tales and really reminded me, how we all live out archetypal patterns.
What fascinated me most about Cinderella apart from being a typical story of transformation, again fitting with the process of transformation Arthur Young so aptly described, was the parallels to both the Quabala as well as also Buddha's life... Read on to find out more ;-)
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 Finally! When I left for the Swiss Alps, I was hoping to spend a lot of quality time writing this program I came up with last year called "Six Sigma for Your Life".
Essentially, it combines Quality Management (Six Sigma was invented by Motorola for improving the output of widgets in manufacturing processes and later adopted by GE to become a generic tool to improve any process) and a variety of traditions and systems for personal improvement, including yoga, depth psychology, NLP, and even some aspects of Quantum Physics.
I am running a FREE prototype to help my brother's PhD research on Stress Management. If you are interested, make sure you sign up before June 2! To sign up, go to the Six Sigma for Your Life website.
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Another paper I wrote lately taking further the concept of "Demystify-Remystify". Based on a chapter on mysticism in a book I was reading for my masters program in transformational psychology, this paper explores the concept of demystifying reality in overcoming spiritualism with a scientific (materialist) approach, and overcoming materialism with openness toward the mystic experience. Enjoy!
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Sri Aurobindo was one of the sages of the last century whose philosophy will provide increasingly useful in the world we live in. His approach was marked by synthesis. As we enter the 21st century, we see dualism everywhere around us. It nearly seems that dualism has been stretched to the max, especially when one considers political or socio-economic factors. Synthesis is desperately needed.
Nearly all philosophies are either materialistic or spiritualistic. Either they embrace life and the ego/body, or they deny it. Neither is particularly satisfactory explanation for life.
Following is a paper I wrote recently on Materialism and Spritiualism, and on how Sri Aurobindo's philosophy provides an approach to overcoming the two.
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 It looks like I will have to interrupt my monktour for a few months... Will be in LA for a while thanks to the Center for Conscious Creativity and a whole load of other things... Too much going on here. Such a buzzing place LALAland is at the moment... Several of my friends have some beautiful projects going on as well, and I am excited about being here and supporting them. We will see what comes forth in the next weeks.
The last two have definitely been quite amazing. My brother was here to visit for two weeks. Am working with him on Six Sigma for Your Life, a course I have been developing, and which he is investigating in the context of his PhD on stress management. It was great to spend some quality time with him here in LA. Wish the weather had been better as I had hoped my brother could get some sunshine while he is out here, but contrary to common belief, it does rain in LA sometimes ;-)
Had a most lovely time full of adventures while he was here, though. Had a little impromptu event at the little house, made soup, and invited some of my lovely musician friends. Chris and Thomas came by without instruments (think they wanted to chill for once), but my friend who has a one-man band called The Lonliest Monk, brought an array of curious instruments with him, my friend Frankie "Fingers" sat down on the piano, and everyone was jamming before you knew it ;-) Quite lovely. The picture on the bottom is my brother after the party - not very charming picture as he was making a funny end-of-the-party face ;-) Light the light over his ajna, though...
Met two lovely gentleman that evening who are in the midst of shooting a documentary on addiction (they came to my place that night via Beverly Hills and Skid Row). Made me think about addiction quite a bit. Think that initially every act or thought is creative, conscious and willful. As we keep repeating it, it can turn into a habit without mindfulness. At some point, all the will is with the habit - and at this point, it has turned into addiction. From there, we can become conscious of it, turn it back into a habit as we reclaim our will over it, and finally, each act/thought becomes willfull again, without projection, conscious and creative. Hmm... will work on that one ;-) Am currently playing around with some of my habits, primarily smoking. Has been quite interesting and a good exercise in will. The mind is such an amazing thing...
Life is such a different experience when we exercise our will. Most of the time, we spend in slumber states, pulled by projections and imaginary rules we assumed often without questioning. If we actually pull all that energy back, take time to know and exercise our will, life suddenly becomes a whole new game of conscious creativity. Will write plenty more as I am putting together a book on the topic. So watch out ;-)
Much more to say, but no time right now... |
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Wow... what a year it has already been... It appears that this year somehow the thought/matter connection is pretty strong and that anything that you think about will come to you faster than ever before. So be aware of your thoughts!
 One of the most magical experiences in that regard for me has lately been the amazing developments around the Center for Conscious Creativity that I co-founded last fall (current logo draft on the right - am still revising). Many years ago I dreamed about building a center for artists to create in an environment of joy and collaboration infused with the spirit of working toward something higher and better. Over the years, the thought came up again and again. With some of my projects I tried to cover aspects of it, be it through supporting artists and non-profits with technology strategy, marketing and business knowledge, or through counseling and coaching people who were awakening to their creativity and their need to partake in this world through conscious acts of living. A few years ago, I explored the possibility of building an eco-Village in the desert as a location for such a center, but then the events in my life distracted me into different directions for a while and the whole project went into slumber mode waiting for the right moment...
It seems that it has come. My partner in the Center Kate (a most magnificient co-creator and astounding rennaisance woman) and I already had some great meetings with people over the last weeks, and a whole array of opportunities have been opening up. It seems that in this time of polarization of dualism (more about that in an upcoming paper) there is a strong need for integration, and for providing access to knowledge about how to live as a half physical - half spiritual being, the modern man who is beginning to turn back toward the source. Throughout the different areas of life dualism is reaching its climax and a new synthetic paradigm is evolving that finally unites again body and soul, matter and mind, particle and wave, the numinous and the phenomenal, the individual and the whole.
This new paradigm is evolving in the sciences, in politics and business, in academia, and even in new communities and ways of relating to each other. Artists and Shamans are journeying in exploration of this new paradigm. Their transformations toward a whole, their healing, transforms their communities through their artifacts and actions. They journey inward to connect to that Consciousness that is beyond their own and bring back stories, myths, and powers that can help transform all toward the one life full of joy, love, peace and conscious creativity.
To support these pioneers, to promote this new paradigm through arts&media, and to encourage all to willfully partake in the unfolding of this reality and consciously co-create, is at the core of the mission of the Center for Conscious Creativity.
Last Sunday, we held our first official event for the Center, a most lovely and magical experience. We hosted a salon with painter Joshua Elias who was talking about painting, inspiration, the creative process and much more. We filmed the presentation and dialogue and everyone there celebrated with us this initiatory event. There will be quite a few more coming up this year and I look forward to the many possibilites that have been unfolding. We are co-producing this fall's Southern California Writers Conference, and are preparing a lecture series as I am writing this, while at the same time continuing to collaborate with artists, media makers, community builders, and more. See the website at http://www.consciouscreativity.com for more details and sign up there if you wish to receive more information or would like to participate.
Onward we go serving the one life ;-)
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 Ahhhh, poetry... Words have such amazing power. I started writing poetry when I was 8 and stopped when I was 10 because I started to read other people's poetry and decided that I had nothing to add. Kids ;-)
Really loved reading poetry for many years, but then became continuously disillusioned with it as much of what was being written was more intellectual masturbation than anything that - as Goethe suggested - could give us glimpses of the numinous in nature and in ourselves...
Lately, thanks to my friend Stosh, I have rediscovered my love for it, and have even written some here or there... Stosh moved here from Chicago, where I met him, and where poetry is read like firetrucks. Although there are some really great venues in LA that have a whole variety of poetry to offer (my favorite so far is New Earth's open mic on Mondays), Stosh and I decided to throw our own last year. I made a vat of soup, and he invited a bunch of poets. We had several of those and tons of fun last year and had all kinds of additional entertainment, from handstand acrobatics to meditations with sound bowls by my friend Lahra, didgeridoos, music by my friend Mark from Cool Dry Place, as well as by my friends Chris and Thomas... Quite a trip... When I left on mine I was afraid there would be no more PoetrySoup after my departure to Switzerland. Fortunately, Stosh and my new delightful friend Carlye picked up the ball and ran with it.
Coming back to LA this month I was greeted with an invitation to a PoetrySoup at Carlye's place. She has a most lovely place perfect for gatherings of that kind, her and her husband are amazing and gracious hosts, and they even have a trampolin in their backyard, which was quite a success at the party as you might imagine... Altogether, it was a most lovely PoetrySoup event. There was tons of inspiring poetry, laughter and mindful conversation, and I got to make soup (Yam and Carrot with Orange/Pineapple - very Californian). Have a pile of pictures to sift through, but the above was funny, as it is a typical kitchen party scene, only in this case with a bunch of intent listeners ;-)
Look forward to the next one already. Looks like I might be in LA for a while after all. Too much going on here... So much for a three month Sabbatical ;-) Maybe next time?
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"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
-- Will Rogers |
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