What would a wisdom-based or “spiritual” approach to politics look like? How can we tap into science to support our collective conscious evolution?
In this groundbreaking work, Thomas Legrand Ph.D. proposes to fundamentally reframe our model of development from its current emphasis on “having” to one focused on “being”.
Mobilizing a wealth of scientific research from many different fields, the core teachings of wisdom traditions, and his own personal experience, Legrand articulates how politics can support human flourishing and the collective shift of consciousness that our current challenges demand.
An awakening journey into our human and social potential, Politics of Being charts the way for a truly human development in the 21st century, one to reconcile our minds and hearts, and the whole Earth community. Decision and policy-makers, scholars, sustainability and spiritual practitioners, social activists and citizens will benefit from:
– an integral map of such a politics as it emerges;
– concrete examples and recommendations in numerous areas ranging from education to governance, to justice and economy;
– a complex question converted into a clear and tangible agenda;
– a wealth of references to deepen their exploration;
– and much more.
A unique, field-defining, work on what may be the most important subject of our times… and history!
Better than good, Zach Braff’s “A Good Person” is the seasoned older sibling of his debut film, “Garden State.” With tender hands that feel almost parental, Braff tells a careful yet candid story about a bright young woman who falls victim to America’s opioid epidemic. Beneath its themes of addiction, depression and mourning, the film’s heart circulates kinship, trust and self-worth — three values sure to leave any audience member feeling optimistic about the current state of the world.
Early on, the audience is introduced to fiances Allison (Florence Pugh) and Nathan (Chinaza Uche), two charming young lovebirds who reside in Braff’s hometown of South Orange, New Jersey. Life is dreamy for Allison and Nathan, until one fateful afternoon when Allison takes a drive into the city with Nathan’s sister and her husband. On the way, she glances at her iPhone for a few seconds too long — inadvertently causing a catastrophic car crash, of which she is the lone survivor.
Despite the devastating aftermath of the incident, Braff hardly depicts the moment of impact on screen. The audience’s only visual indicators of the crash are some bursting airbags and a slow-motion shot of glass shattering onto Pugh’s face. After an early screening of the film, Braff explained in a Q&A that the decision to withhold any extravagant collision shots was — in part — budget-related. However, in making this production decision, the director gears the audience’s attention toward what matters most: the recovery. This sequence marks one of many brilliantly crafted cinematic moments in the film.
Initially prescribed to treat Allison’s physical trauma, OxyContin also becomes the survivor’s go-to weapon for coping with mental wounds. Allison breaks things off with Nathan, then tracks down old friends and high school burnouts, begging them for a fix. After a chilling argument with her mother (Molly Shannon) and a treacherous experience with unregulated narcotics, Allison decides to attend her first Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)/Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting.
For anyone worried that the cast of “A Good Person” isn’t star-studded enough, Pugh is joined in the remainder of the film by none other than Morgan Freeman. Freeman’s role in the story is twofold; he plays Daniel, the father of Allison’s ex-fiance and his late sister, as well as a recovering addict who just so happens to be a part of Allison’s new AA/NA group. This, then, marks an additional challenge for the struggling protagonist. Amidst the endless cycles of withdrawal, loneliness and relapse, Allison must now fight for the approval and friendship of a man whose daughter she mistakenly killed.
Placing one of the finest actors of the 21st century alongside a touchstone of the 20th century, the casting of “A Good Person” is genius. Despite their vast age difference, it’s clear that Pugh and Freeman are equally empathetic and wise — sharing a genuine understanding of the human condition that cannot be faked, even through their stellar performances.
As the audience learns, Daniel is not without his faults: His battle against alcoholism and new role as his granddaughter’s caretaker have led to some less-than-perfect decisions. Steadfast in its honest portrayal of the ups and downs of recovery, “A Good Person” never ceases to remind its viewers that the healing process is never linear — an adage that proves true for both Allison and Daniel.
With a comforting color palette, a grounded story and a sweet soundtrack that features two Pugh originals, “A Good Person” is undoubtedly high-quality cinema. Although some critics have condemned its dialogue for skewing slightly didactic, the film marks an uplifting deviation from the dozens of disheartening drug-related stories that have become trendy in the past few years.
Like a see-saw, “A Good Person” oscillates between high highs and low lows — never letting one overshadow the other, never losing its balance. The film is feisty yet delicate; bleak yet inspiring; messy yet, somehow, everything seems to fall into place.
In this very first episode of The Dewdrop Dialogues podcast, I spoke with Hozan Alan Senauke, Abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center in California and author of the new book ‘Turning Words.’ In Zen tradition, ‘turning words’ are words that can help one turn towards awakening or change a person’s direction. Alan shares various examples of turning words he has encountered in his life, including a powerful encounter with his teacher Sojun Weitsman Roshi, whose lasting teaching has been to “let things fall apart”.
Translation is a 5-step process of “straight thinking in the abstract.” The first step is an ontological statement of being beginning with the syllogism: “Truth is that which is so. That which is not truth is not so. Therefore Truth is all there is.” The second step is the sense testimony (what the senses tell us about anything). The third step is the argument between the absolute abstract nature of truth from the first step and the relative specific truth of experience from the second step. The fourth step is filtering out the conclusions you have arrived at in the third step. The fifth step is your overall conclusion.
The claims in a Translation may seem outrageous, but they are always (or should always) be based on self-evident syllogistic reasoning. Here is one Translation from this week.
1) Truth is that which is so. That which is not truth is not so. Therefore Truth is all that is. Since Truth is all that is, therefore Truth is total, therefore whole, therefore complete, therefore all-inclusive, therefore otherless, therefore one, therefore united, therefore harmonious, therefore orderly, therefore purposeful. I think therefore I am. Since I am and since Truth is all that is, therefore I am Truth. Since I am Truth therefore I, being, am total, whole, complete, all-inclusive, otherless, one, united, harmonious, orderly, purposeful. I, being Mind, and I, being Truth, therefore Mind is Truth OR Truth is Mind.
2) Sometimes our hunger for food can be confused with our hunger for love.
Word-tracking: hunger: desire for food or something, starving food: nutrient, nourishment, stimulus, love: affection, desire, libido, like confuse: mix up, mingle
3) Truth being one, there is nothing other than truth to mingle with, therefore there is no confusion in Truth. Truth being all-inclusive, therefore one, therefore united, therefore harmonious, therefore pleasing, there can be nothing unpleasant, unlikeable in Truth, therefore Truth likes everything about Itself. Since Truth likes everything about Itself and since Truth is in infinite supply, therefore Truth is an endless supply of nourishment, nutrition, stimulation OR Truth is feeding itself constantly AND there is no hunger in Truth for food fo any sort.
4) There is no confusion in Truth. Truth likes everything about Itself. Truth is an endless supply of nourishment, nutrition, stimulation Truth is feeding itself constantly There is no hunger in Truth for food of any sort.
5) Truth likes everything about Itself, which is an endless source of nourishment, nutrition and stimulation.
The Weekly Invitational Translation Group invites your participation as well. If you would like to submit a Translation on any subject, feel free to send your weekly Translation to zonta1111@aol.com and we will anonymously post it on the Bathtub Bulletin on Friday.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin Elysium, from Greek elysion pedyon (Elysian plain/fields). In Greek mythology, Elysium (or the Elysian Fields) was the final resting place for the souls of heroes and the virtuous after their death. Earliest documented use: 1599.
• Presents guidance and techniques for Buddhists who wish to incorporate psychedelics into their practice as well as for psychonauts who are interested in the maps of inner space provided by Buddhism
• Explores the use of psychedelics in Buddhist practice, sharing the kind of spiritual experiences that can be gained with each
• Describes meditation techniques, with special attention being given to the generation of the Four Positive Attitudes
In this user’s guide to psychedelic Buddhism, Lama Mike Crowley presents techniques for Buddhists who wish to incorporate psychedelics into their practice as well as for psychonauts who are interested in the maps of inner space provided by Buddhism. The author details how psychedelics have led to spontaneous awakening experiences, such as “Indra’s net” and universal voidness, that were once thought to be available only to advanced meditators. He explores the use of psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, in a Buddhist context, sharing the kind of spiritual experiences and benefits that can be gained with each. The author also looks at the use of psychedelics encoded in Vedic and Buddhist scriptures, particularly in the Vajrayāna tradition, from the Middle Ages until the present day.
Presenting an informed summary of Buddhism for psychonauts, the author explores the key beliefs of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, and the practices followed in various yānas, or paths. He describes meditation techniques, with special attention being given to the generation of the Four Positive Attitudes: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, each being taken from their personal to their universal forms. He looks at Buddhist symbols, ceremonies, deities, and initiations, as well as psychic powers in Buddhist tradition, and how these ideas and practices can be used in the exploration of the inner realms of consciousness.
Providing a complete guide to integrating psychedelics into Buddhist practice, this book reveals how the ancient Buddhist teachers discovered their universal maps of consciousness and how you can use their wisdom to guide your journey.
Bill Hicks • May 15, 2015 Revelations is Bill Hicks’ last special ever, taped in 1992, and features him at the height of his genius. Recorded at the Dominion Theatre in London, Bill Hicks opens our eyes and minds to the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of the world around us.
The Lovers is numbered six and is a card of innocence, trust, exhileration and joy. The couple (often seen intertwined or standing side by side) are soulmates, each being one half of a perfect union. The figure flying above them is Cupid, blessing them with the might of Universal Love.
The Lovers are the embodiment of the harmony of opposites. This is how we are before the fear and prejudices of life intervene. We give our love freely to others and we need no other to make us whole.
Love is much misunderstood. It is subjective and the word ‘love’ is so overused that it has almost lost its original meaning. We are all capable of the immense power of deep feelings. Love happens when we step out of the darkness of fear, pain and doubt into the light. Love can move mountains. Love breeds love – a happy smile breaking through another’s melancholy proves this.
Loving ourselves is the first step to touching the mighty power of Universal Love. We must live each moment as though it were the only one – rejoicing and celebrating, loving the soul within us rather than fighting with the reflection the rest of the world sees.
Pluto is now in Aquarius! This is time to start again from a clean state, and become intentional about the life you want to co-create with the Universe.
To understand what to expect from Pluto in Aquarius, let’s get back to how Pluto transits work in general.
When Pluto ingresses in a new sign, it will completely transform the values, themes and modus operandi of that sign. The type of transformation Pluto generates is very profound. That’s why Pluto spends 20 years on average in each sign!
Although Pluto’s ways are by definition mysterious and beyond our control, understanding Pluto’s cycle of change will help us go with the flow of the Universe, rather than against it.
Pluto’s cycle of change is a 3-stage process that describes the way Pluto operates through our natal chart placement, and through transits.
The 3 Stages Of Pluto’s Cycle Of Change
The 3 stages of Pluto’s cycle of change are: 1) disempowerment, 2) awareness, and 3) transformation. The cycle follows what Carl Jung calls “individuation” or the process of becoming a distinct and integrated unity.
Understanding the natural sequence of this cycle will help us understand Pluto’s “final agenda”, put things into perspective and take ownership of the change process.
The 1st stage of Pluto’s process of change is disempowerment.
This is when we fail to assert our personal will, either because there are outside forces that prevent us from doing what we want, or because we are not aware of what we want.
We have our first experiences of disempowerment very early in life, for example when our parents – sometimes knowingly, mostly unknowingly – force their will on us and don’t feed us when we want to be fed. Or when we want to play, but are sent to bed. Or when an older child at school overpowers us physically.
Pluto disempowerment experiences are usually inflicted through emotional, psychological or physical abuse. There is always some sort of a display of power associated with these Plutonic experiences.
We realize that whoever is inflicting the Plutonic abuse on us, is well aware of it and does so with intention. There is usually an element of “I’m stronger than you, and I’ll use you to satisfy my own needs and desires”.
We know we are in this 1st Pluto stage “disempowerment” when we experience fear, angst, uncertainty and powerlessness.
The 2nd stage of Pluto’s process of change is awareness.
This is when we go into the underworld and try to understand what it is that is disempowering us. By re-living the initial disempowering episodes, we bring the unprocessed feelings and experiences from the subconscious, into the conscious.
This is the most intense stage of Pluto’s cycle of change, but also the most liberating one. In this stage, we may experience great distress, resistance, and feelings of being out of control.
It’s very important we don’t give up half-way through the process. The deeper the resistance, the deeper and deeper we want to go into our understanding, until we find acceptance and release.
If we don’t succumb to the pressure and the “awareness” phase goes well, we’ll eventually find our true power. Not a power that seeks to control, take advantage of, and win, but a power that seeks to express one’s truth in a way that serves the best interests of humanity at large.
We know we’re in this stage when we find release or catharsis, and gain a new understanding of ourselves.
Finally, the 3rd stage is transformation through action.
This is when we get our power back, but instead of acting from our individual, selfish, ‘Mars’ wants and needs, we act responsibly and in the best interest of the collective.
This process of transformation is continuous, because our actions need to be regularly challenged and aligned with our environment. We know we’re in this stage when we find a sense of flow, and feel energized and alive.
This stage is not the end. The process of individuation is aspirational in nature. It’s a ‘moving towards’, rather than a ‘getting there’.
With Pluto, we cannot skip stages. We have to go to the underworld. We may find ourselves at different stages in the Pluto cycle of change at different times in our life.
If you’re not sure in which transformation phase you are in, pay attention to your feelings: do you feel fear? That’s the 1st stage. Do you feel catharsis and release? That’s the 2nd stage. Do you feel alive, energized and in flow with the Universe? That’s stage number 3.
To understand what to expect from Pluto in Aquarius, a prerequisite is understanding what Pluto stands for, and how Pluto operates.
That’s why in the 1st module of the program, we focus solely on Pluto.
This 1st module comes with various lessons that give us a comprehensive understanding of Pluto: from Pluto in myth, to Pluto in astronomy, to key Pluto attributes, to Plutonic celebrities case study, to the Pluto cycle of change (what we briefly covered in this email), to assignments that will help you internalize the learning.
In addition to the course material, on March 28th, 2023 we also offer a live Pluto meditation to help you get in touch with this archetype experientially. The meditation is offered either at 9:00 AM or 3:00 PM PDT (you can choose the one that works for your time zone) and if you can’t make it live, you can watch the recording.
And this is just the 1st Module of the program. In Module 2, we focus on the role Pluto plays in your chart, in Module 3, on Pluto’s transits, and finally, in Module 4 we are ready to explore Pluto in Aquarius.
Learn more about “PLUTO IN AQUARIUS – A New World, A New You” and join us here:
