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A New Order of The Ages
There is a principle in A Course in Miracles stating that it is not up to us what we learn, but only whether we learn through joy or through pain. In a universe that is, quite literally, the ongoing evolutionary impulse to love -- the spiritual process through which Love extends itself throughout space and time - the individual's only true assignment is to learn to actualize the love within.
Wherever in our thinking we are bound by fear, the universe is invested in teaching us the transformative and freeing power of love. Where we are judgmental, the universe is invested in teaching us the ways of forgiveness. Where we are harsh, the universe is invested in teaching us how to be gentle. Where we are competitive, the universe is invested in teaching us the value of co-operation. Where we are ambitious, the universe is invested in teaching us the ways of inspiration. Where we are irresponsible toward our material resources, the universe is invested in teaching us the art of stewardship. Where we are defensive, the universe is invested in teaching us the power of defenselessness. Where we would attack, the universe is invested in teaching us that we are one with all, and therefore can only attack ourselves.
Where we have lessons to learn, the universe conspires to teach us. At first, the lessons are easy enough, even pleasant to learn. We're given the opportunity to learn, with joy, how to live our lives with more integrity and love.
Yet whatever lesson we refuse to learn, comes round again until we do -- each time appearing in a more sobering form, with more serious implications should we refuse to learn it. We do have free will, but we do not have the freedom to slow down the universe. Our learning fuels the momentum of the universe, which will not be allowed to stop. One way or the other, we will learn what we need to learn ... even if we have to learn it through suffering.
I think that is where Western Civilization -- particularly American civilization -- is today. There are lessons we keep refusing to learn, and we are bordering on having to learn them through pain. A nation is simply a collection of individuals, and must follow the same growth imperatives as do any of its members. Just as individuals are forced to grow, and to change where necessary, so is a country. There is ultimately no survival where there is no adaptation to change.
In fact, America is going to change. The only question is whether we will choose to change by embracing wisdom - repudiating the lies of a dysfunctional, increasingly dangerous worldview of an economic system predicated on the goal of short-term economic gain for the privileged few - or we will be forced by circumstances to make a quantum leap into our next stage of growth, embracing humanitarian concern as the new organizing principle of human civilization. The only real question at this point is how much suffering will have to occur before we wake up to the lesson before us. We can change now, making the transition fairly peacefully (not that violence does not already rage); or we can refuse to change, thereby inviting a greater intensity of disaster with every day we wait.
In A Course in Miracles, it is written that some people would rather die than change their mind.
Our situation today is similar to that of President DeKlerk of South Africa in 1990. A tipping point had been reached in global awareness; the end of apartheid was an idea whose time had come. DeKlerk could see saw the writing on the wall, reporting to his fellow Afrikaners that the jig was up: South Africa would have to change. The only question before them was whether the transition to the end of apartheid would come with inestimable bloodshed, or with relative peace. White Afrikaners could cling longer to an inequitable system through the sheer force of self-will, or release Nelson Mandela from jail and partner with him to create a new South Africa. DeKlerk was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Mandela for that reason: his courage in saying what had to be said -- that South Africa must move toward a post-apartheid society -- was as important as Mandela's leadership once it got there. What South Africa needed to learn, the universe made sure it was going to learn; the country's only choice was how much pain was going to accompany the learning.
This moment, today, marks the end of a huge chapter in human history, carrying with it -- as does the end of every stage of growth -- the invitation to begin an even greater one. The myriad end-of-the- world scenarios filling the air today emerge from a fear-based ego's inevitable argument that if we do not go its way, then there is no way to go. But in fact, there is. There is another way to live, to be, to think, to behave -- and yes, to organize human civilization; the fact that the mind that manufactured the world we live in now cannot imagine what that would be, is certainly no sign that another way does not exist. The change from who we are right now to who we can and shall be once we have embraced this opportunity for change, represents a quantum leap forward in our spiritual as well as our political, economic, and social development.
There is a sense of interconnectedness -- among peoples and among nations -- that is sweeping the world today. It represents the next great wave of human consciousness, and the United States should be at the forefront of this wave; it should not be bringing up the rear. This wave emerges not from a particular intellectual or geographic region, but from a place in our awareness; an understanding in the brain and a state of wonder in the heart. It posits love not only as the greatest good but as the greatest power as well. If we had seen the amelioration of unnecessary human suffering as our "most vital national interest" over the last fifty years, the world today would be in a radically different and far less dangerous place.
America should not be known by the world simply for its material strength. It should be known for its goodness; for the greatness of its ideals. From Jefferson's genius imbued in the Declaration of Independence to Lincoln's emancipation of the slaves, from Kennedy's establishment of the Peace Corps to Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon, we have throughout our history -- not always to be sure, but often enough that we should not forget it -- pursued ideals that pointed humanity toward its betterment. Should American greatness become frozen in the past, no longer pursued? Should the dreaming of a more perfect state of being be trivialized? Should the effort to establish what our founders called "a new order of the ages" be turned into mere cliché by the cynicism of our new ruling elite?
This country should apologize: to our ancestors, many of whom gave their lives for an ideal of America which we have compromised at best and repudiated at worst; to other nations who have been affected by wrong choices we have made when our hearts and minds were weakened; to God, to each other and in a way to our own grandchildren. Seeing how we have failed the past, perhaps we will rededicate ourselves to the future.
Today, no less than in Lincoln's time, our country can have a "new birth of freedom," deciding anew that "government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth." Yet Lincoln knew well the connection between freedom and economics. He warned, "I see in the future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." More than a decade later, President Rutherford B. Hayes would lament that we had become a government "... of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations." At least he said it. Today, most politicians don't warn us of this situation so much as they promote it and protect it.
We have allowed a new aristocracy to steal a Presidential election, fight an imperialistic war, turn back years of effort at nuclear non-proliferation, nearly destroy America's moral authority in the world, pillage our natural resources -and thus fall tragically behind the wave of humanity's uprising of consciousness at the dawn of the 21st Century.
Yet still we have everything we need -- probably for the first time in human history -- to create a planet that could work for everyone. There is a new conversation in the world -- of sustainability, of deep humanitarianism, of genuine social progress -- though you wouldn't know it, listening to most of our government officials today. There is new hope, though you wouldn't know it if you rely only on mainstream media for your news. And there is another way, though you would only know it if you look for it with your heart. Today, there is nothing short of a new possibility for life on earth. And America -- having in so many ways set the stage for the emergence of this possibility -- should now be its most passionate proponent. We should focus the extraordinary genius of this country on something far, far greater than the small-minded ambitions of greedy men. We should harness the extraordinary power of this country in the service of ways to wage peace, not war. And we should rededicate the future of this country not only to our own prosperity but to uplifting the human condition.
Nothing is more American than the audacity to dream big. Having historically dreamed some of humanity's most beautiful dreams, we are called upon now to dream its biggest dream yet. As our founders strove to form "a more perfect union," we can strive to form a more perfect world. That is the lesson inherent in all the challenges that face us now: that the world will change, when we do. When we consciously dedicate ourselves to creating a more loving planet, then that which is not love will fall of its own dead weight.
America will learn this. We will learn it through joy or we will learn through pain. But we will learn.
Marianne Williamson has published nine books. She has done extensive non-profit organizing, having founded both Project Angel Food in Los Angeles as well as The Peace Alliance. A 2007 Newsweek reader's poll named her one of the 50 most influential baby boomers. Marianne broadcasts a weekly radio program on The Oprah and Friends Radio, XM 156. The show airs every Tuesday and is repeated on weekends. Her website is www.marianne.com
90 Comments so far
Show AllThanks, to those of you who have brought out the facts about Marianne and her life. Being a pacifest or someone committed to non-violence does not mean you are inactive, self-centered or self-righteous. The quakers are a good example of a non-violent group committed to social action. Their strong anti-slavery words and actions are well known. They accomplished a lot more than then John Brown with his violent rebellion.
As I pointed out in my earlier post the Course In Miracles is not about love or for that matter "super natural events" it is a course in looking at your thoughts and being honest about the true motives behind your actions. Most of the time it is not a pretty picture and I am talking about myself as well as humanity as a whole.
If we do not look at why we act as we do, we are doomed to repeating the same painful mistakes. This is true on the National as well as the personal level.
What are the thought systems that allowed us to attack Iraq and are keeping us there? Is there not a basic belief that our nation's interests are more important than that of other nations and that they are anti-thetical? As progressives, I think most of us would agree that the asperations and needs of other nations as well as that of Nature are equally if not more important. If we are not able to alter the basic mind set of selfishness and fear then our and our nation's actions will not fundamentally change though the form may look different.
Dakotalin: Insightful observation. Marianne is extremely charismatic, and I think you identified something that also repelled me.
BUSHWA BLUES: The timeline you make use of to support your "theory" of when enlightenment took place is extremely short-sighted. Impulses to support the tribe or greater good have existed in many indigenous societies well before Europe experienced its various revolutions that led to a political extension of human rights. There were civilizations that predate the modern world, one buried on the sands of the Gobi desert, another swallowed up by the seas (Atlantis) that had extremely evolved communities. To base our understanding on 3000 years of patriarchal written history taken from the white male perspective leads to theories that are myopic, arrogant and unimaginative at best. They contain GERMS of truth but hardly constitute THE unimpeachable and full Truth.
Yes, thank you Marriane for your wise words. I have heard her say on many occasions how this country was founded by the "Founding Fathers". She says that now is the time for the "Mending Mothers". I couldn't agree more. We must support women like Marriane, Vandana Shiva, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Granny D, Alice Walker, Cynthia Mckinney, Barbara Lee and so many others. Along with enlightened men, there will be an amazing shift. please see www.firethegrid.com
AAAAAHHHHH, it feels so good to read Marianne Williamson on Common Dreams. She is perhaps our single wisest sage.
It is never too late to learn with joy. We just have to make the monumental effort to do it.
Bruce, I agree, but even she still thinks the US has or ever had moral authority on this planet.
America is admired when it provides food and aid to those suffering from disaster, earthquake, tsunami, war (Marshall Plan in particular) without expectation of payment, whether that be money or obedience.
Generosity garners good will.
Now America mostly provides weapons and fear and reaps ill will in return.
2 1/2 points re: Republic of South Africa
It voluntarily gave up its nuclear weapons program.
It is being destabilized by the implosion of its neighbor, Zimbabwe (thousands of whose citizens flee to RSA each day).
Oh, one more thing. The only obese people I saw in South Africa were Americans.
Yet still we have everything we need -probably for the first time in human history - to
It is tragic to realize how much could be done to provide a decent life for most of the world's population, but much of those resources are spent ending life. It is amazing to me how little debate there is concerning the enormous amount of money spent by the US on "defense". Even with all that money spent we still can't control a small country like Iraq. If the $500B was spent for the good of humanity instead of fighting humanity what incredible things could be accomplished. Someone should have to explain to a father or mother desperate to feed and care for their children that we spend $1B for one B-2 bomber instead of giving them a helping hand.
BRAVO MARIANNE!
"The reemergence of women will bring about the healing of the world."
"The mind is its own kind of dance floor. What this generation could do from our rocking chairs could literally rock the world. Having slowed down physically, we're in a better space to rev up psychically. We are shifting from the outer to the inner not in order to begin our demise, but to reseed and regreen the consciousness of the planet. And that is what is happening now: we are going slower in order to go deeper in order to go faster in the direction of urgently needed change. The conscious midlife is not an end but a new beginning. Our youth has not been ended so much as our prolonged youth has been interrupted, not as some bum deal that comes at the end of the party, but as our salvation from ultimate meaninglessness. The generations now experiencing midlife cannot stand the thought that this was all for nothing. Dysfunctional, obsolete patterns of thought that blocked the pathway to our destiny are being interrupted at last. And while we might be feeling a bit depressed that we're no longer young, we're ecstatic that we're no longer clueless."
~Marianne Williamson~
A MUST VIEW VIDEO!
http://i----i.org/mwcathedral.asx
Having followed the links, I'm even more greatful for having had the insight to seize the opportunity to acquire a small home hundreds of miles from any major city, far away in the country whither to I may retreat, if only briefly, from an interconnected global human community. No phone, no t.v., no internet. It's simply wonderful.
WATCH!
Watch Marianne's Lecture at the Washington National Cathedral
http://i----i.org/mwcathedral.asx
http://marianne.com/book/index.htm
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE & WISDOM, MARIANNE!
Joanne
It is not that the US is a laggard in promoting an international connectedness and a new organizing principle based on universal human welfare, but that the US is the greatest obstacle to this new era Williamson dreams of. The US corporate oligarchy, using the US government as its arsenal of fascism, will risk worldwide nuclear war and human extinction in order to prevent this new age from dawning. That becomes more clear by the day.
I urge one and all to either visit for the first time, www.firethegrid.org, or to re-visit. Another action in September will follow the global meditation of July 17th. Keep visiting until you find out what you are to do to heal the earth.
We Americans will not change by embracing wisdom. To hope for that is irresponsible fantasy that ignores all the lessons of our history and the behaviors of living Americans. Hope dies last, of course, so I'll be irresponsible down to that. But as for the new conversation of "we" rather than "me", I think this is comparable to the soft-handed men in decades past who chatted over dinner about workers and the merits of world socialism. The talk is good, but this world needs changes that would be very hard for most westerners to accept. Wisdom would have been government mandated solar panels for all buildings in the 1970s. We've long missed that window. To borrow from Churchill, we will now enter "a period of consequences."
Outstanding statement of where we are and the choice before us.
Thank you Marianne.
Beautifully said:
"In fact, America is going to change. The only question is whether we will choose to change by embracing wisdom - repudiating the lies of a dysfunctional, increasingly dangerous worldview of an economic system predicated on the goal of short-term economic gain for the privileged few - or we will be forced by circumstances to make a quantum leap into our next stage of growth, embracing humanitarian concern as the new organizing principle of human civilization. The only real question at this point is how much suffering will have to occur before we wake up to the lesson before us. We can change now, making the transition fairly peacefully (not that violence does not already rage); or we can refuse to change, thereby inviting a greater intensity of disaster with every day we wait."
"Imagine" by John Lennon
"We" can begin this process by restoring what has been taken from us. "We" can show the world that we do not support what has happened in this country and to the countries we have invaded and occupied.
Don't stop working....
Fantastic to see Marianne Williamson here. So many need to read this.
Stilba,
Hope is not irresponsible - I think Marianne quite agrees with you that we are entering a period of consequences. That does not mean one should ever relinquish their own hope for love and advancement of the spirit just because the times become dire.
Yes. Bravo, Marianne Willliamson.
The way things are shaping up, I think we will learn ... but likely by pain.
Stilba [above] writes: "... this world needs changes that would be very hard for most westerners to accept..."
I don't think we're going to have a choice. The ball is rolling too fast. But pain is a great teacher if you want to live. It makes for courage, patience, forbearance, endurance, creativity, inner strength, wisdom, and on and on.
... and when everyone is in the same boat, handling "'a period of consequences,'" it makes for community ... with sharing, simplicity, innovation ... and, yes, even love ...
It's when the mountain is on the verge of toppling, but hasn't quite yet, that is the hard part. With the fait accompli, and everyone on the same page, knowing that it's digging out time and then time to rebuild, that the true learning begins ... and
the really good stuff starts to happen ...
www.firethegrid.org
Thank you Marianne!
Please send this to all the Dem candidates - THIS is what they need to be saying. This country MUST return to a place where HOPE is felt, the possibility of contributing to something of National importance. People feel most alive when they are involved in something positive, uplifting, useful.
God is waiting for us to understand, and begin the process. I know, I know, time.....
These paragraphs need to be posted on every blog, in every newpaper, discussed on the cable channels and read in front of every congregation of this land.
Then - "the individual's only true assignment will be to learn to actualize the love within."
For this we are born
Marianne, you are one of the most beautiful people I know. You are beautiful to look at and even more beautiful when I hear your words.
I'd like to say that the problem with America is conservatism. Conservatives believe in: no interconnectedness among people; their way only, they are rigid, uncompromising; hierarchy and thus it is unnecessary to ameliorate human suffering; and, "government is the problem" which negates the notion of government as a force of collective action - "...for the people..."
Eliminate conservatism, expose its inherent absurdities, its duplicitous nature, its force for destruction and not construction and we can learn with less pain.
"There is another way, though you would only know it if you look for it with your heart."
These are words for all of us.
"Science and Health" by Mary Baker Eddy, "The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous," Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream," "A Course in Miracles," all these and many more spiritual visions and teachings have had their genesis in the United States of America. We are definitely bigger and better than the fearful thoughts and actions that have brought us to our spiritual knees. It's time to rise above them.
Thanks, Marianne Williamson. Thanks, Dennis Kucinich! Thanks to all who have seen the light and have the courage to speak of it. Now is the time for all of us to join the mighty chorus of freedom.
Chris D - bingo. She decries the same economic system that has made her wealthy beyond the dreams of most of the world's people.
I've been listening to her and all of this "Aquarian Conspiracy" (I know, Marilyn Ferguson, not Williamson) nonsense for the last 30 years and its a new age version of political onanism. I would reply as Stalin did to the Pope: how many tanks does she have? I hate to be so cynical, but does anyone in their right mind think this group of gangsters running the USA is going to cede one whit of power if we all join hands and chant kumbaya?
I would love to believe in my heart of hearts that the human race will wake up before its too late and reach this evolving state of consciousness that Williamson talks of - really, I do. However, being a dispassionate observer of the human animal for my 44 years, I have to conclude that the species has a self-destruct mechanism built into its genetic code (a belief built into many of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone scripts) and we are seeing the logical conclusion of that playing out in front of our eyes.
Again, I hope I am wrong, but fear I am not.
I took my son to see the Constitution in Washington last spring, and was very moved to read its powerful words again.
Written when only one other republic existed on earth, (holland) it was a document of human freedom and optimism that I don't think has ever been equaled. Although it was not perfectly implemented ( blacks and native americans particularly shamefully excluded from its power) It was a concrete promise to humanity. "We the people" and"all men are created equal" was so revolutionary that virtually all the world's powers mocked it. To see it abused in such a fashion today is a crime.
I think that if the framers were alive today, they would have the entire Congress and Executive branch arrested for treason.
Lovely, inspiring... but, seriously. The universe was created by a BIG BANG, not a big bang of "love." Most of the plant and animal kingdom has been doing quite well without love for a few billion years, and the fantasy that "love conquers all" doesn't actually jive with the facts on the ground.
As another sage has said, "nothing lasts forever," and there is no reason to believe love is any different just because we want it to be. Love is just another emotion, but it feels so good that we wish it would last forever, wish it would cure the pain, wish it would stop catastrophic climate change. It doesn't, it won't, and it can't.
And what about those who've been so heartbroken, they can no longer trust and, hence, no longer love? Are they no longer welcome to the party?
I hear you Frank, some of us must have messed up big time- even before birth- so no partytime for us. Why, had someone just sat me down whe I was a helpless vulnerable child and told me that all the sadistic abuse, neglect and abandoment I was blessed with encountering were just the very most delightful, easy lessons in love and life and that the Universe had decided that I actually deserved these experiences, it no doubt may have saved me, and anyone unfortunate enough to encounter me, years and years of anguish and regret!
Thanks, Marianne, for speaking out on Common Dreams. It is so wonderful to hear your voice here, a voice so powerful that even cynicism is silenced for once. We have been and can still be a nation that leads in a new way, toward a new goal. We need to do our work to make that happen, re-inventing institutions that are holding us back in the moribund traditions of the past: the oligarchy that our government has become, the "factories" that our schools have become, the mindlessness that our mass entertainment has become. More and more people every day seem to be finding out that the time for sweeping change is now, right down to Michael Moore and the new trend of "message" movies.
(And, as an aside, if Moore, and Williamson, and Chopra and others who expose the rot or talk about hope and miracles are getting rich, then, gee, more power to them. They must be saying something that people really want to hear!)
We probably owe Bush and his cronies a vote of thanks for forcing us all to wake up and scream, "Wait a minute!" as they "lead" us directly down a swirling drain that has "sewer" written all over it. Things ARE changing, thanks to places like THIS, the ONE campaign, and a million other grassroots efforts that the web has made possible. This alone is cause for hope.
Marianne's long view gives us a new perspective on the need to wake up and JOIN TOGETHER to shift the inertia of our current course. And the only force strong enough to do that is synergy. Firethegrid.org is a great experiment in willpower, mindpower and hope. And, most importantly, for all the Boomers out there like me, now IS our time, that one we failed to follow-up on in the sixties because we thought "they" were stronger that we were. Now, we know better, so stand up Boomers, and do all those things we thought we were going to do at a much younger age.
Here's my two cents: www.changetheschools.com
What a crock!
Great work Marianne!
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"There is nothing in your world, either alive or dead, that is worth being agitated about, except the alleviation of suffering." From: "The Boy & the Brothers"; download this book 4free here:
http://emergencenetwork.info/omananda/
"Love all with the love you give to your parents, children, and other dear ones. That all-inclusive love is the most wonderful consciousness." Paramahansa Yogananda
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"...mankind [will advance] into a civilization and a state of consciousness in which right human relations and worldwide cooperation for the good of all will be the universal keynote." The Tibetan.
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"Many await My Coming with trepidation, fearing the loss of all that they have amassed & gained. Fear not, My friends, for the loss will be the loss of separation only, of division & fear, of envy & hate. To
clear these from the world, all must be remade. Know this, My friends, & be ready to share, to see your brother as yourself, to clasp him in your arms & call him friend. In this way, My brothers, you manifest God's
Plan."
Maitreya, the World Teacher
=========================================
Prepare your mind for the future:
http://www.Share-International.org
The crime of this century, and every other since the arrival of Jesus on this planet, was the elimination from Western religions and philosophy of the understanding of the universal laws of Karma and reincarnation.
Systematically, in order to control the masses, "Christianity" has removed from its official doctrines these twin laws in which we must understand.
If one is open to the fact that we have lived here, thousands of times before, and that we have wronged others, "sinned" against the law of love, and refused to have learned the lesson, we get to learn through pain, and are left to wonder, in ignorance, WHY ME?
Indeed, like she says above: "Yet whatever lesson we refuse to learn, comes round again until we do — each time appearing in a more sobering form, with more serious implications should we refuse to learn it. We do have free will, but we do not have the freedom to slow down the universe. Our learning fuels the momentum of the universe, which will not be allowed to stop. One way or the other, we will learn what we need to learn … even if we have to learn it through suffering."
I agree that learning is not elective. But history proves that we humans shall always learn the hard way. Pain it is!
Finally, this discussions feels like a common dream. (And, finally, a few others are talking here about Fire the Grid (firethegrid.com).
I too have been craving Marianne's input here. I attended the first Renaissance Alliance Peace Conference in Detroit in '02 (drove in from Nova Scotia) (Dennis Kucinich was there too.) We talked then about the power of co-creation, and visioning and being the change; where the plan/idea for the cabinet level Dept. of Peace was launched; where many seeds were planted.
May we remember and realize that the solutions to our problems will not be found at the level they were created. My soul hungers for this kind of talk, inspiration and affirmation that there is a global transformation of consciousness occurring.
Participation in a sustained general strike would help to non-violently, non-cooperatively convey a message to the earthly powers that their ways of domination and greed are no match for collective connected hearts and minds (not to mention so primitive/old-fashioned-- and just SO not the way our evolution is taking us).
Anyway, thanks, Marianne. Keep writing here at Common Dreams. The nightmares here sometimes try my soul.
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It's coming through a hole in the air,
From those nights in Tiananmen Square.
It's coming from the feel
That this ain't exactly real,
Or it's real, but it ain't exactly there.
From the wars against disorder,
From the sirens night and day,
From the fires of the homeless,
From the ashes of the gay:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming through a crack in the wall;
On a visionary flood of alcohol;
From the staggering account
Of the Sermon on the Mount
Which I don't pretend to understand at all.
It's coming from the silence
On the dock of the bay,
From the brave, the bold, the battered
Heart of Chevrolet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming from the sorrow in the street,
The holy places where the races meet;
From the homicidal bitchin'
That goes down in every kitchen
To determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
Where the women kneel to pray
For the grace of God in the desert here
And the desert far away:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Sail on, sail on
O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on.
It's coming to America first,
the cradle of the best and of the worst.
It's here they got the range
and the machinery for change
and it's here they got the spiritual thirst.
It's here the family's broken
and it's here the lonely say
that the heart has got to open
in a fundamental way:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It's coming from the women and the men.
O baby, we'll be making love again.
We'll be going down so deep
The river's going to weep,
And the mountain's going to shout Amen!
It's coming like the tidal flood
Beneath the lunar sway,
Imperial, mysterious,
In amorous array:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Sail on, sail on! O mighty Ship of State!
To the Shores of Need
Past the Reefs of Greed
Through the Squalls of Hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on,
sail on.
I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can't stand the scene.
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags
that Time cannot decay,
I'm junk but I'm still holding up
this little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
"Democracy"-- by Leonard Cohen
(from "The Future"; 1988.)
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for more hope and evidence of global shifts in consciousness, check out this clip from Paul Hawkin's speech at a Bioneers conference last year: http://blessedunrest.com/video.html
I received a prophcy a few years back which I have not shared with anyone. Now I would like to share it with everyone.
"The rich shall be brought low and the poor lifted up and they will look into each others eyes (now that they are the same height) and see a brother."
Hopefully, this is for the near future.
It is great to see a spiritual and hopeful message on Common Dreams.
Ms. Williamson likes to quote the Course in Miracles, however, she tends to leave out some its most important teachings. First that we humans are for the most part controlled by what it calls Ego. This is the belief that we are in some way a victem and therefore have the right to victemize others. We believe we are all separate from each other and from God (love universal conciousness) and therefore must fight others for what we have. The basic emotion of the ego is fear.
There are other important ideas which I won't go into, but anyone who wants more information go to www.facim.org.
The important thing is that our task is not to look for love, but to overcome the obstacles to it in our minds, the chief one being our Ego which is controlled by our thoughts. We need to constantly monitor our own thoughts, words and actions. This in itself is a painful but a very necessary process. We need to be truthful and trustworthy and hold our leaders to the same standards.
Yes, our county was founded on certain ideals, but it was also founded on slavery, robbery and betrayal, (our treatment of Native Americans) It has continued with the oppression of immigrants and working people here and constant negetive interference in the affairs of other countries. The invasion of Iraq, as I am sure most of you Know, is just the latest in a serious of clandestine or overt acts resulting in a huge amount of suffering for the peoples of other countries.
I do have hope that there will eventually be golden age for mankind on this planet, but any belief that it will come without a great deal of dedication, hardwork, suffering and "sacrifice" of our ego attachments is simply a fantasy.
This also means that as Progressives we need to get together, set priorities and then work together to bring them about. If we do not find ways to cut back the power of the Corpratocracy and begin to create a world which is controlled from the grassroots level as well as the top we will not make any progress on the material plain. Although, fortunely we always have the opportunity to work with our thoughts and to be helpful.
It's just physics, Luckylefty.
It's all vibratory.
In the beginning was the word-- thought:
what we focus on increases (especially when accompanied by emotion).
Are you one of those people who would rather die than change your mind?
attack-defend-attack; judgement; punishment; guilt; blame; all part of the same loop.
Is this the nightmare you put your faith in?
See/listen to MW here:
http://youtube.com/results?search_query=Marianne+Williamson&search=Search
The Voice of Liberty
Now that we have your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning for world peace and universal love
who aspire to breathe fresh air and drink clean water
and live in ecological cities of equal opportunities for all.
Give us your virtuous and inspired thinkers and doers,
artists and scientists, architects and engineers
those who harbor the soul's desire to build a new model
of democracy that delivers global justice to Planet Earth.
Give us your best minds and purest hearts
who have the divine spark needed to invent
a genius culture without war, poverty, tired, and hungry,
a world where the miracles of high technology are
rooted within a global network of solar-powered
arcologies positioned to align with the heavenly stars.
The torch of Liberty guides the labor force to build
sustainable sacred shelter for the once homeless, starving,
and alienated masses who are now exhilarated to live together
working out a whole-systems design for the creation of a lovable planet.
Doctress Neutopia
www.lovolution.net
Perhaps we might rename this A COURSE IN TREACLE. I do agree that women, however, have been out there carrying the penants. Mother Jones, Lucy Parsons, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Rosa Parks, and lately Cindy Sheehan, are examples of women who risked their lives for social change. There is no social change, sorry, without political effort for the overall collective. Apparently New Age Ooga Booga did not die out with the Hippies.
For the most part, I agree with Marianne. I don't agree that "This country should apologize: to our ancestors, ..." It's easy to get into the blame game but the "Course in Miracles" challenges us to look past the mistakes we make in this apparent reality we share and make things right through love. It stresses the need for forgiveness, not as we define it, but on a level beyond this reality to the ultimate reality of what we are, which is sinless. We can say "no" to wrongdoing and then make things right, without guilt. I'm not saying I'm totally there yet. I still believe that people should be held accountable for their actions, but I appreciate the value of getting to that place in my mind, where even as I'm righting the wrongs of society, there's a place for seeing the light in each person.
Marianne said, "Today, no less than in Lincoln's time, our country can have a "new birth of freedom," deciding anew that "government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth." I believe we need to have a national conversation about what "freedom" means, and what happens when one person's (or country's) freedom denies another person or country its freedom.
I would like to focus on a definition of love that empowers everyone and a definition of freedom that allows everyone to be free.
I read the comments to Marianne's essay, and I recognize the cynicism, doubt and fear (all the same, really) that have been common in my reactions over the last several years.
Still, I believe that fear and cynicism, and seeing 'the enemy' outside of ourselves, projected from within, is our greatest obstacle to peace. Peace needs to start within in order to be projected outward into the world we see. This is what "A Course in Miracles" teaches - in reality, we are all one. So when we see a brother as sinful, we are actually seeing ourselves that way and projecting that from within. Yeah, I know, psychological mumbo jumbo, but our subconscious mind does kick us in the rear and I believe it's better to recognize when that's happening so we can prevent our own problems and suffering.
I've been studying "A Course in Miracles" since 2000 and I encourage everyone to check it out and form a study group if you can. It is not Christian; it is not a religion or a cult. It's an effort to correct the mistakes our minds have made about what we are and the world we've created. It's a challenging Course but makes so much sense to me, even though I don't particularly resonate with its 'Christian' terminology. The Course begins by stating that the particular terminology used here doesn't matter - it is the message that leads to peace within, to love for Self and "the Christ" which means all of us united as one.
I believe John Lennon had it right when he said "All you need is love" and that love truly is the most powerful thing we have. The Course says there are only two emotions, love and fear, and fear does not exist. It only exists if we make it real within ourselves and project it out on the world, whether our projection screen is George W. Bush or Osama bin Laden. There is power in love, and I encourage us all to practice using it. In the way we would tell our child not to do something wrong or dangerous, out of love, it is time to tell the leadership of our country to stop doing what is wrong and to do what is right for us and for all humanity instead.
Einstein said that Gandhi's work for the liberation of India is a living example that man's will, sustained by an indomitable conviction, is stronger than apparently invincible material power. This has happened at various times throughout history.
The Course stresses that we are all important in each others' "salvation" – meaning that we all have the power to heal ourselves and our world. As a secular Jew, I believe that's what Jesus tried to communicate. It's not about Marianne Williamson or George W. Bush or me. It's about you and me and all of us. That's how we'll heal the world we see. Maybe now we can get it right and help our world to heal, by drawing on our own individual power and joining our energies together. I'm up for it!
We have come to see love and peace as weak and pie-in-the-sky, as 'Kumbaya'. But looking beyond our fear and the cynicism that arises from it, love really is the most powerful tool that we have. It is all we need, if we put it to work in our minds and in our actions.
One person commented the "hope that we will embrace wisdom is irresponsible fantasy." Another said, "But history proves that we humans shall always learn the hard way. Pain it is!"
We try to protect ourselves through cynicism, but it backfires on us and gets us what we don't want. I believe the only way we can create a future not bound by the past is to envision it and believe we can make it happen. That HAS happened. That is why 'idealism' is so important. Being 'realistic' only gets us more of what we've had, and history does not dictate the future - only if we make it so. Actually, history has indicated that we have changed the world through our vision, passion and commitment to what's right in the name of love and compassion.
I stress Marianne's comment: "the fact that the mind that manufactured the world we live in now cannot imagine what that would be, is certainly no sign that another way does not exist. The change from who we are right now to who we can and shall be once we have embraced this opportunity for change, represents a quantum leap forward in our spiritual as well as our political, economic, and social development."
We need to develop spiritually as well as in all these 'earth-bound' ways. I joined the Network of Spiritual Progressives because this group understands that, and you don't have to be 'religious' to tap into a universal energy of love. Many people are doing inner work to evolve spiritually. And it's encouraging to see that "A Course in Miracles" has been translated into more than 15 languages now.
In Peace,
Sharon Abreu
Until the US populace gets the courage to take to the streets and follow the example of Gandhi's non-violent marches and demonstrations nothing will change. The people have got to WANT the Constitution restored enough to ACT accordingly. If there is no such desire, there will will be no more US Constitution (except in name only).
What a shame to let cowardice bring down such a noble experiment of human governance!!
I can't believe that we're that far gone as to hope for some miracle of love that will save us. Existential philosophy masquerading as spirituality is not a practical solution. How does meditation save the rivers? How does hope save the forests? How does forgivness stop corporations? Cynical? You betcha.
Love does not imply pacifism.
Pacifism is not the moral high ground.
It is morally reprehesible in light of our current situation. It is completely irresponsible to stand by and let the death march continue. Do not pretend that elevated consciousness in the well to do, is any type of help whatever.
But it does enable people to hope. Meditate. Elevate. Perhaps you will levitate away from this bad karmic situation. Or are we hoping that the destroyers will see the error of their ways and turn over a new leaf. Skeptical? You bet.
Hope is not action. You sit and hope while little brown children die. You sit and hope and then order a book from amazon.com . You sit and hope and throw a buck in the basket. And someone tells you it's all good. Is it?
Intellectualizing is not action. Reading feel good books or listening to sermons that co sign the bullshit mentality of doing nothing and pretending that it is actually the moral high ground, is really actually..... doing nothing. Paying someone to tell you that you are righteous and well on the way to enlightenment is doing nothing more than trying to make you feel good. And the planet is dying.
All this focus on how humans should be inorder to help humans. Be kind. Love each other. Love is all you need. Doubtful? You betcha.
How is love all I need when wolves are being slaughtered? How is love all i need when there is virtually no clean body of water in north america? How is love all I need when the forest service is nothing more than sales management? Unless of course to love......to really care for something means to defend it with ones very life. Isn't it a display of love when we don't allow destroyers to destroy what we love?
We don't need a miracle. We need praxis. Not metaphysics. Not dreamy feel good self righteous inaction. When pacifism becomes dogma we are paralized.
Please climb down off of that spiritual hilltop and join the rest of us as we walk...... no march, with our feet firmly planted on the earth. Get your head out of the clouds. Please!
Hope is the last breath of desperation.
it is not possible for those who claim love, hope, expanded consciousness, etc. are ineffective or useless in creating social change to know for certain that these qualities (inherent in each of us but undeveloped for the most part) are not those primarily responsible for having prevented collossal annihilation of this planet by now.
there certainly has been (and continues to be for sure) ample opportunity. a lot of us progressives seem to be turning into weekend, if not 24/7 survivalists, exhorting the masses to rise up even as they stock their shelters. no, not much hope there. but the deeper reality that strong manifestations of peace consciousness (gandhi, king) and of spirit consciousness (christ, buddha, mohammed) have had the impact they have provide virtual proof that this very potential (if not actually developed) realization awaits us all. and to the degree that it is awakened, our actions will be more potent.
It's interesting how quick some progressives are to criticize things that they don't understand.
Interesting and unfortunate, because we're all on the same side.
We should forget our differences and focus on what we have in common - like our mutual desires for a better world, for unity in diversity and democracy.
=================
"Tomorrow we will be back on the vast ocean."
Horace
We Americans are plagued with fears about not being good enough, not doing it right, not having the right answers. When we make mistakes, we blame and attack others instead of seeing the opportunity to learn. In attempting to divert attention from our low self-esteem we only make it worse. We become helpless, angry victims. This leads to violence that is both interpersonal and systemic, and our reputation around the globe is one of the most violent of nations. We have a cultural disease, an epidemic of violence carried by the virus of disrespect.
We who are very ill with our victim stance are unable to consider other possibilities for solving problems. We have a deep, paranoid cynicism about alternative conflict resolution methods. We deny the expensive and wasteful consequences of violence through false pride and bravado. This allows the cycle of violence to continue. We create, enable and sanction violent criminals, or we ourselves become criminal. We are not a free country. We have the largest percentage of our population in prison of any nation.
We are all in a prison of our own making. Violent thoughts, words and deeds, coming from the desire to be right, build the walls of solitary confinement. Do we want to be right, or do we want to belong to the human race? It's time to admit our violence is out of control, heal our broken hearts, and seek reconciliation. Do we respect ourselves enough to do this? Do we feel capable and worthy, as our Constitution says, of a "more perfect Union, [to] establish Justice, [and] insure domestic Tranquility?"
If we examine our fears closely -- very, very closely -- they will disappear. Then something else will emerge from behind the veil of fear. Do not name it now, later will be soon enough. The real Work we have to do now is to name the Fear. I can imagine a world without fear as much as I want, I can point the finger at those who fear more than I do, but until I personally take responsibility for my own fear, I do not have the experience, the idea, the words to speak about, true fearlessness.
For me this article is a stunning synchronicity of the last few days - immensely encourageing for the future and thrilling in the moment - this type of conversation witnessed in the streets of Detroit, within impeachment chat sites, and now here! Let's keep nurturing it!
I will take some time later to parse some of Marianne's words, but for now I'll give a shout out of honor for having the courage to step forward and extoll the concept of Love in the face of the epidemic of fear, anger and hatred (of course stated like that what else is one who is tapped into universal currents to do?).
And for those who Love is just a concept, for those who have expressed such deep experiences of hurt and who are hurting...in the momentment all I can do is offer you the concept of Faith. But have Faith! From my professional experiences in the field of human developement and experiences within my personal world, I can state that Love is much more than merely pacifistic good boy good girl conceptualizing - it is an energy field capable of bonding and expressing organically, with the carbon molecule.
This reality beyond conceptualizing has allowed me to witness the trancedence of pain and agony with one in the excruciating situation of dealing with a cancer tumor on the lower spine while dealing with fractured and antagonistic support circle and family. What was witnessed as a trancendence to what she call "her special place"(in other words Love) on the individual level CAN be witnessed on the group level in this time of our fractured and excruciating situation as a Nation.
Have good cheer. Thank you for engaging in the conversation. This is truly a day of glad tidings!
Yeah! What happened to some of the comments! I thought the cannibalism one was good too. Maybe a bit over the top. Maybe. But where is it?
The thing that really bothers me about the tone of the article and of the apparent supporters of said ideology based on their commenting is it's false superiority. Smugness. Condescention. It's like they're patting those of us who don't buy it, on the heads saying "there there.You're just afraid.You're just cynical.You're just..." fill in the blank. As long as I am view as - not as spiritual (which is impossible), not as evolved, not as mature, not as WTF-ever - then I don't have to be taken seriously. It's demeaning. It's a hop skip and a jump away from dehumanizing. It objectifies me. And...it's lazy. Why spend time and energy listening to someone who you view as just a frightened little child who needs to guidance (from you no doubt) as to how to get along in the world. And because this ideaology is doing nothing save making people feel better about themselves (while doing nothing for say....polar bears or whatever else you might love besides humans)....the world still burns.
Anyone remember that old school episode of Star Trek? Where the villagers and farmers of said "lesser developed" culture were being killed by the Klingons? They were pacifists. So Kirk and company deside to intervene and start a war - Klingons vs Federation. Anybody remember this one? Well in the end, it turned out that the villagers/farmers were spiritually evolved. One of my faves. It was totally a "love is all you need" answer to life. The farmers/villagers were actually beings of light. They were highly evolved. Yeah, that was an awesome episode.
Except for one thing.......it's science fiction.
Meanwhile....back down here on planet earth.....where we have to live....the real world....hellooooooooooo?
punkassbeotch I share your criticism of the article since Williamson inserted some remarkable quotes by Presidents Lincoln and Hayes that clearly point to the real down-to-earth problem of corporate control of the national wealth and power.
Williamson states the spiritual problem but it is not enough to do so. The Founders realized that words were not enough but that sometimes blood (or sweat) is required to defend the concept of liberty.
The frustrating thing about all this is how to live in a thoroughly brainwashed world? The brainwashed zombies vote against themselves time and time again, and not just at the voting booth. Fear and laziness keep them in line. All we can do is practice our own fearlessness and support each other.
"It's interesting how quick some progressives are to criticize things that they don't understand."
Max, I agree with you. What does it matter what path we chose to reach the same conclusions? What is important is that we all pitch in and do what we can to make a better world.
I agree with Marianne W that ours is a didactic universe, and that SOME of what happens to us in life reflects our belief system. However, this also simplifies those laws we do not understand that are also at work. One problem with the Course in Miracles crowd is that learning its approach CAN for some disable ACTION. When people are thoroughly convinced they are DOING it by changing their mindset, they often feel no onus to do anything beyond this. As a writer who focuses on esoteric subject matter, I have watched as those who espouse what I term a "Republican Spirituality" model get published. What I mean is they pretty much teach the idea that the quality of life you lead is up to you. This ethos has led a great many GOOD people into 'self' work; but meanwhile, the vicious & insidious rightwing planners took over media, government, education, elections, our treasury, etc. The answer is not either-or. Anyone sentient enough to be breathing has "enrolled" in earth school 101, and yes, there are lessons to be had. Someone earlier up the thread mentioned that by NOT teaching karma and the evolution of the soul, people are left paralyzed wondering WHY heavy s--t happens to them. The more all encompassing (life to life) lesson plan reveals the data necessary for bringing logic to the task of explaining the human condition, at least so far as each of us is destined to live it. I take issue with some of the points Marianne makes, and these are the ones that we see published under New Age most, that it's ALL up to the individual. I say it's both. Life is like a cosmic cha cha cha. The individual is here to learn self-mastery and part involves acting from compassion, being conscious of why one acts and thinks the way they do. It's the process of being educated. Fine. But the individual also exists within a larger social network, and if that network is breaking down, reciting mantras and focusing only on how great life is (in the face of evidence quite to the contrary) constitutes a form of spiritual schizophrenia. I am enough of a realist, (although I believe in the heavenly plan, the logos that ties human life cycles to the larger clockworks of the planetary orbits) to recognize that we also must WORK via action to CHANGE society to accord with the BEST in individuals, rather than the worst. As it is, we are angry atoms fighting for our FREEDOM because so much has turned against goodness, sanity, and health on all levels. Therefore one cannot apply medicine to the individual without also working to mend society (Tikkun Olam). On the other hand (and thus the concepts are not mutually exclusive) we cannot have a healthy society IF individuals relinquish their responsibility to their higher selves. The higher self would probably NOT advocate for eating gross fried fatty foods, or smoking cigarettes or aiming a gun at another person, etc. This is where Marianne's explanation of the ego and its rationales is useful. As with any intellectual discourse, answers often come in shades of gray. Any ideology that focuses primarily on dualism, good or bad, fear or love, I feel misses the power and beauty of nuance. However, again, coming from my background in publishing, I know that agents push writers to write RECIPE books. People are hungry for the ways and means to improve their lives, but if they only focus on self, again the fabric of the greater society (as we see now) breaks down. The recipes favor the authoritarian mindset, "If you follow these 7 simple rules, you will have success," etc. I believe these are mostly false, and yet they operate with some tantalizing GRAINS of truth, in that deep and profound metaphysical principles are being coopted in this age of materialism, a surfeit of the senses, to further the idea of GETTING or HAVING, rather than BEING.
I hope I offered some insight to this discussion. By the way if all the answers were known we would not be experiencing bodies, nor would all the theological & philosphical experts be in disagreement over so much. Ironically, the MASTERS all tend to agree... study their teachings and look for where these overlap, and then you come closer to universal truth(s).
Davoid
Who is a criminal? A Ceo who orders the destruction of rainforests or someone who fights back by whatever means neccessary? Oh in the land of the free it is written that this type of action ( vandalizing bulldozers maybe?) is a crime. Written. But is it truly a crime? To defend that which you love with lethal force if neccessary? Really?
My fear is of people (the masses) who bow to the written laws that benefit the few, without considering why they bow.Just because it is written doesn't make it righteous. Those who blindly obey destructive laws in the name of non violence - as dogma no less - and then claim moral and spiritual superiority while they do nothing to stop the damage is my fear with a name. Is it gonna disappear now? Poof.
You say:
"We deny the expensive and wasteful consequences of violence through false pride and bravado. This allows the cycle of violence to continue. We create, enable and sanction violent criminals, or we ourselves become criminal."
By not resisting in any effective way, the violence continues. Sitting on yer arse and saying "be like me and it will all work out." is bollocks and you know it.
By saying all violence is bad, you oversimplify. There is not only one form of violence. Animal testing. Slave labour. Destruction of habitat. You dishonor those who are being violently and systematically destroyed for your "benefit" while you blithely pine away about love and fear. It demeans those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that you may live the way you do. Do you love them for it? Do you acknowledge you complicity in such violence?
Bravado and self righteousnes have nothing to do with it. We are literally talking about the destuction of the planet. I would rather be dead wrong. I would rather join the stream of life not only the anthropocentric human race, apparently the most important of all from your statement:
" Do we want to be right, or do we want to belong to the human race?"
The constitution? You're kidding right? This myth of the founding fathers again....you're holding on to schoolroom fairytales that were inserted into your head as a child. The founding fathers were not gods. The constitution is not an holy relic. This need for heroes and dieties, mythological characters, and gurus, almost sounds like a lack of faith in ones true self.
Max-
"It's interesting how quick some progressives are to criticize things that they don't understand."
What a manipulative little sentence. The implications are many. First it implies that you fully understand what is being said here. 2nd it implies that those who don't agree, do not understand. So a criticism from "lack of understanding", is nonsense from your perspective and should not be given any more respect than say, that which you would give an idiot. As I've been saying: condescending, smug, self righteous, intellectually lazy.
Marikken:
"What is important is that we all pitch in and do what we can to make a better world."
Perhaps. But each persons view of a better world is vastly different as we can see just by this "discussion". To think that ones view of a better world is universal, or the "same conclusions", is similar in my mind to "the one right way" for existence. While you may think that when all humans just get along and love each other, then our problems will be over, I tend to think that a world without ocean life, or frogs, or honeybees is more pressing. But I do absolutely agree that all paths are needed to pitch in. Some people write letters, some people throw rocks. It's not an either ot situation.
I bet the pacifists here think they're open minded.....yet different ideas spring the steel trap shut. Can you see the bars of your cage? Or do you now call it "home"?
That is why I am still commenting on this - it's like most of these people probably have had a magic moment or two, but instead of protecting it or cherishing it or growing it they look for ways, if they are capitalist-minded: to exploit it, $$$, or if they are not: to shove it down someone else's throat. If you don't pay respect to these tactics, literally or figuratively, they they will find some seemingly "loving" method or other to "off" you.
If they actually did believe in what they may have experienced they would have no need to do either.
IMHO, picking and choosing juciy parts of various religious texts and teachings and mixing them up into a tome that is just palatable enough for new agers and other hopeful souls to endlessly decipher, is an exquisite form of spiritual violence. Talk about mercenary.
But then, I am sooo misguided!