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Dear Friends, A number of wisdom teachings from ancient spiritual traditions give us the teaching that humanity has three or four times in the past achieved technological development and power comparable to what we have today. Each time humanity abused this power and destroyed civilization. These teachings say humanity has one last chance, in this the Fifth World (or Fourth World, depending upon the teaching) to use this power with full consciousness. As I watch the unfolding drama of terrorism before us I hold a constant prayer in my heart for wisdom. Wisdom for those in our government in their decision-making processes and for all of us in how we hold this in our minds and hearts. I pray for awareness at the deepest level as we hear how the news media characterizes the dynamics of this situation. I heard a reporter on TV say, "These are the actions of a handful of madmen who do not represent humanity." This is a lie. Everything any human being does, we are all capable of doing, given sufficient provocation and circumstances. We are all, also capable of making courageous choices rooted in love and consciousness in the face of those same provocations and circumstances. The sense of powerlessness is at the root of all violence. Fear is at the root of powerlessness. "Terrorism" is just that, at attempt to create intense fear, terror, and a sense of powerlessness. May we awaken to something much larger than fear and powerlessness, may we awaken to wisdom born of love, love that stretches us wider and bigger than the immediate, apparent reality. I have been in a state of generalized, pervasive fear the past month or so. I attributed it to personal circumstances and fears, but it felt different, more generalized and pervasive than I have before experienced. I wonder now if I was not also fearing the challenge we are now faced with. On Sept 6 I had a nightmare in which my fear escalated and escalated. There was nothing there to provoke my fear, just the feeling escalating each time I passed through each set of doors as I walked down a red and black corridor. Finally I realized I was dreaming. "This is my dream!" I exclaimed to myself. "I am in control!" Having thus banished my sense of powerlessness, I made a conscious choice to let go of my resistance to the fear. I surrendered to it. "Ok, I am willing to face my fears, let 'em come." I expected absolute terror to seize me as horrible monstors and images would attack me. To my surprise, a silent blackness enfolded harmlessly upon me. And I awoke. The ultimate control, the ultimate freedom is surrender. The greatest act of power is surrender. May we not let ourselves be terrorized or made to believe we are powerless by this "terrorism." May we not be manipulated by the "terrorists," the media and the war machine to perpetrate terror. If we self-righteously divide ourselves from a recognition of our own fear and if we self-righteously divide ourselves from the "other", this is precisely what we will do. May we grasp the awesome potential for healing and awakening in facing the horror and suffering which we now witness and which we have been perpetrating against each other for centuries. There were centuries in which humanity lived in Peace. This has been proven archeologically. The common factor was that these cultures were egalitarian rather than male-dominated as today. Women and men worked together harmoniously to create a culture infused with art and the spiritual expression of reverence for Earth and life. War is not an inevitable part of human nature. What we are witnessing now is the inevitable result of the dominator paradigm in which we have been living for the last 6,000 years. The world "leaders" (almost all male) do not have the answers. They do not even know the right questions. None of them are asking what is the root cause of violence in our world. Only an understanding of that will give us the guide for action and response. One thing we need to do is look to our mythology. The mythology, the religious and spiritual values, by which a culture lives determines its economy, institutions and behavior in the world. Our mythology devalues life on Earth. If it did not, we would not be wrecking destruction on Earth, the environment and each other. We have reached the fullest erection of economic power--our highest buildings are no longer temples but banks. Ours is an economy based on disconnection from and domination of Earth. When a disconnected economic power (or economic "security") is the religion, poverty for the majority is guaranteed. Where there is disparity between the haves and have-nots, we must have a military to stand between and defend the inequities. Is it any wonder the five-sided Pentagon, an appropriation of the once sacred five-pointed star, was targeted? Is it any wonder the phallus of the American economy was toppled? If our mythology valued life, would it not cherish Earth, the giver of life? Instead our religions purport transcending Earth--overcome nature, overcome desire, overcome emotions, overcome the body. Subjugate your sexual desire. Be spiritual--through world negation. I have used christian/biblical images, but the same world-negation and subjugation of woman permeates the so-called "major world religions" both East and West. Sometimes in theory, sometimes in practice, sometimes in both. Woman's body and psyche is built around the womb of life. The violence and pollution we excrete is inextricably linked to the denial of Life and woman, the life-giver. If we will open our hearts to cherish the gift of life, we will cherish Earth and each other, woman and man, without exception. Only the open heart can encompass and transform the enormity of pain that drives us to terrorism and war. The orginal meaning of "re-ligion" is to "re-link". Only the open heart can re-link us to Earth, each other and the gift of Life. To who we really are--One. I send you all my love and prayers. We are One. Namaste, Vajra Ma |