I TAKE THE VOW
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From: Jonathan S.
Date: Friday, November 28, 2008, 8:12 PM
Subject: i take the vow
Reply to: 265989
ID: 265991

Namaste Bruce, VerroniKA and everyONE,

Bruce...I'm glad that you are taking the time to reflect upon the words that we may have a tendency to use without really considering what they mean to each of us...Being as this is the Love Radiance INTENTION Experience or Group and when it originally began the word INTENTION was chosen for a reason, it may be beneficial for us to return to the roots of this group and go over once again why the word INTENTION was chosen ...Perhaps, Constance, Ram and Rita can shed some light on this for us...As for myself, I've been working with something called, The Code: Ten Intentions for a Better World that was created by Intenders.org...although I'm still not clear on how to word the intentions that seem to speak to the deepest level of my being, I'm sensing that there is something valuable to clarifying intent and working within a circle or group of people who support each other's intentions...

With regards to taking the vow that Deepak Chopra has stated, I have been reflecting on non-violence (ahimsa in Sanskrit) which is the first of the yamas (restraints) that make up the first limb of the eight limbs of classical Ashtanga Yoga...and what I've come to realize is that this is a lifelong moment to moment practice which includes the negative and harmful thoughts that are unspoken or not acted upon towards ourselves and others...it is an ideal goal to realize and my sense is that with daily practice the layers of the onion peel away gradually revealing deeper and deeper layers that come to the surface of our conscious awareness allowing us to step back, observe with detached awareness and release as we evolve and continually purify our mind, heart and souls...I haven't yet chosen to take this " vow ", but I'm glad that it has been brought to my attention through LRIG and I can certainly set an intention to practice non-violence both within and without in thought, word and deed...I also sense that once a vow like this is taken, we can be sure that we will be tested immediately and situations will arise to allow us to see how we may be harbering unconscious negativity and violent tendencies...practicing what LRIG embodies, may we be loving and compassionate with ourselves as we grow and evolve in awareness of that Self/One that is the essence of who we are...

Peacefully,

Jonathan

--- On Fri, Nov 28, 2008, in msg265989, Bruce Schuman wrote ---

oh good, thanks VerroniKA -- i'm glad that this connection felt right to you -- i guess that is a little bit of "resonance" ....

i just got that good message from jonathan, over on the main GRN network, where he makes a bunch of points, and i think we should look at all of those...

but right here -- i just wanted to ask a couple of little questions that were coming up for me.

i was thinking about this concept of "intention" -- and jonathan was suggesting that we clarify our language a bit...

i did go over and look carefully at the deepak vow site -- but i didn't "take the vow" yet. i'm thinking about it.

deepak does say right off the top that a vow is a heavy-duty thing -- that you can't take back. i also went to the site suggested by Karen/Univisions:

http://www.intent.com/blog/2008/11/08/the-vow-non-violence

and there, somebody made this comment:

I'm going to join you today in the vow. It's amazing what one person can start. Truthfully, I'm anxious about how thoroughly I can uphold the vow (and I'm a relatively gentle person).

that's kind of what i am thinking about -- that i am a little unsure about how faithfully i could keep that vow, so i am being a little cautious...

i might make this vow, thinking i am very sincere -- and then later today, when i am feeling ornery about something, i suddenly throw a fit about something -- and there i go, "breaking my vow".

i have been experimenting with "vows" for a long time. i don't always do so great with them -- and i have learned that it is generally a good idea for me to tone it down a little bit. instead of saying "i will absolutely do this for all time and never blow it and never change my mind" -- it's usually better for me to say something like "i really want to do this, and i promise to try hard, as best i can, and to pick myself up again if i fall." but i don't want to feel like a broken fool and a betrayer if i can't quite manage it to do it. i need a little wiggle-room.

so...

along the lines of "clarifying the language", and in the context of this love-radiance-intent framework -- let me ask: what is the difference between these terms:

• vow
• commitment
• agreement
• intent
• goal
• objective
• purpose
• mission

?

deepak's vow site asks us to make one commitment -- pretty-much black and white. it's absolute.

how about -- a site -- that allows us -- to make 500 slightly softer commitments -- that we can change if we feel we have to -- commitments or agreements --

sort of a "cloud of agreements" -- a looser softer floating field, with many nuances and facets and aspects, none of them rigid -- though some may be more rigid than others....

what IS your personal purpose or commitment? what is your goal?

any time we put something like this in words -- those words have a particular meaning at that moment -- a meaning that might be different at another moment, or have different meaning for another person.

so, instead of worrying about that -- just make it a "soft statistical cloud" -- every single one of the particular meanings is soft and fuzzy. they don't have to be rigid and exact. but make a lot of them -- and there will be a shape -- that is very strong. each point in the cloud is fuzzy -- but there are millions of points, and as a group, they don't move very easy....

we could ask everybody here in this group -- "what do you want to do?" what do you agree to do? what is your "purpose" (or goal or objective or mission) --

just make it simple and approximate, and say it in just a few words, don't worry about getting it perfect. just so that people generally know what you are talking about.

then, maybe -- "how do you hope or expect to reach that goal?"

"how can others help you reach that goal?"

if you share that goal with someone else -- what kind of partnership or collaboration would you like to explore?

it feels to me -- like this concept of a "unity portal" more or less reaches around all of these things, in one big inclusive embrace. it puts it all into one box, inside one circle.

and yes -- this would work for "politics" as well -- as it got stronger. these ideas on "integral politics" -- could emerge within this framework....

for everybody who wants to "work within the context of Oneness" -- everybody who checks that option -- we could then explore what that means. what, for example -- should we do about "capitalism"? wolfgang would have some thoughts on that....

what is the natural organic economy of The One --

maybe it does not take any one form in all cases? or who knows....

"i take the vow" -- "i make the promise" -- "i agree to try hard" -- "i agree to do my best...."

all of that is good. i you can't promise absolutely for all time -- then just agree to do your best for now, and try to keep it up. that's a great first step -- one that lots of people could take....

thanks, all

(PS -- i am experimenting a little bit with color and layout -- hope that's ok, let me know what you think)

--- On Fri, Nov 28, 2008, in msg265986, Verronika Walch wrote ---

dear Bruce..

yes - this was what i thought when i posted it

and wonderful that you connected these both sites...

sending showers of "winter" love

with snow

the same as summerlove

with sand

may be a bit clearer because of the coolness...

laughing love

veronika

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