The first ever grassroot World March for Peace and Non-violence lasting over 3 months and spanning over 100 countries and 300 cities is beginning its long journey today. It is starting in a few hours from Wellington, New Zealand with the blessings of indigenous Moriori people, asking for the end of wars, the dismantling of nuclear weapons and for an end to all forms of violence (physical, economic, racial, religious, cultural, sexual and psychological).

This is a historic moment for the planet and its silent majority of peace loving citizens striving towards making a united stand for peace and non-violence in all forms. We are putting our collective intention to change our course and direction from greed, hatred, violence and ignorance to peaceful ways of addressing the myriad social, economic, environmental, interpersonal, and personal challenges we find ourselves in now.

This moment unlike any other in the history of human race offers tremendous opportunities for letting go of old ways of command and control, war and violence, lies and deceit, and embrace new ways of sharing, collaborating, deep listening and cocreative intelligence to find peaceful solutions to meet all our basic needs and higher aspirations.

Please follow and endorse this march of peace ambassadors across the planet in the coming days and months. Send your blessings and lend your unique voice to it. Share it with your school, organization, friends and community. May peace prevail in our hearts, home, communities, work, and the planet. May we awaken to our true nature, our calling and purpose at this time. May we find the courage to follow our hearts calling with dignity and fearlessness and accept life with boundless metta.



I volunteered because I feel awareness of this event is lacking within USA, where it is most needed. Here is my latest post in Peacemaker Institute  & my peace profile at Shambhalatimes.

As The KY contact for Worldmarchusa I am organizing a mutifaith, muticulture community event with children and students to be held at The Lexington Public Library Theater, Main St. Wednesday, December 2nd 6:30 - 9 PM. This event will be followed by a peace walk (TBA)

If you like to be participate in the cultural part with dance, song, music, poem, art, please contact me or your state contact with subject "World March Event". The Franciscan Vision, Lexington Shambhala, Central Ky Peace & Justice (October Peaceways Newsletter, pg 6), Universal Unitarian, and BCTC students for peace & Justice are endorsing the Dec 2nd event

Also every thursday November join the regular interfaith peace vigil with poster or reflections on the ongoing world march at Triangle park, DT from 5:30-6PM

Just listening to this beautiful song of peace  sung by montessori children around the world uplifted me.

Attend  if you can any of this weekend the Franciscan Pathways to Peace events .

You may follow the march and join events here at Europe, CANADA and USA


Thank You for your attention and compassion for all, including your enemies and those who may have hurt you. Stop the cycle of inner violence and unconscious aggression in body, mind and speech.

Accept the present sitution with all its perils and possibilities. Work with it and not against it. Practice being kind, being friendly, being gentle, being appreciative, being still, being peace ~

“Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.” – Buddha
Personally I pledge to practice more moment to moment mindfulness and be in harmony within and outside in all my relationships.

If you are a Teacher or Educator click here for resources!

Thank You for Teaching Peace  & Non-Violence

New Videos from TheWorldMarch

• 02102009milano
• 02102009milano text
• 2 ottobre al carcere di bollate
• 2 ottobre a Palermo
• Vivja - a step for peace
• The biggest peace Karaoke! Milan sings "Imagine"
• 5 proposte della marcia mondiale
• testimonial sintesi dichiarazioni
• Donate for the base Team
  
• spot "Walk the future"

View & Share these current smugmug images of the World March

We demand our right to live in peace and liberty. We do not live in liberty when we live under the threat of violence. -  The world march flyer.
 

Unplug and actively lookout for good news, solutions, and inspired social nets like Gaia.  Dare to dream, imagine, contemplate and create a world that you love to live in and enjoy with others. Cultivate and radiate metta to bless, rejuvenate, sustain and evolve personal, planetary and cosmic Life.

Wonder anyone here knows of any great youth magazine and conscious media for the teens?

BTW, I am using bad news for my project here for the long haul

Trust open-source wisdom of the crowd for a peaceful & joyful wiser earth

Endorse the world March for Peace & non-violence and share tools and technology of building fellowship and peace.

The day is gorgeous with all the spring blossoms in full display of colors. My partner and I mowed, weeded and  mulched the entire front and back flower beds this year, unlike last year.  Although my back feels achy, I feel an urge to try our new zero turn riding mower. 

Yet feel the time crunch to wrap up things and pack up as we will be heading towards a four day trip to Ann Arbor to see his holiness Dalai Lama for  the two day weekend program, do some visiting in the area and bring our daughter Maya home!


Tonight Maya is attending a pre-dalailama talk with Philip Glass, Bob Mcferrin and Richard Gere. You can the see the  livecast here. Ann arbor seems to be a very thriving place with all kinds of holistic and concious businesses and community events.

A month or so ago we had the good fortune to attend President Abdul Kalam lectures here in my hometown at the University of KY, Lexington. The peak moment for me was to spontaneously merge my voice in unison with over 500 fellow Indians in the audience, singing the nostalgic national anthem of India after more than a decade.

I will be joining Maya and her dad, leaving a week before me, in India on May 3rd. Meeting my mom, neices, nephews, cousins, in-laws is something I am cherishing very much as we are visiting as a family this time, upon Maya's insistence. We are taking a family group  tour to Darjeeling and I am likely to visit for the first time my birthplace Jalpaiguri!

Dalai Lama's two day teaching at Crisler Arena was filled to capacity! Overall the program was good, although Maya did not understand much of Sunday's teaching as much of Nagarjuna's emptiness, dependent origination, middle way went over her head. For myself the the best parts were the begining and ending of the program.

Dalai Lama began the program Saturday by saying how as individuals we have different view of many things and he jokingly mentioned the various hats or practices - yellow, red, white, black traditions in Tibetan buddhism itself. And may be a new color Blue hat would arise here in American scene. Then HH folded his hands and said. "But Sakyamuni (Buddha) had no hat! Perhaps it is time that we return to the original teachings of Sakyamuni."  I am in total alignment here  with HH  Dalai Lama. And I especially  liked  his gesture of asking a  Sri Lankan Monk  (?)  to begin the  program by  chanting Mangalam Sutta in Pali, something I heard in Bodh Gaya and Saranath as teenager. The program ended with collective reading of simple verses repeating three refuges and bodhisattava aspirations for generating and cultivating the mind for enlightenment for the wellbeing of all sentient beings.

I am amazed at student activism at University of michigan. There was a large contingent of chinese student protesters who gathered along the path of Crisler arena with all kinds of signs and info. Every time we visited, we came across some kind of student demonstration or protest and other groups including some faculty members support them. I am getting a little biased already for u.Mich as you can see.

A couple of days ago had a wonderful time with Liz, Richard and Joan and few others in the BPF Cincinnati Dhamma group. Richard is doing some great work transcribing Buddha's original teachings from Pali in a manner that is most user friendly for beginners and advanced students alike.

Now we had almost a panic attack Friday evening, just before departing Lexington after I posted the initial half of the blog. We discovered Maya's US Passport (as minor) has expired last October as we were planning to go to Windsor Canada to visit my neice. Things looked really bleak Sunday, but somehow today Monday morning all pieces and puzzles came together. We could gather all documents needed and with the help of a very kind postal passport agent and travel agent (who appeared just in the nick of time) it looks like we are going to receive the new passport wednesday in Ky, when we reach home!

We had a great mother daughter day shopping in the mall and enjoying dipping dots icecream (my first time), a chair massage and a sizzling chinese dinner with energy left to finish this blog before bidding goodnight to you all! 

BTW counting blessing works since I just came across another headline with same subject posted a few days ago somewhere in the wide world of web! And the passport arrived at 10Am sharp and we arrived home at 3AM last night to receive it! When things don't turn out my way, that is also a blessing. That reminds me to let go, relax my focus on obstacles and barriers  and not watch my rear-view mirror so much as long as I can see the front 200 yard clearly. Joyful blessings to you.

Grateful cheers

It is already February. Time seem to be flowing in a FF mode for me with so many things happening at many levels. Wanted to post something this year of 2008 which is a year of conscious creation and partnerships suggested by number 2 with two zero's indicating pure potential or accessing the zero point is going to bring heaven on earth (suggested by 8). That's how I see it anyway.

Historically politics has been the tool for managing conflicts, instigating cahos, extend power and implement sophisticated "divide and rule" strategy via mass ideology, mass survival fear, cultural fear-based propaganda via mass media, mass distraction via decadent mass entertainment to maintain staus quo of the few (power elite) over the masses.  Independent minded conscious citizens may gather to create ideology free third party to reclaim "democracy of the people by the people for the people" everywhere.

Did you know the current Republican party was a minority Third Party and Abraham Lincoln was the first and only Third party Candidate to win presidency, back in 1860! Also just came across this site on potential bi-party presidential candidacy of kucinichpaul
Of course Barack Obama is htting a cord with grassroots and independents. latest CNN

Obama is quite charismatic and seen as someone for Change. Some allegations about his changing position, elite connections and lifestyle surfacing lately in non-mainstream media is a cause for concern, IF true.

Also see the passion of  Ron Paul for Sane Foreign Policy

More in my my Sister blog aha2008!

It not easy to pin down 'What makes people vote Republican'  by John Haidt

Ron Paul Gives a Press Conference on Third Party

My aspiration is that the THIRD CULTURE would be birthed by those who Transcends Ideology.
Now this year my goal is to take mindful pauses for lighthearted fun and laughter every now and then by accepting the present moment with all its possibilities and perils and keep the harmony.

Here's some laughter to defuse the stress and pressure of rapid energy shifts and microenergies many of us are quite sensitive to now . Watch the spill over of  'i' tech boom   'i'mac attacks.

Enjoy the year. Take last year's trash out, let the cat play and take the dog out ~

"If humanity is to pass through its present crisis on earth, it will be because a majority are doing their own thinking." - Buckminister Fuller

Peace&joy
mita

We are all human beings. We all need human care and affection to survive, thrive and stay humane!

I started wondering 6 months ago about the origin of the word "human" and the sound 'Hu' came to me. A month ago I walked into a booth at Inner light festival, same one I had seen a month before in a peace fair.  I instantly recognized the face of someone, whose book I read at one time 7-8 years ago in the public library.

I learned the word "HU" is the ancient word for God that connects one with Holyspirit from
a meeting of Eckankar! This sound is similar to Tibetan sacred sound 'HUM'
There is also the Vedic sacred chant of 'OM' that connects us with our divine essence.

Unlike 'OM' I found instant connection with 'HU'.

Intuitively I feel the word HU + OM = HUOM (feels like Home)! Just an amusing muse I have this morning ;)

OR it also sounds like the Tibetan Sacred sound HUM....wondering

Date: 1/26/08

This past two weeks I had some strange or auspicious coincidences (subject of another blog perhaps)

Last night I fell asleep with HU, and at one point woke up from a dream where i felt like communicating with Rebazar Tarzs (his image came) a Tibetan Eckmaster....as I was contemplating similarities in the ECk and Vajrayana...(both I don't know much about) and afte waking up opened up the CTR book in my bedside and exact page which describes HUM

According To Chogyam Trungpa, collected works volume 5...

HUM is  the seed sound in all four orders of Tantra (kriya, upa, yoga, and anuttara) and composed of HA (which expels impure air from lungs), U (of U M) releases irritating thoughts thru the mouth and M clears the remaining thoughts thru nose.

For advanced meditators HUM is a means of developing five wisdoms.

H is the mirrorlike wisdom: Clear and continuous
A is the wisdom of equanimity
U is the wisdom of discriminating awareness
M is all accomplishing wisdom, effortless accomplishment
A is the wisdom of all accomplishing space (dharmadhatu) ground from which all things originate and to which they return

This is very beautiful and I very much resonate with it. The breath of HA feels very good...always and MA is the sound of mater or mother in many languages, including my own Bengali. to be contd...

• Re: Being a Mindful Leader,  Inner Guidance Network by Adrianus
  

• Re: Dalai Lama's Congressional Medal , SKy High's blog A Dove & a Hawk

• Re: Biology of Enlightenment at Birdtribes.ning.com created by SOL Luckman
  

• Re: Al Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize for What? Brent's blog

Many times i lose my posts. So this may be a better way to keep track for now.

Spontaneous Art - Bengali Alpana art for auspicious occasion. My drawing class sample work, big and miniature art. After many years of gap this is my first drawing class and my teacher and class mates liked it a lot. I used markers on the spontaneous pencil sketch I drew in the class...reminded me of my childhood and my current association with Lexington Shambhala.

There are quite a few. Here is one by Rabindranath Tagore
Listen To Martin Sheen Recite “Mind Without Fear”
Another Bengali Poem "Ecstasy of Creation" by the Rebel Poet Nazrul.

Here a little bit on Bengali Alpana Folk art history from online search.
"Alpana (Ritual Painting)  is a kind of folk art and a spontaneous expression of the artistic sensibility of people. It retains the past experience of the community and, at the same time, is very much contemporary in feeling. It is mainly the womenfolk who have kept the art alive in this part of the subcontinent. They retain connections with age-old traditions and at the same time are bold enough to experiment with new forms and new colours. They are conscious of the changing moods of the seasons and their creativity thus marks the changing cycle of the year. ..It is difficult to determine the origins of the art. Many authorities hold that many of the vratas and pujas with which alpanas are associated can be traced to pre-Aryan times. It has come down to us from the Austric people who lived in the country long before the coming of the Aryans."

Alpana is more popularly known as Rangoli in Hindi. It is a form of sandpainting decoration or floorart that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and is used commonly outside homes in India, similar to Hindu or Buddhist mandalas. (see wikipedia).

Comtemplating Capitalism


I would Transform Capitalism. Inspire and engage others to be part of a big bold solution to myriad systemic problems at macro and microlevel generated by unexamined foundation of capitalism...modern financial system based on debt-money, usury, fractional reserve banking, centralized commercial bank generated credit instead of 100% debt-free decentralized publicly issued money.

Changing the ("capital" in capitalism) system requires three things.....

1) Shifting our own individual perception of what money is and its proper function in the economy and society, separating means of production (tangible capital) from currency (abstract capital that is a medium of exchange and circulation). The first can be privately owned, but currency itself as public agreement must be issued 100% debt-free by the people (not a few private banks centrally controlled).

2) understanding the basic sources of the problem inherent  in our current system and educating others by sharing information; issueing fiat money privately as compound-interest bearing debt via fractional reserve banking is mathematically unsustainable and rationally indefensible

3) Taking Small inspired actions. Simultaneous actions would be taken by many spontaneously growing social networks and grassroot groups. Once our inner perception shifts outer reality will shift effortlessley through a peaceful transformation. A dancing revolution where the "capital' is us, and we the people design it collectively.

I invite you to explore, think and discover it for yourself....and be part of a bold public awareness and education project so we can collectively shift the evolutionary path of the planet and human civilization for the benefit and welfare of all beings.  A sustainable currency system is essential now to ensure survival of all people and restoring ecological balance in the planet.

Come and Join my Conscious Capitalism Discussion. Be the fearless change.

Envision abundant debt-free Trust Money that keeps circulating love, gratitude, gift of human labor and joyful service.

In order to create a reality, YOU must see it.

In the West you have been struggling for many years with the problem of evil. But in the light of non-duality, there is not any problem.  You need both right and left to have a branch. Do not take sides, if you take sides, you are trying to eliminate half of reality, which is mpossible. For many years, the United States has been trying to describe the Soviet Union as the evil side. Some Americans even have the illusion they can survive alone, without the other half. If we look at America very deeply, we see the Soviet Union. And if we look deeply at the Soviet union, we see America. If we look deeply at the rose, we see the garbage; if we look deeply at the garbage, we see the rose. In this international situation, each side is pretending to be the rose, and calling the other side garbage.

 

- Thich Naht Hahn, The Heart of Understanding, Commentaries on Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra, 1988 p36
cheers

Just now a note arrived from a friend in Calcutta, India reminding me to take a pause and celebrate the worth of all women today! I am truely happy to be who I am and no longer need the validation of my worth from my children, spouse, family, in-laws, relatives, friends, work, social expectations or anything external to me....and it feels great just to be me
....the whole me smiling with sun peeping through the window on my face ;-)

The Woman

When God created woman he late on the 6th day

An angel came by and said: “Why spend so much time on that one””’

And the Lord answered: 
“Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her ?"

  “She must be durable, but not made of plastic, have more than 200 moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all kinds of food, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, give a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart and she must do all this with only two hands”. The angel was impressed.

“Just two hands....impossible!“ And this is the standard model?!  

“Too much work for one day....wait until tomorrow and then complete her“.

“I will not”, said the Lord. “I am so close to complete this creation,

which will be the favourite of my heart”.

“She cures herself when sick and she can work 18 hours a day”.

The angel came nearer and touched the woman.

“But you have made her so soft, Lord”  
 
“She is soft", said the Lord, “But I have also made her strong. You can’t imagine what she can endure and overcome.“ 

“Can she think?" the angel asked.

The Lord answered:

“Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate."

The angel touched the womans cheek....

“Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her.”

“She is not leaking....it’s a tear” the lord corrected the angel  

“What’s it for?" asked the angel. And the Lord said:

“Tears are her way of expressing grief, her doubts, 

her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride.” 
 

This made a big impression on the angel; “Lord, you are genius.

You thought of everything. The woman is indeed marvellous!"

Indeed she is!

Woman has strengths that amazes man. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens.

She holds happiness, love and opinions.

She smiles when feeling like screaming.

She sings when she feels like crying, crys when she is happy and laughs when she is afraid.

 She fights for what she belives in.

Stand up against injustice.

She doesn’t take “no” for an answer, when she can see a better solution. She gives herself so her family can thrive. She takes her friend to the doctor if she is afraid.

Her love is unconditional.

She cries when her kids are victorious. She is happy when her friends do well.

She is glad when she hears of a birth or a wedding.

     Her heart is broken when a next of kin or friend dies.

But she finds the strength to get on with life. 

She knows that a kiss and a hug can heal a broken heart.

There is only one thing wrong with her

She forgets what she is worth...

Please share it with women you love. Thanks.

Here's more on International woman's Day

Here's my article on some Invisible Women of Science and Technology

Waking Up from The tragedy of woman's enslavement by Ramtha

Cheers

I have been active past week or two working for peace! I feel this is the time for those who are passionate about bringing peace within our hearts and out in the world to stand up and show up publicly for the cause of  "Peace" on Earth  and The Missing Peace       




Some insights and ideas for making posters

WAR IS What??

Find other rackets at the end

 

World's Biggest "T" Organization??

see wikipedia.org

 

NoWar Project In Our Name
Stop PNAC Architects of war

Why Call yourself a Think Tank, if all your ideas are stupid? Enjoy a laugh.

Wall Street Bankers Win

 As People & Planet LOSE

 

STOP IRAQ WAR

End OUR WAR ECONOMY

  

Reject 5 US Bases in IRAQ

700 US Military Bases Worldwide

Makes war-economy going

 
Video & gangster rap keeps soldier trigger-happy
Generation Kill in America
stop culture of war & violence

Confession of some
Iraq War Veterans, 2008

No Dark Mass Mind Invasion

No Home Schooling of Assassins
School of Americas watch

War is "Uncivilized", has no place in "CIVILIZATION" or "CIVIL SOCIETY"

PEACE IS THE POWER TO CREATE, COLLABORATE & 
ENJOY COMPASSIONATE LIFE!!!

PEACE is Life After Capitalism of a Foolish Few

Women say No to War

May be the children can teach adults a lesson with a banner
"There are no enemies, we are all brothers and sisters".

Keep an eye for News on Tommorow's March at DC, not likely to be reported in main media. Search Youtube for Live Video of rally.

Thumbs up and Hi five for Peace!!!

"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount."
(General Omar N. Bradley)

Reflections: from Sacred Path of a warrior - Chogyam Trungpa

TO EXPERIENCE FEARLESSNESS, IT IS NECESSARY TO EXPERIENCE FEAR
The essence of cowardice is to not acknowledge the reality of fear. Fear takes many forms. We are afraid of death, we are afraid that we can't handle the demands of our life, and there is abrupt fear, or panic, when new situations occur. Fear is expressed as restlessness: how we move, how we talk, how we chew our nails, how we sometimes put our hands in our pockets uselessly. We have to realize our fear and reconcile ourselves with fear. However, acknowledging fear is not a cause for depression. Because we possess such fear, we can potentially experience fearlessness.

GO BEYOND FEAR When you examine your fear, if you look beneath the veneer of your nervousness, you find sadness. Nervousness is cranking up, vibrating all the time. When you slow down, when you relax with your fear, the sadness is calm and gentle. In the Shambhala tradition, discovering fearlessness comes from working with the softness of the human heart.

Listen To Martin Sheen Recite "Mind Without Fear"

"In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us." - Thich Nhat Hanh, Socially Engaged Buddhist Monk.

Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal. - Dhammapada

As global citizens did we know or think that this kind of globalization of democracy going to liberate us or give us real peace and security?

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• Other Humorous Green Alerts:
•  Big Pharma

This year be part of a worldwide mobilization for peace and bring your peaceful intention, creative energy, skillful means and enthusiasm to this global march for peace and peaceful means of conflict resolution.