Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Mary Jaksch of Goodlife Zen.
Alleviate world poverty? Isn’t that impossible?
There is so much grinding poverty in the world – how could just one of us possibly make a difference? The reason it seems so impossible is that we tend to focus on the immense number of people suffering from poverty – and on how little we can do individually. So we give up trying.
But there are two points to remember when we think about global problems:
1. Every action counts;
2. We are not alone.
01 December 2009
Posted in
Getting Real
Drawing people into conversations that go beyond the surface is one of
my favorite pastimes, regardless of where I am. I usually begin such
conversations by sharing something personal about myself, while leaving
the door open for others to do the same. In my Tokyo neighborhood I'm
well known for this, and people seem to look forward to the opportunity
of sharing time with me.
Recently I was sitting at the counter of a small Japanese
eating-drinking "shop" talking to my long time friend Tabata-san. He's
a few years older than me, and has always shown me a lot of kindness.
Somehow we got into talking about "being a man" and here's what Tabata-san had to say.
Read more...
28 November 2009
Posted in
Getting Real
As my relationship with Okada-san and Ishida-san progressed, I began to
have lunch with them once or twice a month. Usually we go to the same
restaurant, and spend at least an hour together. The more I get to know
them, the more I'm touched by their heartfelt expression of life.
"I'm so happy to get this off my chest after such a long time." Ishida-san said to me with a twinkle in her eye.
"I don't really know anything about the Catholic religion, but I think
I must feel like a Catholic person feels when they go to confession and
talk to a priest."
"As I said before, I did a lot of sitting at home waiting, and once my
kids grew up I got really bored, and more than a little resentful."
Read more...
28 November 2009
Posted in
Getting Real
Some time ago, I took a straw poll among my blog readers regarding a
few issues. Here are their opinions on marriage and xenophobia (fear or
hatred of anything strange or foreign):
Marriage
Stella:
I am condemned to love you, and that is my salvation. I shall have to
live for ever in the shadow of your eyes, accept the fact that
everything your hand touches arouses the best in me. All that I know is
your love, nothing else interests me.
Read more...
28 October 2009
Posted in
Getting Real
Stay in the desert
“Why do you live in the desert?”
“Because I can’t be what I want to be. When I begin to be myself,
people treat me with a reverence that’s false. When I am true to my
faith, then they begin to doubt. They all believe they are holier than
I, but they pretend they are sinners, afraid to insult my solitude.
They try all the time to show that they consider me a saint, and in
this way they become emissaries of the devil, tempting me with Pride.”
“Your problem isn’t trying to be who you are, but accepting others the
way they are. And acting in this way, it’s better to stay in the
desert,” said the gentleman, walking off.
Read more...
27 October 2009
Posted in
Getting Real
Beloved Friends!
As this week's meditation tip we'd like to quote what Osho has said about meditation:
"If we can de-automize our activities, then the whole life
becomes a meditation. Then any small thing, taking a shower, eating
your food, talking to your friend, becomes meditation.
Meditation is a quality; it can be brought to anything. It is
not a specific act-when you sit facing to the East, you repeat certain
mantras, you burn some incense, you do this and that at a particular
time in a particular way with a particular gesture. They are all ways
to automize it and meditation is against automatization.
If you can keep alert, any activity is meditation; any movement will help you immensely"
This week explore Chakra Loop Breath Meditation with Live Drumming with us. It's an amazing and powerful way to open up your energy flow and drop into the silence within.
In love and learning,
27 October 2009
Posted in
Getting Real
I saw Okada-san again yesterday and she got very excited when I told
her I had written some heartwarming stories about her recently. She
particularly lit up when I told her my stories were mainly read by
"gaijin" (foreigners).
"Oh my goodness," she said, "Who would have ever thought I'd be playing some role in communicating to thousands of foreigners!"
"I feel a bit like the foreign minister," she said, "But without all the political responsibilities."
"Please be sure to tell them all I said Hello! And be sure to let them
know I bowed to each and every one of them." She said while bobbing up
and down several times.
I could tell her mind was really in overdrive.
Read more...
04 October 2009
Posted in
Getting Real
Of course things don’t always happen they way we wish they would.
There are moments in which we feel we are seeking something that is not
meant for us, knocking on doors that don’t open, waiting for miracles
that don’t manifest themselves.
Fortunately
that is the way things are - if everything went the way we wanted, soon
we would no longer have anything to write about, nothing to guide our
daily thoughts. This script serves our dreams as nourishment, but to
our battles as energy. And as it always happens with the warriors that
spend all their energy in the Good Fight, there are moments in which it
is best to relax and believe that the Universe is still working for us
secretly, even if we cannot comprehend it.
Read more...
Articles 
(Editor's Note: I have known Mark for a long time and I have taken part in several of his courses. Mark typifies the New Business of our Age, one with not just Heart but Soul as well. It gives me great pleasure to offer this small jewel of his wisdom to you all. You can find out more about Mark and his work on his site 