My dear friends,
The Easter season has come; and is now going……
During it we saw the Mother Of All Bombs (a 22,600 lbs warhead) dropped on the
afghan countryside; 59 Tomahawk (1,000lb) missiles exploded in Syrian built up
areas, some 3,000 people saved from drowning whilst trying to cross the Mediterranean
sea to escape persecution, over 100 young children and countless others in the
Middle East this sacred weekend being car bombed to death, this Holy Week
Nigerian rebels trained almost 30 young girls to become human bombs…. and a
US Navy Super Strike Force moved into the South China Sea to defy North Korea
which threatens nuclear retribution…..
I could go on….and on……and on…….
I could have mentioned the wonderful Australian governments’ behavior toward
those human beings it is holding on Manus Island or in Naura detention camps; or I
could even have mentioned the closure of aboriginal health units, language units…..
or maybe the intolerable unfairness of aboriginal children’s detention practices, as
funded and managed by our wise and benevolent governments.
Thank God it’s HOLY Week!
The problem is two-fold.
Firstly, the world continues to be mad.
Unfortunately, as it expands technologically, its madness becomes more destructive.
Now…. neither man, nor child, nor beast, nor plant, nor sky, nor ocean is safe from
the effects of such insanity. We all suffer. Either now, or soon, or later.
Secondly, we in Australia and much of the developed world (as well as the affluent
in the developing world) have too much. And instead of being selfless and willing to
share some of it with those less fortunate we have become selfish and want to keep
what we have and preferably, get more.
So we turn our back on the scared children, the displaced communities, the unwanted
unwashed and even those of different beliefs or racial backgrounds – and go shopping
to take our mind off the problem.
A nice new lounge suite, a new mobile phone, a holiday to Bali or even a new car is
our therapy of choice.
‘So, what’s the answer?’ you ask……..
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Thus saith that wonderful modern day Spiritual Teacher Mahatma Gandhi.
His legacy surely includes worldwide publicity for his belief in Ahimsa.
Ahimsa means ‘no harm’, ‘no violence’ and ‘respect for ALL living things’.
It includes not doing things, saying things and even thinking things that hurt others.
That includes all people, all animals, the plant kingdom and this living planet itself.
With Ahimsa – and without aggression – Gandhi managed to rid the entire Indian
sub continent of its unwelcome British rulers……. without going to war, without
firing missiles, without dropping bombs, without shooting anyone, without grooming
children to be suicide bombers……
Isn’t it time for us all to more quickly wake up?
And, having woken up, isn’t it time for us to also wake up those people who claim to
have the wisdom to best handle our group affairs?
To help this to happen I have decided to re-establish THE COMMUNITY OF THE HEART.
This will have its own national Committee, it own workshops, its own regular newsletter,
its own website, its own agenda and its own programs aimed to help us to awaken.
It will be free of membership in the sense of fees and charges.
It will support community; and community of spirit, of the Heart.
More info shortly.
In the meantime, if this new venture excites you in any specific way, please email me
your suggestions and proposals.
Many blessings,
Les