We're overdue for a collective shift toward a more just, cooperative and ecologically sustainable culture. 

  If not now, when?


             Be Kind Play Fair

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                    the golden rule and its many cultural variations                                       _____________________________________________

                                                                                                                     

        Throughout history people of all stripes and flavors
      have come up with variations on the ethic of reciprocity.

Most of us know the Golden Rule. It tells us:
    "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."


    * The Buddhist text, the Udana-Varga says,
                    "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."

    * The Old Testament of the Bible tells Christians and Jews alike :
                    "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

    * Muhammad, the Prophet of the Islamic faith said,
                  "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself."

    * In Hinduism, the Mahabharata states,
                   "Do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you."

    * Way back in time, 500 years before Christ, Confucius counseled people,
                   "Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you
                                will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence."
                                                              
                                                                                   Norman Rockwell

              It's plain old commonsense. You don't have to believe in God
                          to know it's true.     


Kindness creates kindness.
It's the grease that keeps things moving smoothly.
If we truly live by this rule, we are kind and considerate with all people,
not just our in-group - be it our home boys or political party, our bowling league or church congregation.
 
          There is no US and THEM when we embrace the ethic of reciprocity.

In these changing times we sure could use some big    
doses of love, tolerance, caring and tenderness,
 ... not only in our families and neighborhoods, but also in our boardrooms and the halls of Congress.

        What would corporate kindness feel like?
        What laws would a truly altruistic legislature pass?

          Unfortunately, much of our nation's businesses and governing bodies are acting as if
                   the laws of reciprocity don't apply to them.

                             They cleft to the law of tooth and claw ....
                             ... a ruthless, competitive scramble to the top of the heap.

                             But that's just crazy-making nonsense.

  Universal laws, such as the Golden Rule, bind us all. Every last one of us.

 
                                  We reap what we sow. 
                           "What we do to everything, we do to ourselves." - Black Elk

                                  Karma is not just a philosophical construct.

                We cannot escape the consequences of bad behavior.

                              Garbage in.   Garbage out.

                                    
                 
                                   You simply cannot separate out the ends from the means.

                                        And any religion or corporation or government -
                    any belief system that would lead us to think otherwise, is corrupt and a sham.

      Like Einstein said: We cannot "simultaneously prevent and prepare for war."

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           On the other hand, good results spring naturally from good efforts.
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                 What would tolerance, charity and magnanimity look like in our neighborhoods?
                 We're going to need tons of it, as we navigate through troubled waters.
                 Cause look -  systems are breaking down,
                           and some of the old agreed upon ways are just not working.
 
 
If we're going to move beyond the status quo, it's going to take a lot of experimentation         and playful creativity, plus a willingness to take personal and cultural risks.
 
                                      Leaps of thought and behavior. 
 
                                                  Lifestyle changes.
                        
                        Who knows where our truest passions will lead us
                         if we're willing to follow the music in our hearts ?
                _____________________________________________________

           SO, let's be tolerant of odd and curious behaviors we might experience around us, OK?

* Like that corporate bigwig across the way ...
   Did you see how he planted giant artichokes and cabbages in his classically manicured landscape?

   And his neighbors?
   They tore out their front lawn and replaced it with a jungle of corn, beans and squash!

                       ....well, they've got the right idea.

         More & more of us will be growing food right where we live.

                  
                            Even the White House is getting in on the act.

                   

* And your neighbor a few blocks over? Was she dancing under the light of the full moon last week?
   Don't worry.                                                                                                
   She's just gettin in touch with her inner wild woman.
   ( Not that party-all-night, who-cares-about-tomorrow licentiousness. No, not that.)

  We're talking WILD radiant inner beauty .... ALIVE ... passionate ... natural.

 
                   
                                                 we could all use us some more of that WILD THING, eh?
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Remember my favorite fridge quote?

"We live in a kind of dark age, craftily lit with synthetic light, so that no one can tell how dark it has really gotten. But our exiled spirits can tell. Deep in our bones resides an ancient singing couple who just won't give up making their beautiful, wild noise. The world won't end if we can find them."                   Martin Prechtel ( contemporary Pan American shaman)

        Well, sometimes the search to find that ancient singing couple can get a bit weird.

                                             So be kind ... to yourself ... to others.

                                                                       Accepting.
 

   As we become our unique and balanced selves, we enhance the whole.

                                           We become Peace.

 

                           Things are going to look different. 
               Old familiar ways will be tested.
                The tried and true will stand.



                      
                                                   so, say hello to your new neighbor

         * Those empty-nesters just down the street ... what were they thinking when they took those                 street kids into their house?
            Queer teens with dyed hair and tattoos all over and strange primitive piercings.

                                                    Does it strain your sensibilities?
Take a deep breath. Don't take it personally.
There are so many folks needing love and attention these days.
All sorts of shapes, sizes and styles of people in need.
We can all help out. One way or another.


* Hey, ever thought you might want to start a funky little bicycle circus ?
     .... with tricked-out bikes and marvelous costume changes?

   Might be a good, entertaining way to educate people .... get them out of their cars
        ..... out riding bikes?
                  
                                        Go for it.


                            Play around with different ideas. Can't hurt, can it?
         Maybe talk with your buddies ... someone might have a similar vision.

                                                                   Who knows.
 


What matters is that we move forward together, cooperatively.

                                       

                        We are all a part of the solution,

                     no one more important than another.

   __________________________________________

  Working together for the common good is fun.... it's satisfying.
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          But being jumbled together in a wave of change can be messy, as well.

                                  Because the natural world is messy.

                                     And Real democracy is messy.

                                       Welcome to the real world.

                    We'll stumble on this new path again and again and again.
    
                                   But don't be afraid to look like a Fool.
                      (Our culture just loves to shame us for being different.)

                                             Take some risks.

     Go ahead and trust your experiences and knowledge and inner guidance.
              Ground yourself in peace, truth and justice.
                      Act with courage and conviction.
 
               Dare to be your True and Authentic Self


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                          consider checking out :
             "The Dance * Moving to the Rhythms of your own True Self" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer   
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    As we extend our care and love out to all of earth's peoples,
   remember that in addition to the "love your neighbor" version
   of the Golden Rule, there's an expanded one as well.

    Surely we must apply the ethic of reciprocity to all of creation.
 Day in, day out, we'll be learning to be kinder to this great planet we all share.

Because we all breathe the same air.

     The winged ones, the four legged, the crawlers
                      - the lives of others are at stake here as well.

     The creeks, the rivers, the bays, the oceans
                      - all the waterways we so dearly depend on - they are all connected.

     The forests, mountain, meadow and desert communities,

                                
                                       they share our fate.


EVERYTHING on the planet deserves to be treated kindly and respectfully.                              This belief is as old as the planet itself.
It is at the heart of the teachings of land based, Earth-honoring peoples everywhere.


Chief Seattle (Sealth), a leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish tribes, wisely spoke:
"Teach your children that the earth is our mother.
 Whatever befalls the earth befalls
                the sons and daughters of the earth.
  We did not weave the web; we are merely a strand in it.
         Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves."


                           
        If we attempt wholeheartedly to live our lives in harmony with every creature on earth,
                                                  we'll reap the benefits.

                                                                 

                       Fortunately, the path to peace is a direct one.

  When the quest for peace on earth reigns as our highest shared priority,
                who knows ... things may turn around pretty fast really,
                        because

   Peace itself, is the short-track to Peace.
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  "To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a
   magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one
   human family and one Earth community with a common destiny."
                            from the preamble of The Earth Charter
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          - Special thanks to Robert, Lyn & Mark, who've guided me through the world of computers -
                     
                                         
                                                        
                                      hey that's me - in our hand hewn cabin - 1977

                                   To everyone who's helped me along the way
                                                         
                                                      Blessed Be

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  Love & determination will see us through.