By Tao

When it comes to our efforts towards and equitable, sustainable and green world, I’m more convinced than ever that we are not doing enough. Despite many well-intentioned endeavors, businesses, governments and individuals are stuck in wasteful ways that are desecrating our bodies and the planet and causing worldwide suffering to all living things. Doing more – much more – is systematically available, can change the course of history and bring meaning and integrity back into our consumer-driven lives.

What’s in our way? The misbegotten belief that the changes required in our lives can (or should be) easy, cheap and above all, convenient. This myth is perpetuated by a combination of economics, fear and laziness, causing us to miss an important opportunity. Doing the big stuff requires big change – call it sacrifice if you want to – and we’re more than capable of tapping in to our evolutionary potential as humans.

We’re ready for the truth. Read more at today’s The Washing Post. Here’s an excerpt from Going Green? Easy Doesn’t Do It by Michael Maniates, professor of environmental and political sciences:

“To stop at “easy” is to say that the best we can do is accept an uninspired politics of guilt around a parade of uncoordinated individual action. What of the power and exhilaration that comes from working with others toward bold possibilities for the future? What of present sacrifice for future gain? “

By Michael Maniates

“It’s justice, not charity, that’s wanting in the Universe.”

“I want Women to have control, not over men, but over themselves.”

“Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose – a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.”

–Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author, 1797 – 1851

Greetings from Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC

My Halloween Costume

Green Shirt – $3 Goodwill
Green Pants – $3.50 Goodwill
Purple fabric paint – $3.49
Purple Face Paint – Burt’s Bees Lipstick – $8.99 – non-toxic

I am the Riddler, one of Batman’s enemies. But for these times, I am the Riddler of Consciousness asking the big questions and stimulating the deep conversations.
Greg

PRESS RELEASE NATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION, 2007

When: Saturday November 3, 2:30pm – 4 pm

Where: Carrboro, NC, Town Commons

This Saturday, Nov. 3 the Carrboro Greenspace: Center for Community and Sustainability (carrborogreenspace.org) will be joining with various organizations and people throughout the country in asking our leaders to ‘Step It Up’ in the fight against global warming.

In the past few years, towns and citie throughout the country have actedwhere and when larger scales of governance have not. As the time frame for action is continually updated and becoming less and less, even leadership on the city and town scales are appearing to be too slow to keep up with
the change.

Starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Carrboro Town Commons, during the Really
Really Free Market, everyone including candidates for office are invited
to share with one another what we are already doing and what we plan on
doing to achieve the 97% of 1990 level reduction of Global Warming Gases
by 2030 – a requirement if we are to prevent the climate system from
reaching positive feedbacks that would render human influence in
mitigation insignificant.

Having this event during a Really Really Free Market serves to highlight
one of the many (i.e. The Carrboro Greenspace, The Recyclery and the CCGC
community garden) grassroots people-driven projects in Carrboro that are
contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions. These projects
demonstrate the power that people can have independent of initiatives
normally expected from official leaders.

“Carrboro has many exemplary grassroots people-driven projects that are
absolutely essential if we really want to tackle this enormous
problem—the main thing here is that change has to encompass all levels,
from reducing energy consumption at the individual or family level, to
changing the ways our communities and even our food systems are
organized. Its big, but its doable—the thing is we have to act now!” said Sammy Slade, local resident and activist.

As you know by now, I deeply believe that a yoga practice can change the way you are in the world, but keep in mind that there are many methods of growing within and outside the self . I think of them as Sister-paths. Become curious and disciplined in your quest for knowledge and truth and you will find what speaks to you. Enjoy more from Greg on the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner below. Changingly Yours, Tao

by Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC
Besides the many meditations that Dr. Steiner indicated, he emphasized the importance of the six basic exercises or attributes. These six exercises were developed to strengthen and balance our thinking, feeling and willing and to awaken and cultivate the higher being within ourselves. The exercises contribute to the development of higher organs of spiritual perception and to the creation of a sturdy bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. The six exercises consist of the following:

1) Mastery of Thought Formation
2) Mastery over Impulses of the Will
3) Equanimity in Regard to Happiness and Sorrow
4) Positivity in Forming Judgments
5) Open-Mindedness (A Lack of Preconceptions)
6) Inner Balance (The Harmonious Blending of All Five Exercises)

These exercises coupled with prayer and various meditations will place you on the path to higher spiritual knowledge and to a more balanced and harmonious physical and spiritual life.

A few inspiring thoughts, by Dr. Steiner, to mediate upon:

“In thinking, I experience myself united with the stream of cosmic existence.”

“Time must be taken to observe things as though we were inside the things themselves with our thinking. We should submerge ourselves in the things and enter into their inner thought activity.”

“In thy thinking, cosmic thoughts are living; lose thyself in cosmic thoughts. In thy feeling, cosmic forces are weaving; feel thyself through cosmic forces. In thy willing, cosmic beings are working; create thyself through beings of will.”

To obtain more information and knowledge about the six exercises, meditation and the work of Rudolf Steiner, I recommend the following books by Dr. Steiner:

Theosophy

How To Know the Higher Worlds

And the following book by Christopher Bamford:
Start Now: A book of soul and spiritual exercises

Rudolf Steiner: A Path To Higher Knowledge, by Greg Gillette

Everyone has the potential for grasping the fruits of spiritual knowledge. Everyone has access to the answers to the mysteries of the universe, but for most folks, that kernel of spiritual knowledge lies dormant and has not yet been fully opened.
What is our ultimate purpose? What is our connection to the cosmos? What is our connection to each other? What is life like before being born into a body on Earth? And what is life like after shedding the body and entering the spiritual world? Are we truly free beings? What about free will? Reincarnation? Karma?

According to the work and life of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, these questions and many more can be known through Anthroposophy, the spiritual science developed by Dr. Steiner that unites the divine in mankind with the divine in the cosmos. Many folks know of Steiner through the Waldorf Schools or Biodynamic Agriculture, but his main objective was to show a true path to spiritual knowledge. He brought forth new directions and initiatives fused with spiritual knowledge into all aspects of society: education, arts, medicine, economics, agriculture, politics, etc. His vision and clairvoyance laid a path for new ways of thinking, feeling, willing and living.

Anthroposophy is not a new religion, but a new way of spiritual living that can be taking up by anyone of any religious background. It contains no dogma, no creed. “It is an experimental method in the sphere of the universally human, through which real, spiritual experiences can be had.” (Smit, page 49) Thousands of pages could be written about Steiner and his works, but I will keep it short and focus on Steiner’s aspect of meditation. Meditation was the source (foundation) of everything that he accomplished.

Through meditation, the higher faculties of thinking, feeling and willing will come into fruition and you will experience more balance and peace, have a better understanding of yourself and others, remain in the present moment longer, have better control of your thoughts, strive to see the positive in everything, maintain an open mind to everything, and be able to interject more of an objective way of living; the art of observing, listening and thinking, critically.

According to Steiner, thinking is the highest faculty we possess that enables us to grasp the knowledge of the higher worlds. Of course, Dr. Steiner is referring to spiritual thinking; thinking that is alive. “Thinking is the heart and blood of what distinguishes Steiner’s approach to spiritual work. The thinking that he is talking about, however, is not our ordinary thinking by which we rearrange existing (past, dead) thoughts. By thinking Steiner means “living” thinking, the dynamic process-state before thinking becomes thoughts.

Meditation means to think, ponder, reflect upon and revolve in ones’ mind. “True meditation is engagement in focused thinking, and the sense of detachment that accompanies meditation should not be an attitude of insouciance (lighthearted unconcern), but of objectivity.” (Cowen, page 87) True healing and freedom come about when we think on a higher level: in a careful, balanced and objective manner, when we experience the full gamut of our feelings and emotions while remaining objective with all that happens to us and around us.

Greg Gillette, Nutrition Specialist, can be reached at 828-252-9874 or at gillettenutrition@yahoo.com.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

I have a confession – I left out one item that I wanted to order from Real Goods on yesterday’s list. I’ve been struggling with the indulgence of it, since it serves no purpose besides being merry and bright. In the end, I happily bought one of my first “new” items of the year – one long, colorful string of LED holiday lights.

I escaped the nonsense of consumer “Holidayism” awhile ago, forgoing the traditional living tree, shopping for anything non-consumable, overeating, mailing cards and using gift wrap (not necessarily in that order). The result? I’ve since experienced many calm, meaningful and creative holiday seasons – filled with the actual “peace and goodwill” that disappeared with the invention of the mega mall.

It’s been especially fun giving different green gifts each year. Thrift stores are always an option – they are full of surprises and treasures this time of year. I’ve made dream pillows and boxes of original poems. I’ve given edibles like Fair Trade and Organic coffee, chocolate and tea. I’ve donated to Heifer International. I given pet sitting services and lunch dates. In fact, I’m no longer stumped about what to give – when I keep “Peace on Earth” in mind, the ideas just keep coming.

It’s also been fun ‘sprucing’ up the house with sustainability in mind. One year, I collected a trunk load of pine boughs that had fallen to the ground in a December ice storm, enough to fill every corner of the house and decorate my yoga studio. It smelled great for a long while and I did my part in cleaning up on my block. Another year, I hung pine cones covered with peanut butter and bird seeds outside my windows. Another time, I made a huge wreath out of coat hangers and dried branches, decorated it with vintage silver and gold ball ornaments and hung it on a rope from my ceiling, where it moved and glittered in the sunlight. At night, it’s beeswax candles – besides being sustainable and lead-free, they clean the air and smell great.

I admit that I’ve missed a few good, old-fashioned colored lights – the problem being that they suck up energy and you end up throwing them out and buying more. Bah, Humbug. But, I’ve found my LEDs and I’m pretty jolly now. I will still be certain to light them only when I’m there to enjoy it so they will last for years to come.

Oops. Even a Pagan like me got suckered into thinking about the holidays REAL early after looking through the REAL GOODS catalog. Oh well – It’s a Wonderful Life!

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

I opened my latest issue of Plenty Magazine (one of the best enviro-life reads out there – please check it out!) and my little green heart went pitter-pat over some encouraging news.

Last May, religious leaders from Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions wrote and presented an “Interfaith Declaration” to Congress and the White House, calling for immediate action on climate change. It looks like, when it comes to seeing and caring for nature, everyone is (or should be) on the same page. Here’s just a small sampling of the supporting finds, beginning with my own favorite, The Tao…

Taoism – From 180 Precepts of Lord Lao:

You should not wantonly fell trees.

You should not throw poisonous substances into lakes, rivers and seas.

You should not dry up wet marshes.

You should not seal off pools and wells.

You should not light fires in the plains.

You should not fabricate poisons and keep them in vessels.

You should not disturb birds and other animals.

You should not wantonly make lakes.

Native American Spirituality – The Earth is precious. To harm the Earth is to heap contempt on its creator. – Chief Sealth

Judaism – “thou shalt not destroy” – Bal Tashhit

Hindu – O Mother Earth! Sacred are your hills, snowy mountains, and deep forests. ….may no one exploit and subjugate your children. – Prithivi Sukta

Jainism – All breathing, existing, living, sentient beings should not be slain, nor treated with violence, nor abused, nor tormented, nor driven away. This is the pure, unchangeable, eternal law. – Acaranga Sutra

Wiccan – Nature itself is sacred and holy. Environmental actions are all manifestations of a reawakening spirit of reverence towards the Earth. – Vivianne Crowley