Smorgasbord
7
Sunday, February 15, 1998
© Copyright 1998 by NewHeavenNewEarth
smorgasbord
(smor-gos-bord) n.
A buffet meal featuring a varied number of dishes.
Another NHNE publication --
albeit more loosely knit than most
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Total Subscribers:
This Issue: 1006
Last Issue: 991
(After three and a half years, we now have over one thousand readers! )
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"HOW DOES THE BUDDHA LIKE THAT?"
After ten years of meditating, a Zen student approached his master. Calmly, and
with a slight smile of blissful, detached satisfaction, the student announced
that he had attained enlightenment. Equally calm, the master quietly studied
his student. Then, with no warning, the master swiftly struck the student in
the head with a heavy staff. "How does the Buddha like that?" the master
asked.
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CONTENTS:
TWO NEW NHNE PROJECTS:
The NHNE Bookstore
NHNE Revamps NewEarthNet
NEWS WATCH:
Millennium Clock on Great Wall
Muslim Clock Points Way to Mecca
Word of God Multisensory Experience
New Site of Dead Sea Scroll Sect
Archeology Goes Digital
Deep Blue's New Job
Video Terminals No Risk
QVC Goes Into Orbit
New Wave Forecasting System
Mobile Phones Irritating French
Microchips Track Lost Pets
Where Eagles Fly
"Batman & Robin" Leads Razzie Nominees
MAJOR INTERNET RESOURCES:
The Neural Surfer
L.E.C. Daily Inspirational Messages
IN SEARCH OF THE PROMISED LAND:
Trial by Fire
Fresh Energies Afoot
No Guts, No Glory
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
The Invitation
THE LIGHTER SIDE:
Terrorist Trees
Phone Call to God
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TWO NEW NHNE PROJECTS:
THE NHNE BOOKSTORE
In association with AMAZON.COM, NHNE now has its own online bookstore! Designed
to function as a mini-website within the larger NHNE website, our bookstore will
offer some of the best books on the planet at significantly reduced rates (as
much as 40 percent below retail). While we only have a few titles listed at the
moment, in time we will offer a large selection, complete with thoughtful commentaries
by NHNE staff members and readers. To get an early look at this new addition
to NHNE, you can point your browsers at the following address:
http://www.nhne.com/bookstore.html
I'll be announcing "the grand opening" in the next couple
of weeks. Until then, here's one book you might want to add to your
library now:
"Your Body's Many Cries for Water:
You are Not Sick, You Are thirsty"
By F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.
(http://www.nhne.com/bookhealth.html)
Comment by David Sunfellow:
Recently, I began developing symptoms of an ulcer. Before deciding what I was
going to do, I gave Kathleen Frankel, our holistic health consultant, a call.
For several weeks now, she has been raving about a new book, written by an M.D.,
that champions the radical notion that drinking more water can heal many of the
illnesses that presently afflict human beings. After listening to Kathleen explain
the book's basic premise to me again (for the 10th time), I thought I would give
Dr. Batmanghelidj's suggestion a try. After only one day of drinking the recommended
dose of water (about eight glasses a day in my case), my ulcer symptoms, which
had been bothering me for about two weeks, disappeared! I also discovered from
Kathleen, and from listening to an audio tape of the doctor, that ulcers were
one of the first things Dr. Batmanghelidj tackled. Since then, he has also had
remarkable results with migraine headaches, allergies, asthma, arthritis, back
pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, weight problems, you name it. His results
are also backed up by a growing list of other doctors, many of whom are quoted
in his book. Can Dr. Batmanghelidj's water therapy heal you and your's? Maybe
and maybe not -- but why not give it a try before pursuing other, more complicated
and expensive treatments?
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NHNE REVAMPS NEWEARTHNET
In the beginning, NewEarthNet (NEN) was conceived of as a collection of independent
websites that shared common spiritual ideals and goals. Publicly, NHNE was just
another member site, not the main force behind NEN -- even though NHNE has, in
fact, always been the main inspiration behind NEN. But no more. NewEarthNet is
now an official extension of NHNE and we will be actively promoting the NewEarthNet
network, and all the member sites that make it up, through NHNE. If you have,
or want to create a high-caliber website, and are interested in being directly
associated with NHNE and benefiting from our growing reputation for no-nonsense
spirituality, write us and find out how you can link your website into this dynamic,
NHNE-inspired and administered network:
eMail: newearthnet@sedona.net
WWW: http://www.sedona.net/nen/
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MILLENNIUM CLOCK ON GREAT WALL
(Source: REUTERS, 1/9/98)
China will erect a millennium countdown clock on the 2,000-year-old Great Wall,
one of the world's greatest man-made structures, state television recently said.
The clock would be set up in March on the wall near Badaling, a popular tourist
site near Beijing. "Erecting a year-2000 count-down clock in Badaling Great
Wall is one of the important events Beijing will hold to welcome the 21st century," it
said. An inscription on the timepiece would exhort Chinese to "Grab each
minute, snatch each second, and work hard to lay solid foundations for our country
in the next century." The white clock would be 5.8 metres (yards) tall with
a red digital display and a base shaped like a part of the wall. The Chinese-made
clock would have a margin of error of less than one minute for every 30,000 years.
The Great Wall snakes 6,000 km (3,700 miles) across northern China and was built
with the intention to keep out invaders. The first sections were built during
the Qin dynasty in 221-207 BC.
http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/980109/odd/stories/clock_1.html
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MUSLIM CLOCK POINTS WAY TO MECCA
(Source: BBC NEWS, 1/28/98)
The Islamic season of Ramadan ends the last week of January. It is the period
during which Muslims fast during daylight hours. But for Muslims who travel frequently
to other parts of the world, it is often difficult to know quite how to fulfill
the daily rituals set out in the Koran. The Holy Book is very specific about
the five times during the day that Muslims should pray and it is not always obvious
to the traveller what the correct local times are. Now a Belgian-based electronics
house has come up with a solution: The Mikat alarm clock. Programmed to provide
the necessary prayer times for 140 cities worldwide, and programmable for any
others. The latest model even tells you the direction of Mecca. The machine also
recognizes some religious sensibilities. There is a Sunni or Shiite version,
but what does the religious order make of new-fangled science interfering in
age-old rituals? Abdullah El-Moudne is a teacher at the Islamic Cultural Centre
of Brussels: "Islam always encourages technical initiatives. An electronic
device which could assist Muslims in getting the precise times of prayer as well
as the right direction of Mecca would be very useful to Muslims, provided that
such a device was accurate."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/analysis/newsid_51000/51335.stm
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WORD OF GOD MULTISENSORY EXPERIENCE
(Source: AP/ FOX NEWS,1/30/98)
A new Bible museum in southern Germany wants to turn the word of God into a multisensory
experience. Along with Martin Luther's Bible from 1545, visitors to the German
Bible Society's museum can listen to Bible verses in a nomad's tent, with scents
of incense and myrrh and a starry sky providing atmosphere. Also on offer are
computer games and a 1475 Bible printed in Augsburg by a student of Johann Gutenberg.
The museum opens January 31 in Stuttgart, Germany.
http://www.foxnews.com/news/wires2/0130/n_ap_0130_207.sml
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NEW SITE OF DEAD SEA SCROLL SECT
(Source: AP/FOX NEWS 1/26/98)
An Israeli archaeologist says a cluster of stone huts he unearthed in the Judean
hills is a settlement of Essenes -- the scholar-monks who wrote the Dead Sea
Scrolls. Yizhar Hirschfeld's findings are being hotly contested by scholars who
uphold the traditional view: that the Essenes were based at Qumran, near the
caves where the 2,000-year-old scriptures were found. Hirschfeld, of HEBREW UNIVERSITY,
told reporters on a tour that about 25 members of the sect lived in cells made
of limestone boulders shoved together to make cave-like rooms big enough for
one. A communal kitchen and a large ritual bath were nearby. Hirschfeld said
there is a striking similarity between the Essenes community and the monasteries
set up later by the Byzantine Christians, an indication that early Christianity
may have grown out of or copied the Essene movement. He also argues there is
no evidence to support the traditional view that Qumran was the primary site
of the Essenes, even though most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found in caves
near Qumran. He contends that Qumran -- 20 miles from Ein Gedi -- was a fortified
manor house and not the scholarly home of the sect who wrote the ancient scriptures.
But other scholars disagree. Adolfo Roitman, director of the ISRAEL MUSEUM'S
Shrine of the Book, which cares for a number of key Dead Sea Scrolls, said there
was no evidence to support the argument that the Ein Gedi site was occupied by
the Essenes. Roitman and other scholars note that the Qumran site was more likely
the Essene's home base because of its size, the number of ritual baths, the presence
of a large cemetery and other physical evidence.
http://www.foxnews.com/news/wires2/0126/n_ap_0126_189.sml
http://www.sol.no/israel-miff/ark.html
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ARCHEOLOGY GOES DIGITAL
(Source: EUREKALERT, 1/27/98)
A unique new CD-ROM full of scholarly detail and general information about North
Carolina's Occaneechi Indians could change academic publications in archaeology
forever. "Excavating Occaneechi Town: Archaeology of an Eighteenth-Century
Indian Village in North Carolina" from THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
details the archaeological discoveries made at the 18th century Occaneechi Indian
village in Hillsborough. The CD-ROM includes historical background, a breakdown
of the quarter-acre site by 10-foot squares, maps, videos, hypertext links to
bibliographic references, sophisticated navigation and search tools, a copious
listing of 100,000 artifacts and more than 1,000 color illustrations. While the
disc lists enough pottery, stone tools and shell ornaments to satisfy an archaeologist's
need for detail, it also is a teaching tool. Thanks to the "electronic dig" feature,
a student can simulate an archaeological excavation by clicking, or "digging," through
photographs and diagrams of the site right into the pits where artifacts are
frequently found. From the CD-ROM the layman can glean a brief history of the
Occaneechi, who arrived in Hillsborough after being driven out of Clarksville,
Va., in 1676. An archaeology primer provides video explanations of archaeological
techniques.
http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/unch-arcdru.html
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DEEP BLUE'S NEW JOB
(Source: REUTERS, 2/4/98)
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. (IBM) has gone from chess games to war
games. The computer company said Tuesday the successor to Deep Blue, the computer
that defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov, will be used to check up on
the health of the country's nuclear arsenal. IBM said it reached a contract with
the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY to develop high-speed switching technology that will
simulate the impact of fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters on the
U.S. nuclear stockpile. The technology is expected to appear in a prototype in
the year 2001. Plans call for the new, high-powered version of its RS/6000 SP
line to perform 30 trillion to 100 trillion calculations per second, or up to
100 times today's computing power.
http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/980204/odd/stories/computers_1.html
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QVC GOES INTO ORBIT
(Source: BBC NEWS, 2/8/98)
Cosmonauts on the Russian space station, Mir, have taken part in a live television
link-up with an American home shopping channel. Viewers watched the cosmonauts
demonstrate a pen designed to work in zero gravity, promote samples of meteorite
and show off a space suit on offer for $25,000. The live link-up with THE QVC
CHANNEL was part of efforts by the Russian space program to supplement its income
with money from commercial sources. The shopping channel has not said how much
it paid the Russian space program for the show but this is the latest in what
could be an increasing number of commercial ventures for Mir. Recently, the head
of the Russian space program said the space station would now regularly be used
to carry advertisements. The correspondent says Russia's beleaguered space program
could yet be saved by cooperation with the finest traditions of American capitalism.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_54000/54512.stm
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VIDEO TERMINALS NO RISK
(Source: REUTERS, 1/9/98)
Women who work at computer terminals do not have any higher risk of giving birth
prematurely than other women, government researchers said. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE
FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (NIOSH) said a three-year study of 2,400 telephone
operators showed no differences in the rate of premature births between those
who worked with video display terminals (VDTs) and those who did not. "NIOSH's
landmark findings have helped alleviate many concerns and uncertainties once
raised about working with VDTs," NIOSH director Dr. Linda Rosenstock said
in a statement. NIOSH researchers earlier said VDT workers did not have a higher
risk of miscarriages, either. Several studies published in the 1980s indicated
pregnant women might be at risk from working with computer terminals, but results
were mixed. U.S. and British government studies have since given computer displays
the all-clear.
http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/980109/tech/stories/health_1.html
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MOBILE PHONES IRRITATING FRENCH
(Source: REUTERS, 1/23/98)
The French are fed up with mobile telephones disturbing them in public places
and 57 percent of them want a law passed to regulate use of the phones, a recent
opinion poll showed. The survey published by LE PARISIEN NEWSPAPER cited the
case of a university professor who recorded that a recent hour-long lecture he
gave was interrupted 37 times by students' telephones. The French most wanted
use of mobile phones regulated were: places of entertainment, restaurants, sports
fields, public transport, private cars, on beaches, in business meetings and
on cafe terraces.
http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/980123/odd/stories/mobiles_1.html
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NEW WAVE FORECASTING SYSTEM
(Source: EUREKALERT, 1/17/98)
With El Nino threatening more frequent and more severe storms, safe harbors will
be especially appreciated. But since waves can affect ports too, only optimally
situated and designed ports will provide the safety sought. With a new wave-forecasting
system, less than perfect ports will now be alerted to boat-crunching waves well
in advance. Developed at the TECHNION-ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, the new
system, called "Sea 21," could eliminate the millions of dollars in
damage storms in ports cause in wreckage of commercial vessels, pleasure boats,
harbor facilities and cargo. By correlating a vast array of meteorological data
with the size, shape and location of a port, the system gives harbor masters
the 48-hours notice they need to sound an alert and position vessels out of harm's
way.
http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/sea21waveforecst.html
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MICROCHIPS TRACK LOST PETS
(Source: REUTERS, 1/15/98)
The city of Los Angeles wants to help find Fido by implanting a microchip under
its skin. It will do the same thing for your cat. The council approved a pilot
scheme to implant tiny identification microchips to be placed between the shoulders
of a cat or dog adopted from one of the city's pet shelters. The city will recover
the cost of the chips by raising shelter adoption fees from $74 to $89 for dogs
and from $50 to $65 for cats. The city council voted 13-1 to adopt the two-year
pilot program under which any pet adopted from a city shelter would have the
microchip implanted in the skin giving details of its owner. If the animal got
lost and was picked up by the city, it could be scanned, like groceries at the
supermarket, and the owner located. "We do hope to increase (the return)
of owned pets to their owners and to cut down on euthanasia and the heartbreak
of somebody coming too late to pick up their pet and finding it's already been
adopted by someone else or that it's been euthanized," said Sharon Morris,
interim manager of the city's Animal Services.
http://www.yahoo.com/headlines/980115/tech/stories/pets_1.html
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WHERE EAGLES FLY
(Source: BBC NEWS, 12/18/97)
It is the ultimate in aerial photography -- stunning views over the Italian Alps,
filmed quite literally on the wings of an eagle. It has been made possible by
a 12-year-old golden eagle called Kintyre. The bird has been trained for a BBC
documentary to carry a camera and a transmitter as it soars over the Alps. The
result is some of the most remarkable wildlife footage ever taken.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_40000/40406.stm
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"BATMAN & ROBIN" LEADS RAZZIE NOMINEES
(Source: CNN ONLINE....)
On the eve of the Oscar nominations, the crime-fighting saga "Batman & Robin" was
picked to lead dis-honors with 11 nods for Hollywood's annual Bronx cheer for
the worst in motion pictures -- the Razzie Awards. "Speed 2: Cruise Control" was
in second place for GOLDEN RASPBERRY FOUNDATION prizes announced Monday with
eight nominations, followed by "Anaconda" with six, "The Postman" with
five and "Fire Down Below" with four.
Worst actor nominees were Kevin Costner for "The Postman," Val Kilmer
for "The Saint," Shaquille O'Neal for "Steel," Steven Seagal
for "Fire Down Below" and Jon Voight for "Anaconda." Worst
actress nods included Sandra Bullock for "Speed 2: Cruise Control," Fran
Drescher for "Beautician & The Beast," Lauren Holly for performances
in two movies -- "A Smile Like Yours" and "Turbulence," Alicia
Silverstone for "Excess Baggage" and Demi Moore for "G.I. Jane." Silverstone
and Voight are also nominees in the worst supporting categories -- she for her
rubber-suited Bat Girl in "Batman & Robin" and he for both "Most
Wanted" and "U-Turn."
Winners for the 18th annual spoof of the Academy Awards will be announced March
22, the day before the Oscars, during an irreverent celebration at the HOLLYWOOD
ROOSEVELT HOTEL, site of the very first Academy Awards. Winners never show up
to collect the gold-painted, golf-ball sized plastic raspberry atop a film canister.
Organizer John Wilson said it's worth about $2.29. Razzie nominations were determined
by 487 Foundation members, who are industry workers, journalists and moviegoers
throughout 35 U.S. states and eight foreign countries.
http://cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9802/09/oscars.razzies.ap/
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MAJOR INTERNET RESOURCES:
THE NEURAL SURFER:
http://www.mtsac.edu/~dlane/index.html
Every now and then, a website shows up that is truly an inspiration to behold.
According to THE NEURAL SURFER'S home page, the alternately thoughtful, scholarly,
and irreverent website deals with Shabd Yoga, ECKANKAR, MSIA, Da Free John, cults,
consciousness studies, Ken Wilber, Deepak Chopra, Sathya Sai Baba, Mysticism,
the development of new religious movements in North America, Indian and American
gurus, eastern and western philosophy, neuroscience, quantum mechanics, parapsychology,
ethics, theosophy, Radhasoami, and the original works of Paul O'Brien. It contains
access to professor David Christopher Lane's course outlines in "Introduction
to Major World Religions", "Introduction to Sociology", and "Introduction
to Philosophy" (Spring Semester 1996: MSAC). Additionally, it houses online
versions of books, journals and pamphlets published by the MT. SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE
PHILOSOPHY GROUP in Walnut, California. In the future, the website also plans
to carry several new magazines, developed exclusively for THE NEURAL SURFER,
which analyze important books and articles related to the above mentioned subject
areas.
That's a mouthful. But it's worth a trip -- and a bookmark. Here are
a couple "no-holds-bared" sections
to wet your appetite:
THE NEURAL SURFER'S TOP SEVEN LIST OF "SCUM BAG" GURUS:
http://www.mtsac.edu/~dlane/gurumay.html
TEPPO-VENN'S LIST OF "NICE-GUY" GURUS:
http://www.mtsac.edu/~dlane/niceguru.html
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LIVING ENRICHMENT CENTER (L.E.C.)
DAILY INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGES:
http://www.lecworld.org/signup.htm
THE LIVING ENRICHMENT CENTER now offers two inspirational messages every day.
You can sign up for one or both of them. You can also sign up a friend. The two
messages services are: "Mary's Daily Message", which is a message from
Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey, the minister of L.E.C. The second message is called "Inspirational
Quotations" and comes from people such as Dr. Wayne Dyer, Kahlil Gibran,
Mary Manin Morrissey, Dr. Gerald G. Jampolsky, Alan Cohen, Deepak Chopra, Viktor
E. Frankl , Emmet Fox and others, as well as quotes from the great books such
as The Bible, The Upanishads and "Buddha's Little Instruction Book".
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IN SEARCH OF THE PROMISED LAND:
TRIAL BY FIRE
By David Sunfellow
Jean Houston was once asked if a truly spiritual person would always be happy.
She answered, "Some of the most spiritually inclined people I know have
been utterly despairing... I have never known a being of depth who has not undergone
some sizable suffering."
Trials, often very long, painful, and brutal ones, are an inescapable part of
the true spiritual path. And those of us who expect to give the most to others,
and grow the most ourselves, can expect to be pruned, poked, hounded, and generally
roughed up on a fairly constant basis -- at least in the beginning, and in the
middle, of our spiritual journey.
According to Houston, "All the great myths portray suffering,
and wounding is at the heart of them. Christ must have his crucifixion.
Otherwise, no upsy-daisy!
He becomes just an interesting teacher without crucifixion. Dionysus must be
childish and attract titanic enemies. Prometheus must steal fire from heaven
and have his liver eaten out. Jacob gets boils. Adam loses his rib. Odin trades
his eye for wisdom. Every story has, at its core, extraordinary wounding, suffering.
Every one. The Buddha becomes almost a dead corpse and almost destroys himself
before he wakes. Jesus is in agony on the cross. Enlightened suffering."
Houston, of course, is not alone in acknowledging the vital role that
suffering
plays in human development. Carl Jung declared, "There is no birth of consciousness
without pain." The source from the Ray Stanford readings went even further:
"Remember, when one seeks and begins the path toward reality, there is a
good deal of suffering to be accepted with it. When you find those sources that
constantly tell you that suffering is not necessary, that the way is a totally
positive one, that there is no suffering, ask them, 'Then why did the Lord suffer;
are you better than He?' All must suffer in the valley of sorrows until the heights
are reached, and even then there is an occasional slip and fall back into the
valley itself."
Because of the nature of my work, I hear from people all the time who are struggling.
And so am I. We battle, on the one hand, with our own weaknesses, insecurities
and imperfections. And, on the other hand, we battle with others, with the world,
with old ways of thinking and acting. Are the struggles you and I face today
any different from the struggles of our ancestors, or other spiritual seekers
from other ages? Houston believes they are:
"Look back at the lives of your great-great-great-great grandma and grandpa
500 years ago. They knew who they were! They may not have lived very long or
had much to eat, but they knew kinship, fellowship. They didn't have to ask the
kinds of questions we're asking today... They were, reasonably, much happier
than we are. But they did not have this incredible exposure. In pictures of faces
in the 12th and 13th centuries we don't see faces haunted by the despair or suffering
that we see in twentieth-century faces. It's because we are so wounded."
Why are we so wounded? Because for the first time in human history,
our eyes are beginning to open. Inundated with information, discoveries,
and revelations,
we are not only seeing the deep, twisted, glorious and turbulent nature of our
own psychology with ever-increasing clarity, but we are also connecting with
other wounded human beings, and cultures, all over the world. Houston believes
this development is profoundly important. It is, she says, "the most critical
place and time in human history." According to Houston, "the whole
spiritual template of the world is moving to greater complexities, to consciousness,
and we are about to become the gods that we used to write about. Not The God,
though we are diaphanous to that, too, but the gods... What used to be mythical
is now becoming existential."
Those of us who are on the cutting-edge of this new phase in human
expression
often have the greatest struggles -- "Our heads," I often say, "go
through the wall first." And once we've cleared the way, others follow,
paving and expanding the new path we've opened up. One of my great interests,
and one of the primary goals of NHNE, is to make this passage from the old world
to the new one as easy and graceful as possible by building a network of like-minded
people who can share struggles, compare notes and pool resources.
Many of you have probably noticed that my communications have been increasingly
personal. I've felt a need to share more of myself with all of you because I
believe the ultimate success of NHNE -- and, indeed, the ultimate happiness and
fulfillment of many of us -- depends on people like you and I really opening
up to one another. In the near future, I will be sharing an autobiographical
website I have put together that will give those of you who are interested a
deeper look at my life, experiences, and lessons. In the meantime, I wanted to
tell you a little bit about what I've been wrestling with lately.
Publicly, I've been doing everything I can think of to keep NHNE alive.
Privately,
I've been seriously thinking of walking away from NHNE and "getting a regular
job." Along with free-falling into debt, and subjecting my family and children
to years of financial hardship, I have also felt overwhelmed and intimidated.
The idea of creating a global network of spiritual seekers that can seriously
explore the nature of our existence, as well as the turbulent times in which
we live, is a herculean task. Not only have I felt personally inadequate for
such a task, but I have repeatedly wondered if NHNE's constant financial struggles
were a sign it wasn't meant to be. Other people and organizations, with more
money, resources, and business-world know-how, often seem better equiped than
me, and the rag-tag network of spiritual seekers that presently make up NHNE.
Thoughts like these have caused me to repeatedly reach for the eject button.
But try as I have to walk away from NHNE, something won't let me.
A couple weeks ago, I saw "Good Will Hunting". While watching the movie,
I was struck by numerous themes, but left with two, in particular, chewing on
me. One theme was "Will's" (the central character in the movie) struggle
to overcome the hurts, and defense mechanisms of his childhood, so he could give,
and receive, real love from other human beings. And the other theme was of a
human being having a gift to offer the world and searching for ways to disown
it; to blend into the normal culture because expressing his unique gift in the
normal culture was too difficult.
Both themes struck close to home. I left that movie thinking whatever the cost,
I've got to keep pealing away the hurts that separate me from others -- and,
come hell or high water, I'm going to find a way to share whatever gifts I have
with whomever is interested, and not chicken out.
But a few days later, after more calls from credit card companies, telephone
and power company disconnect notices, basic needs going unmet, and emotionally-charged
discussions with my ex-wife concerning my financial ineptitude, I began feeling
around for that eject button again. About this time, a job opportunity came up
to work for a local Internet Provider in tech support. Coincidentally, I had
just received word that THE NEW EARTH FOUNDATION had reacted favorably to the
NHNE proposal, but it would be at least another month (that's an eternity for
people living on the edge like I have been) before any potential grant money
would be coming through the pipes.
Should I abandon NHNE, or hang on a little longer?
I tried incubating a dream (http://www.nhne.com/visionquests.html), but couldn't
remember any when I woke up in the morning. So I pulled out the NHNE VisionQuest
Game (http://www.nhne.com/vqghomepage.html) and drew a card. "Should I take
the job with the local provider?" I asked. The beads directed me to the "Virtues & Vices" card
deck and "Loyal" was the card I pulled:
"Loyal: 1. Steadfast in allegiance to one's homeland, government, or sovereign.
2. Faithful to a person, an ideal, a custom, a cause, or a duty. 3. Of, relating
to, or marked by loyalty."
In the course of our lives, I believe there are many times when it is necessary
to let go of failed dreams and move on. And then there are times to hang in there,
and keep plugging away no matter what the obstacles are that stand in our way.
So far, NHNE appears to be one dream I am supposed to keep alive. And in searching
for the strength to keep going, I was reminded of two recent dreams:
The first dream involved a marathon race and a small, unassuming Hopi Indian.
As all the runners gathered together at the beginning of the race, I noticed
how out-matched the small Indian was. He competitors were larger, stronger, better-trained,
and more experienced. They had professional trainers, support vehicles, high-tech
running shoes, and flashy track suits. But I knew the simple Hopi would win the
race because he had a pure heart.
I felt this dream was speaking to my insecurities, reminding me that I could
overcome the odds that are arrayed against me, if I kept my heart pure and did
my best to go where Spirit directed.
The second dream involved me watching all of my long-term friends (people I have
known over 20 years), end up in magical situations where they were doing what
they loved and making all the money they needed to meet their needs. Having watched
these dear friends struggle like I have for decades to make their dreams come
true, I was amazed to see ALL OF THEM finally ending up in deeply fulfilling
situations at the same time. I woke up happy, hoping their success was an indication
that mine was at hand as well.
"Hope," as the saying goes, "springs eternal." My hope for
all of us is that we each cling to whatever vision God has placed in our hearts.
It is a given that we will fall down, make mistakes, lose battles, have to retreat
and make adjustments, but losing the war shouldn't be an option. Every one of
us, without exception, should be committed to crossing the finish line and helping
as many others as possible do the same. Jean Houston once declared, "These
are the times and we are the people who must act." I hope you and I will
answer this call by doing our best to manifest our callings, sharing our discoveries
and experiences with one another, and shoring one another up in times of tribulation.
Working together, the new world we all dream about will one day become a reality.
With Love & Best Wishes,
David Sunfellow
------------
FRESH ENERGIES AFOOT
(A recent letter from Bob Manrodt)
Sunday, February 8, 1998
Hello David,
There seem to be fresh energies afoot, even major energies, for you as well as
for me. As a dear friend and important connection in this grand play on planet
Earth, I thought I'd update you a bit on what's happening in my life.
The last few years have seen some real trials -- illnesses (including lyme disease),
disappointments, setbacks and financial lack -- but there has also been deliberate
moving forward. I have made precious and valuable connections and communications
with folks both locally and globally. For me, the network is lighting up.
Recently, I was hired as project coordinator for PENNSYLVANIA MENTAL
HEALTH CONSUMER ASSOCIATION (PMHCA). I had been a board member of this
organization for the past
two years. Generally speaking, the group is dedicated to promoting awareness,
human rights and dignity for those who have been through the mental health system.
One of my tasks is to coordinate the "Telling Our Stories" project.
We have professional video equipment and are interested in interviewing and archiving
personal stories of mental health consumer/survivors. We will be making targeted
videos using these first-person accounts. Another project I am involved in is
our "Alternatives Workgroup". Dr. John Weir Perry, the famed-director
of DIABASIS HOUSE, is a member of our group. DIABASIS HOUSE was a model residential
center in San Francisco in the early '70's for young schizophrenics. No drugs
were used. People were allowed to go through their experience to completion or
transcendence.
The work I am doing now is awesome for me. For the first time in my life, I feel
I am able to use my diverse abilities together in a whole way, a way that is
in deep alignment with my visions. I have done my best to be true to my visions
for many years. Here and there I have had pieces of experience. Finally, I feel
the pieces have assembled in a new and synergetic way. I am able to make my living
doing what I love!
Love, Bobby
Bob Manrodt
bobby2@mindspring.com
http://www.well.com/user/bobby/
------------
NO GUTS, NO GLORY
There was once a man who:
Failed in business at age 21.
Was defeated in a legislative race at age 22.
Failed again in business at age 24.
His sweetheart died at age 26.
Had a nervous breakdown at age 27.
Lost a congressional race at age 34.
Lost a senatorial race at age 45.
Failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47.
Lost a senatorial race at age 49.
Was elected president of the United States at age 52.
What do you see here? Many people would see 31 years of failure and wonder how
this guy could go on. Successful people only see the goals and they use each
so called failure as a learning experience. Abraham Lincoln was that type of
person.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
"THE INVITATION"
May 1994,
Oriah Mountain Dreamer,
Indian Elder
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache
for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking
like a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if
you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's
betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want
to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it
or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with JOY, mine or your own; if you can dance with
wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without
cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, or to remember the limitations of
being a human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know
if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself, if you can bear the accusation
of betrayal and not betray your own soul. I want to know if you can be faithful
and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty even when it is not pretty everyday and
if you can source your life from IT'S presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still
stand
on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "YES!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want
to know if you can get up after a night of grief and despair, weary and bruised
to the bone, and do what needs to be done for the children.
It doesn't interest me who you are, how you came to be here. I want to know if
you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to
know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away. I want to know
if you can be alone with yourself, and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.
------------
"The Invitation" by Oriah Mountain Dreamer
is available on the Web at a number of locations:
http://www.io.com/~rga/saying72.html
ttp://www.idiom.com/~mcneel/invitatn.html
http://www.ckcreative.com/oriah.htm
http://www.io.org/~wwalker/poetry/omdinvit.html
http://redfrog.norconnect.no/~poems/poems/02755.html
Oriah Mountain Dreamer,
Confessions of a Spiritual Thrillseeker
Toronto: Moonfox Press
Oriah can be reached at:
300 Coxwell Ave. Box 22546
Toronto, Ontario Canada M4L 2A0
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
TERRORIST TREES
(Thanks to Sandy Ezrine for sending this to NHNE)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: THE TREES
StoP tHE LogGINg oR wE WiLl coNtInUE To KIll oNe CeleBrITY EacH WeEK.
TheRe ARe nO SkIinG "aCciDenTS".
------------
PHONE CALL TO GOD
(Thanks to Einiyah ben-Elyon for sending this to NHNE)
The Chief Rabbi of Israel and the Pope are in a meeting in Rome. The Rabbi notices
an unusually fancy phone on a side table in the Pope's private chambers.
"What is that phone for?" he asks the pontiff.
"It's my direct line to the Lord!"
The Rabbi is skeptical, and the Pope notices. The Holy Father insists that the
Rabbi try it out, and, indeed, he is connected to the Lord. The Rabbi holds a
lengthy discussion with Him.
After hanging up the Rabbi says. "Thank you very much. This is great! But
listen, I want to pay for my phone charges." The Pope, of course refuses,
but the Rabbi is steadfast and finally, the pontiff gives in.
He checks the counter on the phone and says: "All right! The charges
were
100,000 Lira."
The Chief Rabbi gladly hands over a packet of bills.
A few months later, the Pope is in Jerusalem on an official visit. In the Chief
Rabbi's chambers he sees a phone identical to his and learns it also is a direct
line to the Lord. The Pope remembers he has an urgent matter that requires divine
consultation and asks if he can use the Rabbi's phone. The Rabbi gladly agrees,
hands him the phone, and the Pope chats away.
After hanging up, the Pope offers to pay for the phone charges. The
Rabbi looks
on the phone counter and says, "1 Shekel 50!"
The Pope looks surprised, "Why so cheap!"
The Rabbi smiles, "Local call."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
NHNE
MISSION STATEMENT, CREDITS & CONTACT INFORMATION
The
mission of NewHeavenNewEarth (NHNE) is to answer humankind's oldest,
most perplexing questions: Who are we? Where are we from? What is
the origin and purpose of life? Instead of relying on ancient or
contemporary wisdom, or the knowledge of isolated experts, we are
building a global network of seekers from all walks of life, from
all parts of the world, lay people and professionals alike, that
can pool talents, experience, and resources to unravel life's great
mysteries.
We
also believe that our planet is passing through a time of profound
change and are seeking to create a global community of like-minded
people that can safely pass through whatever changes may come our
way and help give birth to a new way of life on our planet.
------------
NewHeavenNewEarth
(NHNE)
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization
P.O. Box 2242
Sedona, AZ USA 86339
eMail:
nhne@nhne.com
NHNE Website: http://www.nhne.com/
Phone: (928) 282-6120
Fax: (815) 346-1492
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