Virginia Chase Sutton loves to travel and has recently returned from her third trip to Buenos Aires, a place she considers as her second home. She collects vintage hats, evening bags and costume jewelry, and shops at second hand stores and yard sales. She has published two books of poetry: “Embellishments” (Chatoyant) and “What Brings You To Del Amo” which won the Morse Poetry Prize. She has been the Louis Untermeyer Scholar in Poetry at Bread Loaf and won the National Poet Hun. Her poems have appeared in “Paris Review” and “Ploughshares” among many other literary publications, journals and anthologies. Her MFA is from Vermont College of Fine Arts and she lives in Tempe, Arizona.

We invite you to con­nect with Virginia.

• Tiferet Mem­ber Profile
• Personal Website
• Books: Links listed above
• LinkedIn
• Face­book

The word that keeps playing over and over in my mind is “Avalokiteshvara.” I know, it’s a mouthful. So here it is, broken down a bit: Ava-lo-keet-esh-vara. In Mahayana Buddhism, this is the name of “The Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion.” But I need to back up a little and explain what I’ve been up to in recent weeks.

About a month ago, I decided to begin work on a new book, aimed at synthesizing three great spiritual-philosophical traditions: Judaism, Buddhism, and Stoicism. (Yes, some would prefer the term “religion” for at least the first two, but that’s a discussion for another time). My original title for the book was a contraction of the three words—hence, “JuBuSto”—but I later settled on the more mellifluous title, “The Three-Petalled Rose”. The idea grew out of my growing conviction that Judaism, Buddhism, and Stoicism share many features, and lead to a common path of spiritual and ethical development. Of course, there are important differences that distinguish the three, and in some cases, may even render them incompatible.

But the word that kept resonating in my mind—Avalokiteshvara—was telling me otherwise. Avalokiteshvara was telling me that the three petals of the rose are joined in a corolla of compassion. In simple terms, kindness and compassion are core features of all three traditions. You can leave out all the fancy theology and metaphysics and do very well as a Jew, a Buddhist, or a Stoic by living a life of compassion, tempered by reason. (For that matter, one could make a similar claim for the other major faiths: Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam). As the Tibetan Buddhist monk, Chagdud Tulku, observed: of the 84,000 methods taught by the Buddha, they all “…came down to the essential point of good-heartedness.”

And so, I keep hearing that name: Ava-lo-keet-esh-vara . But do we know anything about this personage? In Sanskrit, the name “Avalokiteshvara” is translated in several ways – for example, as “The One Who Hears the Cries of the World”; “The Lord Who Looks Down”; and “The Lord Who Looks in Every Direction.” Sometimes, Avalokiteshvara is represented as male, sometimes as female; and sometimes, with both male and female features. As I mentioned, “he” (if I may oversimplify) is a bodhisattva. In the Mahayana branch of Buddhism, a bodhisattva is one who is on the path to enlightenment, but who foregoes complete enlightenment in order to help all other beings attain this state. Among these awakened beings, Avaloketsehvara is especially renowned for compassion (in Sanskrit, karuna) and understanding.

So what does all this Buddhist lore have to do with Judaism and Stoicism? I believe that, like Buddhism, both Judaism and Stoicism place kindness and compassion at the forefront of the spiritual quest. In the Talmudic and rabbinical tradition, for example, we are told that “The world stands on three things—Torah, sacred service, and the practice of loving-kindness” (Pirke Avot, 1:2). Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel once defined the religious person as one “…whose greatest passion is compassion.” He also remarked, “When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.” As I enter my sixth decade, I can easily identify with that!

But what about Stoicism? In my experience, many people who hear the word “stoic” think of some character on “Masterpiece Theater,” showing us his “stiff upper lip” and tamping down his anger or sorrow. Those of my generation might think of Star Trek’s cerebral Mr. Spock, extolling the virtues of logic and disparaging “displays of human emotion.” But these are caricatures of what is actually a deeply spiritual philosophy. Fundamentally, Stoicism entails living in harmony with the Universe, Nature’s laws, and with the rational principle that is said to govern the world at large—sometimes known as the Logos.

The Stoic ideal is not the complete absence of emotion, but rather, the modulation of emotion, such that we can enjoy life without undue distress—what we might call a state of “equanimity.” And there is a strong kinship between Stoic values and those represented by our friend, Avalokiteshvara. The Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius (121–180 CE) put it this way: “A man’s joy is to do what is proper to man; and man’s proper work is kindness to his fellow man.” The Stoic way was one of benevolent action, in accordance with reason. Another Roman sage, Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4 BCE-65 CE), expressed this idea in a moving essay on “hatred.” Seneca wrote,

“Hatred is not only a vice, but a vice which goes point-blank against Nature. Hatred divides instead of joining, and frustrates God’s will in human society. One man is born to help another. Hatred makes us destroy one another. Love unites—hatred separates…it is not hatred, but mutual love that holds all mankind together.”

And so, I think I understand why I keep hearing those odd-sounding syllables: Ava-lo-keet-esh-vara. These sounds carry with them the universal message of compassion and kindness. And compassion is at the very heart of the three-petalled rose.

For further reading:
A.A. Long: Stoic Studies. University of California Press, 1996.
C. Davis: Greek and Roman Stoicism. Herbert B. Turner & Co., 1903.
Thich Nhat Hanh: The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching. Broadway Books, 1998.
Chagdud Tulku: Gates to Buddhist Practice. Padma Publishing, 1993.
Ronald Pies: Becoming a Mensch. Hamilton Books, 2011.
Ronald Pies: Everything Has Two Handles. Hamilton Books, 2008.
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/sects.htm
Acknowledgment: I have also relied on lecture notes from Prof. Stephen Prothero, Boston University [The Modern Scholar: Religions of the East: Paths to Enlightenment]

Anthony Lawlor is an architect and author who explores the relationship between spirit and matter through design. His books include THE TEMPLE IN THE HOUSE, A HOME FOR THE SOUL and 24 PATTERNS OF WISDOM. During 30 years of architectural practice, Anthony has received awards for excellence in design from the American Institute of Architects and Interior Design Magazine. Anthony’s film The Living Temple offers a video journey through world sacred places. His work has been featured on Oprah, National Public Radio and numerous other national media. Anthony lectures and teaches workshops internationally on consciousness in design He is based in Marin County, California, USA.

We invite you to con­nect with Anthony and read some of his posts on Tiferet. **Note: Tiferet has offered classes with Anthony before and we plan to do so in the future.  We invite you to join Anthony’s future classes.**

• Tiferet Mem­ber Profile
• Personal Website
• Books: Links listed above
• Twit­ter
• Face­book

1. Login here: http://tiferetjournal.com/wp-login.php
2. Under the “My Account” option that shows at the top of the screen you will choose “Profile” and then select “Public”
3. Once you click on “Public” you will be taken to a new page and the unique URL for your profile will be in your website browser bar.  Click here to see mine as an example. Your user name will show in the URL where mine shows “michellemangen”.

Taking the First Step

We have completed the end of an era and we are beginning on a new road of light and awakening. We all have a part to play in bringing a greater spiritual consciousness to our world. The intentions of awakening were laid down long before our births in the illuminating light of unity and the completion will be known by our children’s children. Breathe in this new dawn and let it fill you with Love, Hope and Courage as we emerge from the darkness.

Let us begin our walk from the darkness with an understanding of our rhythms and long-term spiritual development. We have within us the most effective monitor of our rhythms. Our heartbeats reflect our life’s rhythms and cycles. Our first step is to develop an orderly discipline and practice in our day to listen to our heartbeat and rhythm, hearing the message of this moment. In that way we bring our being into perfect and proper order.

As we learn how to live in harmony with the rising and falling energies of our lives, we flow with the ups, downs, ins and outs to progress toward our goal of spiritual maturity. Now, carefully study your inner relationship with the outer world, see how your inner states are projected onto the screen of life. As we develop universal unity and love in our being, our values shift to be more in alignment with the greater cosmic order.

Our being is connected to all the beings of the world. As we change ourselves, we change the world we know. In this way we introduce our seeds of truth into the earth, with our new found inner and outer relationship, and transform her. We are here to embody the highest good and bring it into the greater whole.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, but not in a sacrificial way. We contribute more in the manner of the greater good enhancing all individuals along the way, so not one part gains more than the others. Always there is balance and movement forward within each of us and our world.

As we advance in our spiritual maturity we contribute beyond just this physical world, we contribute to the universal consciousness. Awakening comes as a realization that there is a higher dimension of reality with which we are connected to and this higher dimension is a universal consciousness of unity & oneness.

The new road is bright and shining with cooperation. It may be a long road, yet as we help each other we will advance to a new way of being. Now is the time to take the first step.

David Bennett
DharmaTalks on Facebook & Twitter
VoyageOfPurpose.com

We strongly urge you to read other TIFERET blogs prior to posting to insure that you are reaching your intended audience. We will not publish rants, infomercials, advertorials or press releases. Please be mindful that your post has relevance to a diverse spiritual community.

We look for bloggers who will be regular posters.

Please review the guidelines below prior to posting.

How to submit:

First, sign in as a free or patron member on the site. Your photo and bio will appear on your membership profile and be attached to your blog post. If your membership profile is missing a photo, bio or social media links you can learn how to maximize your member profile here.

You can find other “getting started” tips on this post.

To add your blog post go here: http://tiferetjournal.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

At the top of the page (once you are logged in) you will see a gray toolbar. Go to “Dashboard” and  select “New Post” from the drop down menu.Formatting Guidelines:

• Enter the title and the content of your blog post.  Please do not use ALL CAPS in your blog title.If you are copying and pasting from a Word document please use the “Word” option shown in the screenshot below.
• Only one space between paragraphs
• Use only black text (bold and italics are acceptable when used sparingly)
• Review your work for typos & other errors prior to finalizing your submission

This is not necessary, but if you are familiar and comfortable with this: include a focus keyword and SEO Title information to make your blog post more searchable for the search engines.

Check off one to three categories that are relevant to your post so that our readers can find your post by its content.

Add any tags you wish to and then submit.  It’s that easy. If you face problems, please send your blog post to editors@tiferetjournal.com requesting help.

How we select blogs to publish:

Your work will be carefully reviewed by a staff editor or our publisher. Only well-written blogs that offer a fresh look into spirituality, writing, faith, consciousness, religious tolerance, and related topics will be accepted. High-quality writing is of prime importance to us. Proofread your work carefully before submitting.

If your work is accepted, it will appear in Member Blogs. We also regularly select stand-out blogs to feature on the home page.

If your blog is not approved, it is due to one of the following reasons: 

1. You did not follow formatting guidelines properly.
2. The topic was not relevant to TIFERET’s audience and mission.
3. The writing did not meet our editorial standards.

How you can get and keep readers:

Once your blog is published on the site, you can link to it through your own social media outlets. Be sure to share your post on Google +, your Facebook page and/or Twitter feed! Follow and respond to any comments that are posted.

In the begin­ning,
God looks into the mir­ror
of his own Spirit
and sees Christ
as the bril­liant sun.
This mir­ror is the womb
of eter­nal silence
and the Mother of God,
for even God is moth­ered
by a Spirit inside.
Now Christ looks into the mir­ror
and sees You.
You are the same reflec­tion.
You were born
of that joy!

Prema

Timeless, sublime, tonal,
Melodious sojourn into life, self.
River banks, as petal and thorn
Roll, filled by agua’s flow;
Entwining on her bed,
Know, love is. Mauna,
Silence, echoes its song;
Which no words could trace.
Thus ananda, bliss, intimates
The eternal, and details
Living shantih, peace.

If

One lived as prayer,
Their light adding
To the well of light,
Their every step in grace,
They left no footprints;
That will echo always.

grace

Feeling with your spirits hands,
See with the eye of your heart,
Hear with the ear of your soul,
And know with the body
Of life’s knowledge,
We can be prayer;
Being forever answered.

Thanx

While feeling sacred on
This All Hallow’s Day,
I also feel pangs of the
Hungry, so wrought by
The profane; for the food
Wasted by us could feed
All the world’s…. Yet,
Betwixt, in the mundane
It’s only hurled.

So

You, a joyous lake.
Me, the mountain, underground,

Which, you fill,

That holds you always.
Within and without us,
Is this love.

virtue

Were it a cause that
Opened those tiny arms,
Alighting brilliance, a smile,
As I hugged him back, then,
It could not be known.
For, this child towards
The divine leads goes.
Would it be that we say,
It is not the life;
Rather, we know?

V.E. Day

Denatured, this first,
Still, inside life’s waters rise
To Spring’s tides. We feel,
Below emotions ebbs and flows,
”…Go On“‘s vernal
Raison d’etre, to not know!

Glory

Will of life’s wind howls
There is no fear.
Being all the way live, ’til.

Ring Unbroken

The way open,
Beyond time and bone of space,
In front of nose, original face.

Illumine

Fire in the sky
And your art,
Entering my eye,

Tone

Life’s signs and meanings
Perceived by all our senses and
Being’s foci of attention, can
Divine from within and without.
That’s if our inner-eye
Isn’t clouded by false-ego,
Self-conscious self, or doubt.

Soul

As my breath is the one, prana,
And the life’s pulse, pala,
Reaching angelic source, sura,
So is this mind, manas, a
Flowering unfoldment,
Unendingly touching
The eye that would it see;
Unbeckoning unto thee.
As well, this Bodhi, a temple,
Of the four and fifth, nur,
So entered by atma, a ray of thy sun,
Thus being winged, and
As such with wind;
Flying only in dharma’s dance,
Is returning to, Brahma, you.
For, there yet, by thy grace, go I.

Heart

Like the wind moves,
Not love, nor hate,
Only everything and nothing
At all; at once.

Departed

The depth of one’s sorrow
Is the well’s fathom,
Of meanings and moments
Shared with them.

why

As acid rain from your closed eye,
An acre of rainforest falls each
Second, earth’s tears bleeding;
For, all you see is grey.

My…, social justice:

A Weaver Of Life

Happy Birthday
To a student of Christ’s and Ghandi’s.
One who had a dream that someday
We’d live in the promised land and
Took us by the hand.

Yet, we won’t get there
If you don’t break your chains,

Refusing to be a pawn in their games.
We can’t turn our back to those
Unchosen, on the outside or in,
Simply ’cause they can’t afford.

We can bring them with us, if we,
Resisting, everyday, their common
Delusions, not be a link in that chain.
The chains that keep our humanities
Growth arrested, our potentials
Unexplored; our thoughts,
Feelings, and deeds flawed.

If you don’t refuse
To be the chains that bind you,
We’ll never break the chain.
The chain that murders.
The chain of delusions.
The chain of death.

Injustices

Addressing, not addressing them
Have costs, the former is individual,
The later is global, as well.

what, when, where, how, why, who

Here it’s said the pen is mightier than the sword.

In the East, pen and sword in accord.

The latest great equalizer, multi-media,

In its ever more myriad forms, in the hands of

Media whores, has helped put the con back in the

Convolution.  One of its en vogue ‘realisms‘,

Unnecessary, unending war is all good if you

Continually win, as long as its continually whined

About, allowing cover for the supposed left

Marketeers.  Destruction to extinction are not

Profit, pleasure, power, for, clarity, is a sword

That cuts all ways, without, as there’s no cutting,

And a pointless point.  We must put down the

Sword, and pick up the pen, to be in accord.

united suck of assassins

The corporate structures convolutions

Latest increase in its blitzkrieging speed,

Dictating the gutting of the economy, in

Its devolutionary direction, warring on the

Middle-class to poor globally through

Economic attrition, unending unnecessary

War, and extermination to extinction of

Humanity, large mammals, is their ‘final

Solution’, and it must be stopped.  They

Think with spooned nose, speak with

Forked tongue, will “We,”, be undone?

C’est La Unvie

A million monarchs lie dead, though,
No less sociological programming of
Upper-middle to rich classes with
Decadence, affluence, inclusion, is.
No less societal determination of
Middle to lower, being excluded by
Division and conquering, privation.

Yet, they, on wing no more, still fly
In our spirit’s eye, heal humanities’
Heart. While their silent cry echoes
The 33,000 species extinct each year,
A rate not seen since the last ice age
Ensued; does it move you?
Does your curiosity ask why?

Will you, on this 33rd Earth Day, allow
A tear for all life’s fallen? Consider
The losses economic apartheid incurs,
Mirrored by the divide human-centricity
Has levied? Our underlying duplicitous
Disregard for life, greed and oil fueled,
Won’t abate for our existence, will you?

( For the beautiful butterflies )

YOU CAN

Talk the talk, walk the walk, and even
Be the be, but, if you don’t vote the vote,
You won’t ever be livin’ in a democracy!

“What’s Love Got To Do With It…”

They say, a rose by any other…,

Would still smell as sweet.

Every 9 seconds a woman is raped

By someone who says he loves her.

Give a real gift to sisters,

And brothers, all, reach one,

And teach one, to not be a

Link in that patriarchal chain,

Not adding to that number of

Humanities bane, not a statistic

in la machine’s game, ever;

From this Valentine’s Day on.

(For 100th anniversary of Int’l

Women’s Day, and celebrating

Women’s History Month; reality)

Copy, share, as you will!  Thanx for all you do.

reality

Introducing David Bennett

David is author of “Voyage of Purpose,” a public speaker on Television, Radio and lectures across the nation, and leader of the Upstate New York IANDS. He facilitates a sharing group for Spiritually Transformative Experiencers (STErs) and writes a regular column about STE issues for the central NY newspaper “Metaphysical Times.” Recently started writing a bi-weekly blog based on daily reflections posted on his FB fan Page DharmaTalks.

David had three transformative experiences; in 1983 he drowned and had a NDE while the Chief Engineer of the ocean research vessel Aloha. He experienced a Transformative Experiences in 1994 when he was meditating in Sedona AZ. The third experience occurred November 2000, when David was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer that metastasized into his spine causing its collapse. Now in remission and retired/disabled David’s passion includes working with experiencers and cancer survivors integrate their experiences along with writing.

We invite you to con­nect with David and read some of his posts on Tiferet.

• Tiferet Mem­ber Profile
• Dharma Talks Website
• Voyage of Purpose Website
• Book: Voyage of Purpose: Spiritual Wisdom from Near-Death back to Life
• Twit­ter
• Face­book