Women, Enlightenment and Tweeting

It takes a village.  Women's enlightenment will be inspired by the one and then many women attaining full enlightenment.  But to make the field ready, the inspiration and realization of many women working together to help each other figure out their own innate and natural power level will make a huge difference.

In my last blog, I wrote about "Miss Representation," the film (now available on Amazon and via Netflix, among other places) that is game-changing.  I then signed up to receive tweets from @representpledge.  Another game changer.  Perhaps you've been getting tweets about someone's trip to the dry cleaner or even the book they liked.  Pleasant but so what who cares.  The majority of the tweets from @representpledg are about other women and organizations networking to achieve the same goal, true gender equality and awareness of what has been going on for the last couple of thousand years, which is trash talk and the repression of women.

When you read about all the groups working together on this issue and see missrepresentation.org retweeting the information with dedication and persistence, you may bet the same underlying sense that I did:  this is going to work.

A couple of sites that I learned about through tweets that I think are of current, special interest involve teaching women to run for office.

http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/site/pages/2012Project.php

http://www.sheshouldrun.com/
 
Rutgers will assign you a coach if you are interested in working in the public service area.  Women should be running countries.  So let's get started!

MissRepresentation

I saw a screening of a brilliant film -- recommend it to all.  It's called "Miss-Representation."  The filmmaker interviewed hundreds of men and women of all ages in all walks of life, notably the media, and created an interesting, persuasive movie.  It's about how women, by misrepresentation in the media, are misrepresented to themselves and others, to the detriment of both men and women.

Here's the site:  http://www.missrepresentation.org/

Here's the DVD:  http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Representation-Cory-Booker/dp/B006GRWCF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335126285&sr=8-1

HIGHLY recommended!!  This film supports what Rama taught.

Global Women's Network

Here is a powerful video from Hillary Clinton.

The 21st century is when women will gain their full power.

http://www.aol.com/video/hillary-clinton-crusader-for-women/517284833/

Meditation Hikes in Places of Power

The power and stillness of nature, particularly in places of power on the earth, is a sacred gift that we, as meditators, can tap into.  When we meditate at a place of power (Marin Headlands in Sausalito is but one example), we are renewed!  Places of power are often millions of years old.  When we sit and meditate in such places, we can listen to the stillness.  Or the sound of the wind.  Or the waves breaking on the shore.

We approach places of power with respect.  When we hike in, we are silent, enjoying the beauty and energy of the place.  We bring our best selves on the hike  Before the hike, it's good to clean your room or home and take care of unfinished business.  Then, when you sit to meditate at a place of power, your mind can attune easily and naturally to the energy of the place, which will have its own, vibrant stillness. 


During the month of April, we are commemorating the Mahasamadhi of our American Buddhist teacher, Rama - Dr. Frederick Lenz.  Kyoto and I will be going for happy hikes up the lovely Marin Headlands trail and stopping at (slightly) off the beaten path spots to meditate.  Hope that many other meditators will join us!

Circle of Life

When Rama was teaching, haters were not well known as a concept and a reality.  Today it is understood and demonstrated in social media, tweets and comments that every well known or public person of every stripe has haters. 

It is a Buddhist teaching to love, not hate.  To respect, not dishonor. If you disagree with someone, that's fine.  If it's time to move on, move on.  Life has given you a valuable lesson. 

Mindfulness is so important.  Buddhism speaks of the three poisons -- anger, greed and jealousy.  Top three to avoid!


My teacher, Rama - Dr. Frederick Lenz, was an incarnation of love.  He was fully enlightened, immersed in nirvikalpa samadhi.  As one of my friends says, it was like standing next to Niagara Falls just to be physically near him.   So I tell folks the following:

Yup, Rama had haters.  Sorry!   Live with it!  :-)

If you'd like, listen to one of Rama's talks or read his books.   There is a clarity, humor and gentleness there that is rare to find on this planet.  Map your mind to that, and you'll be tapping the higher planes of awareness.

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