This morning we(Shem and I) were expressing appreciation of however we make love it is 'fresh', yet not too familiar and not too unfamiliar, without need of trying something 'different' or more extreme. That the act of love making is not the focus and what is wanted to supply 'satisfaction' or to 'get love', it is the vehicle of Love's expression...just as every moment is truly.

Just more consciously, it would seem, when 'love making'. I expressed how there used to be a confusion around sex in past relationships: the motivations for it, the whys and whatfors, what it 'meant', am 'I' good enough, all the insecurities involved....and about 'love', a confusion as to what 'it is'...but now there is not. 'Love Is'....what 'we are', 'I AM'....

Love sees the insecurities and desires and embraces them, awareness of their energy, but not a belief in them as 'real' or necessary...as to what applies to reality, they do not apply to Love. The act of love making is not 'needed', because Love is Here always, so if it comes to be enjoyed, it is...

My Beloved said this most simply profound thing this morning:

"Love does not get in the way of Love."

I laughed with this spark of a new twist on the phrase:

"Get out of your own way"

Whereas I had heard the emphasis on 'your' before, the primary importance being 'your' in the sentence, I heard it this way now:

get out of     'your own way'

Free yourself from 'your way'....choose Love...let Love has it's way.

It may seem paradoxical, but the more you consciously choose Love(not an image of what love is thought to be, but paying attention to the simply profound, still silent presence of your~Self, not any thought of 'who I am' or what anything is for that matter) the less you 'get in your own way'.

Love is not being then obstructed by the habitual nature of the personality...and yet it may appear still, just no real concern with it...and there is great and simple Joy. Not necessarily 'explosive' or most expansive, yet it can be, bust most importantly 'clear' and beautiful.

I read then these passages from Love Poems from God:



...and Rumi's father's(Bahauddin) the Drowned Book:


The Khotan Ceremony

I have heard of an old ceremony in Khotan, a region of China where Turk tribes settled. Men and young unmarried women---there heads uncovered and wearing disreputable clothing---would walk through the marketplace hand in hand. This is how the ritual started, with everyone drunk and dancing, passing cups of wine around. The party would straggle and stagger in before the Khan under the great mosque dome, where the women would partly disrobe, showing their breast to the men. Lovemaking began there in the open. They did things in public that we do only in private inside our homes. It was part of the annual clitorectomy initiation for the women of those tribes.

It makes me faint to imagine what came next, with the young women passed out drunk. Is God part of everything human beings do, even this? Qur'an 11:6 says, 'Every creature'....This world we watch is strange and disturbing. Here, for instance, are 'my' desires at the moment: I want a beautiful woman. I want wine, music, and laughter. I want everyone to see the sacredness of life. I want wide recognition for myself. I want my wantings intensified, and I want to feel the divine being poring through me every moment.

Answers came for this declaration. 'Watch bees sipping juice from flowers. Do that with the mystery of presence. Let your body become honey made from that sipping. We are the unlimited wine you dream of, the reviving light. As you restore that in yourself, you will find fulfillment for every pleasure you pursue.'

Drink zikr. The blessed cave-sleep of that will give you peace(18:9).


~~~~~~~~~~~~


If sex and pleasures come to be enjoyed, there is Love...if they do not, there is Love. If hardships come to be felt, Love welcomes them, embraces them...here in this Heart.

This is felt to be the essential misconception or 'flaw' in the presentation of 'the Secret' and they even went into this somewhat, but did not quite express the fullness of it:

That yes, there is a universal 'law of attraction', but not how we may 'think' it to be...that it is not about getting 'things' for 'somebody', but rather that 'where' or on 'what' we place attention energetically is what will be attracted, will be revealed, will 'show up', but not necessarily in circumstances of life, but merely in the quality of how circumstances are experienced or 'felt'.

Yet, there can be an affect on the circumstances...paying attention to 'negative' energy/thoughts, ruminating on them, can create 'negative' circumstances...paying attention to 'positive' energy/thoughts can create 'positive' circumstances, but not always either way.

Thought energy is limited...there could be really nothing 'wrong' but the mind's continued engagement with 'negative' thoughts and projections can create a sense of 'bad' experiences, an internal attracting/affect externalizing. There could be 'negative' circumstances showing up and by not paying attention to the thoughts about it, or by engaging in 'positive' affirmations, there could be a sense of 'good' experience with it and even a changing into 'positive' circumstances.

It's all relative...and ever changing, but what doesn't change is what is aware of it all, at the core and foundation of it all: 'You'...the background of all experience and circumstances of Life....the essential 'Being' of all creation....this that is simply here....without need of anything....is whole, complete....always....welcoming all, embracing all, letting all 'be', because there is no question of 'what things are or why they are here': they are essentially 'self' and not a 'they or that'....nothing in particular, yet everything.

In paying attention to 'yourself', essential nature, this that resonates through all creation, and not fixating on or about the forms of creation(the manifest world), then the forms of creation are not what they 'appear to be', they are 'known' to be Self...without need of fearing or desiring, or fearing desire, or desiring fear....without need of defining a 'somebody' that is attracted to 'something', attachments to 'experience' are unnecessary.

If there is an attention on attaining something 'for me' it comes from a sense of 'lack', separation, but when attention is on the simple 'being' of self that is All, any sense of separation points back to this truth of 'unity', of Self/Love.

Paying attention to a sense of 'lack' and a desire for something to fulfill this, may attract a momentary satisfaction, but this too shall pass. Both the desire AND the satisfaction....desire, satisfaction, desire, satisfaction....coming and going, with a belief that this is all there is to Life: the satisfying of desires.

But what is it that all these desires are 'wanting', what is it that is wanted or thought/felt will be gotten when they are satisfied? This is what is to be clarified, because it clarifies 'you' and then the usual things that are thought to be true about life, about you and what you 'should or shouldn't do/be' are not the 'deciding factors' that shape the experience of life and how it unfolds, or the sense of self, anymore. Yet, they are not ignored either...just not believed to be 'reality' or responded to in a known or conditioned way perhaps.

Self does not pass...Love is always here...let Love have it's way.

Paying attention to what doesn't pass fulfills every moment.

What comes of this is, what circumstances unfold, is unknown...the mind's definitions may continue to categorize, evaluate, compare and have preference, but this is irrelevant in the Light of true Beingness that is the Love of Heart, of Home, of Self....of You.

Not the mind's definition of 'who you/we are', but the essential reality 'You/We' that is unconditional Love.

Love, Peace and Hugs, You

Please review this website and, if you feel to, support the efforts to stay
his execution.

~~~~~~~~

(form letter I edited slightly...) 

The 'law of parties' is being used to execute a man that was driving the car
that the actual trigger man (who has already been executed) rode in before he
killed a guy in a botched robbery attempt [Skeye: which sounds questionable
as well if that's what it was] . Whatever your feelings are on the death
penalty, this feels to be a pretty clear misapplication of it.

There are a bunch of links to supporting media coverage and other info,
check'em out...

~~~~~~~~

Also, click on Kenneth's Case on the left menu and whatever else you feel to
read.

Peace...

I find these comments and actions to be of interest to note in regards to the words and actions of Mr. John Mackey and the consideration of 'conscious capitaism'.

Read these remarks from Mr. Mackey in his comment responses to this blog post:
(you can read the whole post and/or scroll all the way down to the comments, the discussion there feels to be very 'enlightening')

"My argument for "Conscious Capitalism" is that capitalism can be improved. Quite honestly there is no viable alternative to capitalism that doesn't involve some type of totalitarian government with massive losses of both human freedom and prosperity. The question isn't whether we'll have capitalism in the world or not, because we will. The question is whether we can evolve it or not to a higher level of consciousness. I think we can and I'm working to do exactly that."

For a very good response to this comment and more see:

Nick Theodosis' post at January 28, 2007 07:02 PM

Mr. Mackey gives an interesting insight into his perspective in these comments.

Here are a few more pertinant words:
(I am not identified with the person's comments ideas that Mr. Mackey is responding to, but do see possible merit in exploring them further than somewhat dramatically rebuting them, as it appears Mr. Mackey has done.)

"As I've followed this thread about Conscious Capitalism/Conscious consumption, I am prompted to write. While I give support to you that if we're going to have a consumer economy, a conscious capitalistic system certainly is preferable to the current capitalistic model, or that of any of the other 'consumer economies' that get bandied about, ”communism, socialism, fascism, etc. All of these economies are consumption economies, really the only difference between any of them is the distribution methods: capitalism distributes on a supposed 'free-market', communism is a centralized government etc."

I'm quite surprised and disturbed, Ann, to read that you believe that capitalism is very similar to communism, socialism, fascism, etc. because they are all consumption economies. These other economic systems are radically different from capitalism. Capitalism is the only economic system which puts the needs and desires of the customer at the heart and soul of it. The customer is King & Queen in capitalism and producers compete to best satisfy their desires. Socialism, communism, and fascism all locate the decision making power in the hands of governmental bureaucrats. The bureaucrats decide what will be produced, how much will be produced, and how much it will cost. If they don't think something is needed or is very important then it won't be produced. Want a computer? Too bad. Want an iPod--not necessary. Need a heart transplant--get in line and we'll see if we think you are important enough to get one. The 20th century is a long nightmare on the failed attempts of these alternative economic systems to work. They failed miserably and reduced individual freedom and individual rights everywhere they existed. The communistic utopias of the Soviet Union, China, and Cambodia resulted in the murder of over 100 million of their own citizens. Think about that before you lump capitalism--the economic system which has created so much human progress-- in with these other economic systems which have created so much human misery.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Yes, we are all well steeped in the consumer economy, so much so that it seems as if it is the only way to be. In the early 1900's, the idea of 'insatiable desire' was implanted in our culture through the intense rise of advertising, because insatiable desire was considered a cure all for an ever rising/falling economic system that depended on consumers continuing to consume. When they were erratic in consuming, depressions/recession ensued, at least in the money flow. I can't blame our forefathers because from their perspective this looked like the best choice. Consuming led to money flow which led to more consuming and if we could keep this going on a fairly constant flow, depressions, recessions and economic chaos would be a thing of the past. And consume we did and as we consumed the money flowed. Over the last 100 years we have perfected a consumer economy, efficiently setting up a supply/demand (insatiable desire + money = demand, please note, 'demand' does not necessarily mean 'need'."

Sorry but I don't agree with your cynical view of the stupidity of people who you believe are so easily manipulated by advertising to buy things that they don't really want. Who is going to define what people really need, Ann? Will it be you? Will you decide what everyone needs? Will some group of government bureaucrats decide in your economic system like they do in socialism and communism? Or will individuals make these choices themselves? Will people be free to make their own choices or will you or some other dictator decide what is best?

(this kind of response has a feel of projecting and defining what Ann is supposedly saying, a rather reactive/defensive/aggressive response that possibly attempts to make Ann look 'bad' and 'wrong'...not real questioning and openly listening, more 'shame and blame' than anything else)

~~~~~~~~~~

"To that, I then ask the question: ”what if instead of a consumer economy, we instead created a whole life economy? It would serve a primary need of life, relationships, species diversity, health, etc. instead of the current primary need of money. Yes, there would still be businesses and productsâ, but only so much as is necessary for real life. What I'm suggesting is that we move into a new paradigm. The following is the best encapsulation of the old to the new paradigm that I am suggesting. It comes from Barbara Brandts' book, Whole Life Economics."

Ann--who is in charge of the "Whole Life Economy?" Who decides what gets produced and what doesn't get produced? Will individuals have the freedom to decide for themselves what they want and will entrepreneurs be free to innovate and create to meet their needs? If not entrepreneurs and individual consumers--who?

To read all of Mr. Mackey's responses go to:

John Mackey at March 13, 2007 07:55 PM

Now read this article:

(excerpt:)

"Whole Foods' documents outlining plans for the transaction, dubbed "Operation Goldmine," call for about 30 Wild Oats stores to be closed, according to a government court filing. The company expects revenue at nearby Whole Foods stores to nearly double, government attorneys said.

Whole Foods also plans to sell 35 Wild Oats stores in California and Texas that operate under the Henry's and Sun Harvest names."

And from this article: merger with Whole Foods

"The District Court's ruling affirms our belief that a merger between Whole Foods and Wild Oats is a winning scenario for all stakeholders," said John Mackey, Chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. "We believe the synergies gained from this combination will create long term value for customers, vendors, and shareholders as well as exciting opportunities for team members."

And...

"We are very pleased with the court's ruling and always had confidence that, once presented with the facts, the judge would rule in favor of this merger," said Gregory Mays, Chairman and CEO of Wild Oats Markets. "We continue to believe this merger is in the best interest of our stakeholders, as it will mean significant career opportunities for our store associates, capital investment in our stores to enhance the shopping experience for our customers, and value-creation for our shareholders. We look forward to closing the transaction."

Hm...was the local community consulted in this 'merger'? Were they asked if they would prefer this or not? What of the many workers that are going to be unemployed? Were their needs considered or questioned? And what of the communities that will be losing a 'competative alternative' or perhaps be more limited to their access of a 'natural foods store' and more healthier choices?

Seems to me Whole Foods/Wild Oats and their respective 'owners' have made this decision for them...all in the name of 'our stakeholders' and 'progress', but what about that 'competative market'? Is it only good until one can 'outgrow' the other? Until one can become 'top dog'?

This is 'conscious capitalism'? Sounds like the same old story to me. And any time someone starts accusing others of being 'dictatorial', is a time to take a good look at the accuser. I'm not defining WF or Mr. Mackey as anything, only questioning what they say they are and what they are showing.

There is so much to consider in this and I do not assume that all that is involved has been reported, but once again, there is enough questionable actions to call for a deeper questioning of the claiming of 'honest and conscious intentions' and possibly supporting otherwise.

Of which I feel business voodoo aptly offered some perspective on Brian's blog post:
John Mackey's an Investor in Zaadz!

And a very interesting conversation ensued, many days apart, but the recent legal  developments of WF and Mr. Mackey have not yet been responded to that business voodoo posted about.

So, if you've got some perspective to shed some light, please do, I would really love to hear it.

Peace....

This is an '11th hour' attempt to bring attention to a serious injustice and unbalancedness in the legal system pertaining to Texas' application of the Law of Parties and of it's use in regards to the case of Kenneth Foster Jr. who is sentenced to lethal injection on August 30th, in just 8 days.

See this page for a legal analysis of the Law of Parties

"Don't execute Kenneth E. Foster!" online petition

Kenneth's website with mass info. Please explore the many informational pages on here and read some of Kenneth's writings.

Here is the petitions page

Kenneth's Yahoo group
This is a world wide effort and this Ygroup provides useful files, photos and links...read the past few days postings for many helpful suggestions of action.

Intro to Youtube Petition Campaign to Save Kenneth Foster
Youtube group: http://youtube.com/group/kennethfoster

ABC video
A somewhat misrepresented and biased in language report, but at least it got on there.

Man Speaks About Life From Death Row
There is a short video news report and full 43 minute interview posted on the right.

Getaway driver nears execution for '96 murder
(opens up in an ad, but can close at top right to go to article)

Two Weeks To Live: Convicted Killer Speaks Out

Man to Be Executed, Although Prosecutors Say He Didn't Kill
(Note: see below the first page for links to more on this story)

Jocks 4 Justice article

Here are a couple pieces from the Kenneth Foster Yahoo support group:

From: DRIVE Movement
To: drive drive
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2007 8:19 PM
Subject: Kenneth Foster and John Joe Amador will protest their executions!
 

We received the following message from Kenneth announcing that he and John Joe
Amador will protest their executions starting tomorrow, August 22.

Like Kenneth, John is from Bexar County. He is scheduled to be executed on August 29. We have also posted a message from John, "I Will Not Participate", that gives more details about his case.

Please spread the word that these two brave men will be nonviolently resisting!

 
"August 22, 2007 Directive

In the name of Human Rights; all religious doctrines of Peace, Love and Forgiveness; and in the vision of reform and atonement, on the above said date myself (Kenneth E. Foster Jr.) and John Joe Amador have committed to a protest of passive non-participation in our executions. Together we have decided to go on a spiritual mission to oppose our systematic executions in the hopes to open the eyes of people that think this horrific process is ok.

Starting on the 22nd we will engage in passive non-participation in this process in the same fashion that civil rights fighters stood down the cruel and inhumane treatments of their time. We are here to say that we do not condone violence and will not promote it. We recognize that violence will not solve our problems, just like executions do not help our society. We are committed to peace and grassroots activism. We are not doing this for ourselves, but for YOU, the people, to demonstrate to you that we do not agree with this process. We do this for YOU, the people, to show that we are new men today and that we
must stand down the death penalty. We seek to harm no person and we will not. We pray to compel this society to look at the death penalty in a new light.

Starting on the 23rd we will begin refusing all food. We will not eat any more meals served to us. Our only nourishment will be liquids.

Bexar County had lined up two San Antonio executions in a row - John Amador's for the 29th and mine for the 30th. While my case is known, Mr. Amador's is not. I will give Mr. Amador the opportunity to write his own words regarding the injustices that he has faced at the hands of Bexar County. Since I have a visual plight I am here to say that the State is wrong in its desire to kill me. If I was as equally guilty as the 2 other men in the car, and these 2 men are not on death row, then I should not be either. This is an obvious injustice
and railroad.

As we enter into being 7 days away from our execution we will be placed in cells that have video cameras where we can be observed 24-7. We cannot condone this invasion. We cannot participate in the way our humanity is being stripped. While we are NOT indifferent to the victims, we are also not indifferent to the fact that we are still human beings. But for a country that professes it wants a good society it's hard to acknowledge that when the prison population is 2 million and rising and the conditions are left horrific. So what is really the
purpose of the Penal system? We also ask you to think about this - in any other country when people are lined up and slaughtered it's called genocide. They said Sadaam Hussein committed mass Genocide. It has happened in Darfur and Rwanda and residents of Cuba and North Korea have been accused of it. But when America does it it is called justice? Texas will surpass 400 murders this year. It we are to be unjustly taken then we do not want to go silently. We will not walk to our executions and we will not eat last meals. We will not give this process a humane face.

We ask all of you to stand for human rights. We are men that are dedicated to change and betterment. We are dedicated to give atonement to the system and society. Who of us will be left to guide the lost? We sacrifice this for society, not for us, because death row is a cancer in the body of this country. Our actions are antibodies to oppose this atrocious disease.

I, as a DRIVE representer, stand in the name of a better day. We will be on a DRIVE and we do it with prayers, love and understand - even for those that hate us. We don't have them and we don't hate the TDC officers that will usher us to our murders. Reports have said that Governor Perry is doing the will of the people. So, we come to you, the people, to relook at this process.

For those that have read about my case you now see how arbitrary capital punishment can be. AS long as it exists these things WILL continue to happen. Why? Because human beings are fallible. Many people want us to be the men we was 10 years ago. But we're not. We could point fingers and talk about scams and corruption going on. We can talk about the ENRON's and the Scooter Libby's, the Guantanamo Bay's and Abu Ghraib's. But we won't because we know you know that these things exist. We will only point our fingers up.....up.....and say that WE MUST GET UP. We must get up the way the CEDP has gotten up and made a movement. We must get up like these medias, politicians and even friends to the victims have gotten up. Some of us see a new way. It is possible.

And so, on August 22nd we commit ourselves to something that is beyond us. Perhaps we are just tools for a greater purpose.

We will not lift a finger to another person. We will only lift our voices and spirits. We will allow YOU, the people, to be the force that must be reckoned with.

We close this Directive in the words of Martin Luther King Jr.:

"Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts. Through violence you may murder a murderer, but you can't murder murder. Through violence you may murder a liar, but you can't establish truth. Through violence you may murder a hater, but you can't murder hate. Darkness cannot put out darkness, only light can do that."

Let's shine to the world.

In struggle,

Kenneth E. Foster Jr. & John Joe Amador"

DRIVE Movement
http://drivemovement.org

DRIVE Movement e-Store
http://www.cafepress.com/drivemovement

~~~~~~~~~

Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement <abolition.movement@hotmail.com> wrote:

For Immediate Release
 
August 21, 2007
 
Media Contact:  Njeri Shakur   713-237-0713
                Gloria Rubac   713-503-2633
 
On August 22 Texas Will Execute the 400th Person Since Executions Resumed in
1982.
 
A Houston Protest to Condemn This Milestone will be at Houston’s Old Hanging Tree
 
Johnny Conner is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, August 22, in Huntsville at 6:00 PM.  Conners’ execution, if carried out, will be the 400th in the state of Texas since executions resumed on Dec. 7, 1982.
 
The United States has executed 1,090 people since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 and executions resumed on January 17, 1977, when the state of Utah’s firing squad killed Gary Gilmore. 
 
Houstonians will protest the 400th execution at 5:30 at Houston’s Hanging Tree on the corner of Capital and Bagby.  Protests will also take place around the state on Wednesday, including at the governor’s mansion in Austin.
 
“We will protest at the 200-year-old oak tree where Black people were illegally lynched many, many years ago.  Today lynching in Texas is legal and it is done by the government in Huntsville.  But Texas does not have the moral authority to execute anyone.  The death penalty is used only against the poor and is a racist attack on the African American and Latino communities,” stated Njeri Shakur, a spokesperson for the Texas March Against Executions Committee, which is organizing Wednesday’s protest in Houston.
 
The death penalty is losing favor around the world.  Even in the US there are fewer people being sentenced to death and fewer executions are being carried out.  Because over 120 people have been released from death row for reasons of innocence, people sitting on juries are more reluctant to condemn a defendant to death.  Only in Texas are executions continuing at a fast pace.
 
On Tuesday, the European Union issued a statement directed at Texas*, saying, “The European Union notes with great regret the upcoming execution in the State of Texas and strongly urges Governor Rick Perry to exercise all powers vested in his office to halt all upcoming executions and to consider the introduction of a moratorium in the State of Texas.”
 
[ * Texas carries out 400th execution ]

Texas has 3 more executions scheduled for the next week, including one of an innocent man, Kenneth Foster.  Foster’s family will be in Houston to speak on Saturday at 2:00 PM at St. Saviour Baptist Church at 5202 Tronewood in N. E. Houston. ( www.freekenneth.com )

Originally a message on my Tribe page , I offer it here in gratitude and it's relevance to You All.  :)

As ever, Peace...

Calling out across the world...

I just finished sending out invites to the Kenneth Foster tribe to all 167 of you...3 at time! (new tribe update perhaps?) :)

These are not sent in any expectation of what you 'should' do...only in the possibility of what you feel capable and willing to do...and this is not for anyone else to say, but your own soul's Wisdom. Nor is it with the intention of spreading fear of death, because as I understand it Kenneth is at peace with this and, even if not, this is to support awareness of what is propagated in the world with a belief in 'separation' and from the fear of death and supposed 'need for vengeance'. To offer the potential of opening to compassion beyond fear, possibly revealing what 'connects us All'.

I give thanks for any and all attention you may give this, however you may feel to.

I offer a big Heart Hug to all you beautiful and amazing beings that, even though we do not get to commune much are hardly have ever, I am grateful for your being a part of this vast and wondrous world!

Namaste.....

For expediency's sake, the full report and more, please see this blog post on Tribe!   ~8D

Instead of  'world against death penalty'...World In Support of Empathy?   W.I.S.E. !!!

A new tribe and movement?

Love, Hugs, Peace and Compassion....