I received this beautiful email from a very beautiful spirit—such a blessed friend. I just wanted to share what she wrote to her buddies…it is so heartwarming, fun, cheery, loving!!! What she wrote…
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Have you gotten out and VOTEd yet? This is your VOTE patrol! I had a brilliant idea this morning….I VOTEd at 6:44 am, and I took all the leftover Halloween candy –about 300 pieces…..my housemate went overboard and got ten big bags of M&M’s, Baby Ruth’s, Butterfingers, Skittles, Starburts….you know, the good stuff that Dentists just love!

I love people! We all have stories. It was fun waking people up, “Would you like some candy with your coffee?” Or……”Girl, put a piece of chocolate in your coffee and make it a mocha.” I don’t drink coffee ’cause as you all know, I’m pretty hyper. My hyperness is directly proportional to how good I feel about myself and the state of the world, and I can tell, I’m going to become even more hyper in 2009! YAHOO! YIPPEE!!

So, I’m passing out Halloween candy, hugging people, and I say to a man, “Would you like a piece of Halloween candy, Sir? A sweet for your sweet?” He replied, “Do you have anything sour!”

Went out to breakfast. Saw a man sitting alone in his booth. He just seemed lonely. So I said to him, “You look like you could use a hug. Lemme give you a hug.” I bent down to hug him. “What’s your name?” Ron he said. My father’s name.

We’re all here to teach a lesson and to learn a lesson. Daily. My lesson to you is this:

Be kind today. Say hello to a STRANGER today–go for it….even if it’s hard for you….just say hello to a STRANGER. They will appreciate it more than you know and you will feel grand.

Remember, I think that YOU are beautiful and you know what? YOU ARE!!!!

hugs, laughter, light, rain, chia pets, and four day old Halloween candy, N!

Below are notes left behind at the Oct 26, 2008 and the Nov 2, 2008 Seva Cafe in Long Beach.

We came here and immediately felt the love of everyone in the room… so warm and full of smiles. It was my first time here and I will definitely return and I hope I will be able to give, because what you are doing is absolutely wonderful and one-of-a-kind. The food was amazing and like the food my mom once cooked when I was a wee one I can tell it was made by someone who loves with their whole heart…
So Thank You…
You are all amazing
… We Love You …

We Love Seva

Thank You

Thank you very much!!! this has been an inspiration and also really good tasting food!!!

Best Wishes! Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Thank you so much! The food wad delicious and I was able to feel the exchange of love. I hope to see you guys again soon.

Getting ready to have a nice dinner. With a menu with no prices. At the end of the meal, you put money in the envelope for the next guest. :)

We may post some of these up on our bethecause.org site soon, but for now here are some links to pictures that some photographers took during that day:

Johnny’s Pics:
http://www.soaringlight.com/albums/wfh08/

Corynne’s Pics:
http://s412.photobucket.com/albums/pp208/CorynnesPics/

Sukh

http://www.charityfocus.org/docs/music/AGNT/




The first activity station people encountered during the Walk for Hope was the “Tree of Forgiveness,” where they could anonymously write messages expressing its meaning on a white ribbon which was then tied to a tree. The ribbons themselves became the “leaves” of that tree. They were filled with sorrow, joy, relief, hope, humor, love and anger. They can resonate with anyone who reads them. Below are just a few of the hundreds of messages left by walkers that day. The ribbons of those who had expressly indicated that they do not want their messages posted have been omitted.

Forgiveness is to never place blame and to always have an open heart…

Life goes on so forgive!

Without forgiveness the world would be full of hatred.

Letting go. Let it go so you can grow!

Forgiveness is the opening place of all change in the world and in each individual.

Forgive all humans for destroying the earth.

I don’t want to…but, I forgive you DAD.

Forgiving is truly giving…once you choose to forgive, you are giving the best gift of all.

I forgive myself for leaving and lying.

Forgiveness — is when someone hurts you; you can wish them the best & happiness through it all.

I forgive myself for not being perfect, and trust that I’m living my purpose.

Forgiveness is not letting our mistakes overshadow our efforts and good intentions.

I forgive my dad for being away from home. FORGIVE!

I release the past and make space for my future.

Letting go enough to forget it even happened.

Forgiveness is coming to terms with your decisions.

I forgive those who have caused me heartache.

I forgive people who are less detail-oriented.

I forgive my sister.

To Betty - forgiveness is the hardest part of love.

I am trying to forgive George Bush.

I forgive all my friends who have turned their backs on me.

I forgive myself for the choices I have made that hurt others. I forgive all those who hurt me.

Forgiving will heal me and help me move on.

The first stage in forgiving is accepting.

I’m finally starting to let go.

I forgive the pickpockets who stole all the money in my wallet an hour before I was going to propose to my fiance.

I forgive the cop who gave me a speeding ticket.

I forgive myself for any pain I’ve caused others. Progress is not perfection.

I forgive my sister & brother for not walking with me today!

Forgiveness is accepting the person no matter how bad they treat you.

I forgive you for not responding to me. I seek forgiveness if I hurt you.

I’ve forgiven myself for hating someone & blaming them for the death of my sister. (I’m not mad anymore)

I forgive myself for all the unloving thoughts I have had about myself.

To forgive means freedom of adversity.

I forgive myself for when I treat my son with anger. I forgive my father for when he treats me with anger.

Forgiveness is letting go of the sadness in your soul and feeling completely free.

I forgive those who fail to take any action to help those in trouble.

I forgive you. I forgive me. Let’s be at peace.

I open my heart in forgiveness, shine love in the face of anger and forgive you!

I forgive you for taking advantage of me when I was weak. I forgive myself for not…

Those who forgive move on with life — those who don’t, they always live in the past.

Sis — I forgive you, let’s move on….

I forgive my brother.

I forgive you for your anger.

Forgiving you takes the burden off my shoulders and begins the healing…

I forgive myself for taking too long to “get it.”

I forgive all those who broke my heart and made me bitter. I can’t carry this weight forever.

Forgiveness is a chance to make things right, it is not amnesia or delusion regarding the past.

Wanting things to be okay.

Forgave my father for abuse.

I forgive nicotine….

Forgive someone who does not know their actions have caused you pain. Holding it against them will do no good.

I do not forgive, but I accept what you’ve done. And that is the first step.

Forgiveness…releasing the right you have to be angry over an injustice without surrendering the offer & hope for change.

I forgive you for not taking the chance and then regretting it.

I forgive myself for holding the bitterness in my heart.

I forgive myself for every wrong decision made and for not always loving those who hurt me.

I forgave myself for breaking the heart of a good woman unintentionally.

I forgive myself for placing judgment upon others instead of appreciating everyone for their unique beauty.

I forgive the Republicans.

It’s not all about me!

Forgiveness is understanding the intention.

I forgive you with the hope that whom I hurt forgives me….

I ask for forgiveness for being cynical at times; not believing in the best of people and being reminded of this fact.

Forgiveness is a release of toxic energy.

In my own experience, it is not worth it to live on hating or being mad. Just get over it and live in peace. Forgiving someone is good not only for the other but fo’ yo’ self.

I forgive myself for believing me imperfect.

Forgive! I am still working on it. Forgiveness will give freedom to the world!

I forgive my mother, but I don’t have to let her abuse me.

I forgive him for lying and I forgive him for breaking my heart for it made me stronger in the end.

Forgiveness is love given twice: 1. First to accept the other’s fault; 2. Second to restart anew with that person.

I forgive myself for not figuring it out sooner. I forgive myself for not being as disciplined as I think I should be.

I forgive my dad for not treating my mom the way she deserves.

I forgive you for not being strong.

I forgive myself for repeatedly making the same mistakes.

I forgive the young man that crashed his car into our tree last night.

I forgive God.

I forgive the human unconsciousness for violence.

Forgiveness is taking what someone has done to you and instead of persecuting or isolating them for it, you try to understand and love.

I forgive Europeans to the atrocities committed against African people.

I forgive my boss.

Forgive George Bush. He did not know what he was doing.

I’m going to pray for that person & myself that we find happiness in our hearts.

Even though you are gone forever I forgive you. For a long time I was mad. But now I realize everything you gave me and no one is perfect. I love you and thank you.

Letting go, one day at a time. I’m trying, everyday. Sometimes I wish I could just stop caring. I’m sorry too.

I forgive myself for treating my body badly.

Forgiveness means remembering that others feel pain too, that others grow and change, and through it all we all strive to become better people.

Forgive me for not having the courage to say this to you in person, but I’m sorry. And I have already forgiven you.

Here’s some emails that went out last night. Post your own inspirations as comments, please.

Mighty Super Heroes,

Can I just simply utter: WOW.

Yet another profoundly beautiful Walk For Hope has come & gone…yet it doesn’t seem to leave you. It lingers on & plays itself out over & over again in the mind’s playbook. There are so many countless images & selfless acts of goodness by thoughtful volunteers that seem to masque itself into the overall event of the day.

Like….

Rahul thoughtfully passing out fruit while a sea of cars waited in line to enter the park…

Mumta selflessly & literally taking the “shirt off her back” to give it to a walker who desperately wanted one….

Cindy’s home-baked nutritious & fast-disappearing cookies feeding the crew at 6 AM….

The attendant at the park’s gate wishing us a cheery “Good Morning!” at those wee hours…

Christine ceaselessly hustling around making sure everyone was well taken care of….

Melisa kindly heading out on a coffee run for those of us who just needed that morning jolt…

Karuna giving someone a massage after tirelessly serving & coordinating all day, needing one of her own…

Tim heading over to help another vendor setup her booth before completing his own…

Since my perspective is so limited in scope, I cannot even begin to list all the other acts of kindness & unforgettable moments that occurred. So, please share & add to this above list to help us all see it from your viewpoint & forgive me in advance for inadvertently leaving anyone out.

Spread the love!

S

Sana staying at the random act of kindness activity booth and blessing everyone with her joy.

Jamie running to hug people from the free hugs station at the end and bringing a smile to all our faces.

Sukh doing the rocky run toward the long stream of cars waiting to get into the park after he discovered another main entrance for us to go to.

Cindy letting us use her beautiful tye-dyed rags to clean the tables and reminding us to save our gloves in order to save the planet.

Raju speaking so lovingly to everyone who came up to the Manav Sadhna booth about the strength and family that we call MS.

Vivek radiating such love to the crowd while speaking on the stage.

Tim calling me to tell us where Sonali is in order to bring her coffee…and such great directions. We found her within minutes in the sea of faces.

Bharti and Aarti—the perfect angels to bless us with food at the food area and what incredibly special food. I felt so graced and thankful for it.

Supun..lifting, helping, always on the move and even running with Sukh and Vivek partway throught the walk.

Sujana…patiently, effortlessly helping with the beautiful “be” tshirts.

Madhavi…so present and magnificent on assignment at the registration table.

And so much more!!!

Ray (Marina High student) directing walkers to the correct line; as though he’d done this 100 times before.

Kelley, random walker, rejoicing at Activity Station #3 because, looking at the canvass, she genuinely felt like she could now envision a better world.

Trusha, glowing while raving about the quotes that “her kids” had made for the walk path.

Sukh, at the gas station, trying to hi-five the circle of volunteers while Karuna tsk-tsk’ed him because she wasn’t yet finished :)

Sonali, selflessly sharing her coffee with me . . . and letting me share it with others.

Sukh’s mother, just before Sukh was about to speak to walkers, telling my grandfather, “I love to listen to Sukh talk.”

My grandfather, today, telling everybody that he saw how unbelievably inspired he was to see young people make so much movement.

40 cars on Studebaker road at 5 AM on a Saturday . . . just . . . being the cause.

And I couldn’t be happier about it!

The other day we were asked in a group what the Walk for Hope meant to us. I was feeling stunned…by the many feelings of hope, compassion, inspiration that this walk brings up for me.

All I could say was: I’ve been a part of about 4 walks and I Heart Be the Cause. Sounds lame…I know.

What I really wanted to say is words that you and I know…from the heart that can’t always be expressed easily. I could write a poem about Walk for hope. I could write a letter to the world that would wrap around the universe 200 to the second power times. I could jump up and down on a trampoline 30 million times and that maybe wouldn’t express…how very much this walk has added to my life and the lives of others.

It is beautiful…how friends, volunteers, family have come together and celebrated “hope” and all that is good.

It is a celebration of life and a deep connecting to all that draws us close in this world. I can’t wait to see the giant quotes along the walk path. I can’t wait to see all the booths and the people talking and musicians singing and…just everything!

One of the best things is seeing a whole bunch of nonprofit friends in one place….in a beautiful park!

I plan to be there at 4:30 in the a.m. to do my bit to help out. I pray we all get up in time and…oh…there’s no telling how this one will affect me.

By the way, my mom….who Jigar kindly termed “Team Mom” will not be able to make it this year, but sends her love to everyone!

The walk is fastly approaching! And there’s no better time for a walk of this magnititude to grace my life and everyone’s….

Peace peace peace…namaste….ayubowan….I honor you. You honor me. We are free.

:)

What I love about Be the Cause is that these aren’t just service projects.
Of course I want to help other people, but ultimately I am the one who benefits the most.

We’re beginning to plan our Awareness Monologues where the format is similar to the Vagina Monologues but in this case our topic is domestic violence.
We just had our first meeting and when Supun read aloud the domestic violence checklist, in my head I was thinking check, check, check, check check check and check.

Immediately I said to myself don’t be dramatic. Every relationship is going to have problems. No one is perfect. I was never locked in a closet or beat with a golf club, unlike someone I know. It was never like that. Sometimes things happen, but I was never one of “those girls.”
I’m not trying to say I know better than them– its just that I would know, or I think I would know, if it was happening to me, right? I would know the difference, I hope.

When does a crappy relationship become domestic violence? A few of us will be going through a 40 hr domestic violence training course in preparation for this event. I know that whatever we learn will help us put on a really great, meaningful show, but more than anything else, this is for me. This will help ME define that line so that I have no doubt when it’s being crossed. For future reference.

The September 12th edition of “To the Point” took issue with a question many voters seem to be grappling with regarding John McCain, his POW experience and how it impacts his presidential potential. Although the talking heads concurred that being a POW is not a prerequisite for presidency, they disagreed as to whether McCain had actually learned anything from this experience; will it translate into better foreign policy? On one hand, there’s the argument that McCain’s a stand-up kind of guy, who will sacrifice his own body out of loyalty to his country, who will suffer with his brothers and endure torture at the hands of his enemies. Are we to interpret this to mean that McCain is an extraordinary patriot who would do the same for those who are poor and suffering, struggling to scrape by everyday? On the other hand, a commentator or two argued that he has failed to realize the futility of the Vietnam war and apply that to what’s happening in Iraq today; he learned nothing at all.

McCain described his POW experience in this article, originally published in 1973 (laden with all the racist, derogatory comments an American soldier would feel toward a foreign enemy). In it he states, “I had a lot of time to think over there, and came to the conclusion that one of the most important things in life—along with a man’s family—is to make some contribution to his country.” I’ve searched the 17-page article for something more meaningful and insightful, but this is it.

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to listen to another perspective on the Vietnam war. I too attended the retreat at Deerpark Monastery, where in the Ocean of Peace meditation hall, we watched a DVD of Thich Naht Han’s talk on world peace. Thich Naht Han is a Buddhist monk who founded the School of Youth Social Service during the Vietnam war, which rebuilt bombed villages, set up schools and medical centers and resettled homeless families, among other things; tragically, they too were among those murdered during the war. He left Vietnam in 1966 on a peace mission in Europe and America, and was forbidden to return. I remember reading a story of how he was alone in a field one day, when an American soldier approached him and held a gun to his head. Thich Naht Han remained calm the whole time, realizing in his great wisdom, that the soldier had done so because he was afraid. He didn’t know whether he was a civilian or Viet Cong. Thich Naht Han had used compassion and understanding to transform the soldier’s fear, and eventually he was left alone.

Deep compassion and understanding, loving-kind communication and deep listening are Thich Naht Han’s concrete solutions for peace — not just on a global level, but also interpersonally. While it may be unrealistic to expect our world leaders to use these tools, I want to be able to have that hope. Ultimately, based on how McCain has described his POW experience, I don’t believe he can translate it into a policy that will lead to peace. I still hear his sense of victimhood, even martyrdom and arrogance. Is it too great a leap for him to go beyond this?

There’s a lot to be debated and discussed about the upcoming election and presidential candidates. Yet, this one monk’s perspective is so simple. So beautiful that I want it to become a reality in my own life. Peace begins here and now. As I think about the dynamics of forgiveness, realizing that perpetrators of a wrong suffer just as much as their victims and that it’s ok to ask “Why?” and “What did I do?” and not being afraid of the answers, I know eventually that peace will come. This path requires a lot more work than simply extinguishing our opponents or enemies with a rifle. It requires that we stop looking at things in terms of wrong vs. right, good vs. evil. American vs. Vietnamese; American vs. Iraqi. We can be all prisoners of this dualistic way of thinking, each enduring the feelings of anger, fear and hatred that torture our hearts. This isn’t a badge of honor; to go on this way is to remain locked in a cycle of violence. What else can we each do to get our community, our country out of it?

The moment I meandered up the small hill passing fragrant Eucalyptus trees along the way, I sensed a different frequency. Something felt so right about the muffled sound of resonant temple bells in the distance and the serene presence of monks in plum-colored robes dedicated to the Dharma. In that instance, I felt an immediate sense of harmony.

I quickly became aware of the depth I often lack to my way of thinking – am I truly the sum of all my thoughts? How sad. Just a couple of hours ago, I drove furiously down El Toro Blvd just so I could pick a number to stand in line at the post office. Mindless. Subconscious. Cyclical.

But quite glaringly, here at the monastery on the hill, with the scent of sandalwood-infused incense wafting throughout the grounds, I have entered a new world of reality.

Solitude. Lightness.

My habitual, every day flow of thoughts & my subsequent emotional reactions to them dissolve into the fading sunset & beyond the surrounding Chaparral hillsides of Escondido. Suddenly, each footstep, every breathe, the momentary pause becomes purposeful & deliberate.

Atop the hill stood the most majestic meditation hall, fittingly called “The Ocean of Peace.” We blessed the earth by meditating on the ground itself surrounded by rabbits, red fire ants, blossoming Oak trees, and the orange-hued sky. Such natural tranquility can only exist up here.

There was a deafening sense of quietness all around – I felt untouchable.

But as I sat there, motionless against the darkening sky, the moon gave way to a flood of intrusive emotions that I wasn’t prepared for. Stillness will do that. I had nowhere left to go – no cell phone to answer, no email to respond, and no one to care for, except my own self. All I had to do was sit.

There is so much buried deep within the mind. And the subsequent pain, of course, is a result of clinging to them. I know better, but I can’t do better. It is frustrating, yet I sit there, quiet, pensive, breathing still. In that instance, I feel a deep need to scream welling inside of me – if I could just release it. I sit still – feeling my aloneness, such desperation, and such groundlessness. All I knew, right then & there, was that I couldn’t give rise to anger. But the sadness is palpable.

I feel my breath. I cannot explain the pure joy of the simple awareness of my in-breath and out-breath. Such lightness. All will be okay.

The moments pass, as they always do & it gives rise to different feelings and thoughts. Nothing ever stays the same, does it? Everything arises; everything falls way, says Ajahn Chah.

Time passes quietly by and we meditate some more, chanting and reciting with the Sangha; walking ever so gently throughout the monastery’s beautiful orchards; savoring our tea with renewed joy; sharing our organic meals imbued by noble silence; and allowing each & every sounding bell to recapture that inward peace – a return to our home, where it all resides.

As Sunday afternoon approaches, I am feeling unsettled about leaving these sacred grounds.  How do I allow this serenity to last? How do I carry this calm to the tumult back home? But I startlingly realize the enemy doesn’t reside in Orange County, it lies within. There is no external passageway other than allowing the Path to arise within me.

And so I begin again.

In November, I plan to trek up that silent hill once again. You should join me.