Me and shadows at Buddah Rock, Shoshoni Ashram, Boulder, Colorado (c)Aug.2007

From H.H. The XIVth DALAI LAMA:

 Every day think, as you wake up,

"Today I am fortunate to have woken up.

I am alive, I have a precious Human Life.

I am not going to waste it.

I am  going to use

All my energies to develop myself.

To expand my heart out to others.

To achieve enlightenment for

The benefit of all beings.

I am going to have kind

thoughts towards others.

I am not going to get angry

or think badly about others

I am going to benefit others

As much as I can." 

The first of May  I am flying to New York with my daughter and two friends to see the Dalai Lama.  It will be an exciting trip for us.  Robin is from Boston and she will help us make our way around the city, and both of our daughters want to see the Dalai Lama.  He brings so much to us in just his presence.  His words bring us back to what is really important, the real reason any of us are on this Earth;  to leave the Earth better than you found it, to bring joy to others, "to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings."  My Christian heritage tells me that anything I do for myself is selfish.   In Eastern religions I learned that "peace on earth" happens only through peace within.  When I am near an enlightened being, like Swami Shambavananda in Boulder, or some of the Transendental Meditators in Fairfield, IA. or even enlightened Christians who radiate the "peace that passeth understanding,"  I feel more peaceful.  Reading about peace, writing about peace makes me more peaceful.  Peace is contageous.

The world is worrying about economics, about the value of the dollar, and the value of money.   Isn't it more important to worry about the value of the Earth?  It is more important to look beyond money for the things that we use money for.  We need to look at how we can promote survival, with or without money.  

Why do we need money?  (1)  we need to breathe clean air  (2)  we need to have water to drink and wash with  (3)  we need to eat  (4)  we need to have sanitation, or proper disposal of wastes  (5)  we need to have clothing to wear  (6)  we need to have a place to live,  (7)  we need to have community (8)  we need to pay taxes  (9)  we need to have energy to travel and to run our households and computers  (10)  we need to be able to trade with others for the things we can't do or make ourselves (11)we need access to good quality health care.  And we need all of these things to be sustainable over hundreds of years.

What if we could do all of these things without money?  By looking at the patterns of other societies who have lasted with scarce resources and maintained their society, we could make some realistic choices.  

 We need to Heal the Earth, or we will not be able to fulfill the first seven needs.  So first each person's energy, work, and money should go toward that for all  people.  We can begin to do those things without the dollar if we localize as much as possible.  What we want is more than money.  We want to be healthy, happy, and at peace with nature and the world.

 Joyous sun salute from three fellow yoginis at the Buddah Rock. (c) 2007