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Greetings and Namaste!
Spring is maturing in New York with countless flowers
and lush green foliage covering the ancient northern
reaches of the Appalachian Mountains here. The
cycles of nature, the rocks and boulders, the flooding
streams, and the voices of myriad creatures all speak
their
wisdom which we can hear if we're willing to listen
with a still mind.
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Teach us and show us the Way
Anonymous, Chinook
18th Century
We call upon the earth, our planet home, with its
beautiful depths and soaring
heights,
its vitality and abundance of life,
and
together we ask that it
Teach us, and show us the Way.
We call upon the mountains, the Cascades and
the
Olympics, the high green
valleys
and meadows filled with wild flowers,
the snows that never melt,
the
summits of intense silence,
and we ask that
they
Teach us, and show us the Way.
We call upon the waters that rim the earth, horizon
to
horizon, that flow in our
rivers
and streams, that fall upon our
gardens
and fields and we ask that they
Teach us, and show us the Way.
We call upon the land which grows our food, the
nurturing soil, the fertile fields,
the abundant gardens and orchards,
and we ask
that they
Teach us, and show us the Way.
We call upon the forests, the great trees reaching
strongly to the sky with earth in
their roots and the heavens in their branches,
the
fir and the pine and the
cedar,
and we ask them to
Teach us, and show us the Way.
We call upon the creatures of the fields and
forests
and the seas, our brothers and
sisters the wolves and deer,
the eagle and dove,
the great whales and the dolphin,
the beautiful Orca and salmon
who share our
Northwest home,
and we ask them to
Teach us, and show us the Way.
We call upon all those who have lived on this
earth,
our ancestors and our friends,
who dreamed the best for future generations,
and upon whose lives our lives are
built,
and with thanksgiving, we call upon them
to
Teach us, and show us the Way.
And lastly, we call upon all that we hold most sacred,
the presence and power of
the Great Spirit of love and truth
which flows
through all the Universe, to be with
us to
Teach us, and show us the Way.
From The Essential Mystics: Selections from the
World's Great Wisdom Traditions, Edited by
Andrew Harvey
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June Programs
Anam Cara, Bedford, NY
April 30th-June 4th, Wednesday
Evenings, 7:15-8:45
5 Week
Course
Buddhist Wisdom Treasures for Non-
Buddhists
Taught by
Lawrence Edwards,
Ph.D.
The Buddhist tradition offers
great
insights into the workings of the mind and how we can
be free not only of the mind, but of all suffering.
One
doesn't have to be a Buddhist to gain the tremendous
benefits offered by this ancient tradition of wisdom.
Priests, nuns, rabbis, ministers, scientists,
business leaders and people from every background
have found the teachings of the Buddha enhanced
their everyday lives and their spiritual practices.
During this course we will explore the foundational
teachings and practices that the Buddha offered to
anyone who was interested in gaining greater
freedom from suffering and gaining access to
unwavering joy. There will be plenty of time to discuss
how these teachings and practices apply to work,
family, relationships, etc.
This course will be
repeated in the fall.
June 17th, Tuesday, 7:30-
9pm
Special Kirtan
Night!!!
Shivananda, Mataji's musical
director whom many will remember for his
extraordinary violin and tabla playing, will be back with
us, along with Satya, Shubalanda and friends, to offer
a night of ecstatic chanting.
Join us and bring a
friend!
June 29th, Sunday, 9-
3:30
One Day Mini-
Retreat: Taking Refuge In
Stillness
Give
yourself a day to let go of it all and dive into the
refreshing peace that lies just beyond the thought
waves of the mind. Experience the deeper
refreshment that comes from being quietly at ease for
long enougth that it has a chance to truly soak in. All
are welcome, pre-registration is required.
Meditation
Group
Every Tuesday
Evening:
starts promptly at 7:30pm at our center at
SunRaven in Bedford, NY. All are welcome! Directions
are on the Anam Cara website. If you wonder
whether the group is being held on a particular
Tuesday evening there will always be a
message stating if it is cancelled on that
night on 914-234-4800.
Click here to find out more about the programs....
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Thank you all
for your notes of appreciation for our newsletter.
Everyone has
the heart to be a true friend of the soul, an Anam
Cara. By embodying that ideal ourselves we may help
another to find it in themselves.
Our highest nature is always manifest in
relationship - to all other beings, to the
environment, in relation to our own body and
mind. Becoming mindful of the quality of our
relationships
allows us to learn where the light shines and where it
needs to shine more. The ideal of Anam Cara is to
continuously endeaver to expand the depth and the
inclusiveness of the loving kindness we bring into
every relationship.
If
you have any
suggestions, comments or sharings, for our
newsletter please don't
hesitate to e-mail me and I'll do my best to
respond.
Anam Cara, Inc. is a 501
(C) 3,
non-profit
educational organization dedicated to teaching
meditative practices. Our non-denominational
programs are open to all. There are free meditation
instructions and downloadable audio files of guided
meditations on our website.
Thank
you for
the many ways you have shown
support for Anam Cara, Inc. Because
of
your gifts we can offer free programs like the ones
we'll be putting on for hospice volunteers in April and
our other offerings.
I look forward to welcoming you
in person to our programs.
With great
appreciation and love,
I thank you all.
May all beings realize complete freedom from suffering and may all our actions reflect only wisdom, compassion, patience and loving kindness.
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