Liberty Advance

A trip down the socio-spiritual consciousness... On my last visit to San Francisco, I had two experiences that continue to help me define the spiritual movement in America. The first was an invitation to see Lama Anam Thubten speak at his center in Richmond Point, the second was an email I received from a former employee of Yoga Journal. I saw the lama speak on a Sunday morning, a perfect sun-lit morning on the east bay, cool and quiet. Upon entering the meditation center I was filled with the immediate calm of the Lama and his students. The community was gathering for the talk. Lama Thubten sat quietly at the front of the chapel in meditation as we gathered. Time passed and I realized that instead of waiting, I too should be meditating. I took a few breaths and opened my eyes to gaze upon him, to connect with his essence, to attune myself to his vibration. He was utterly still and serene and even in meditation I found myself thinking about him, as he sat, clearly content with his own body, his own posture. The chimes rang and we read the heart sutra and chanted. It was followed by a short break, and then the Lama gave a Dharma Talk on pure awareness. At the end we were invited to sit before him and greet him and while in line I watched my mind conjure up a hundred different things I might say or not say, and ultimately realized that I simply just had to open my heart and be still. As I watched others kneel before him, particularly an elderly woman who needed assistance placing herself before him, I felt a short wave of love surge over me. My heart opened, tears welled in my eyes, and then it passed. When my turn came, I knelt before him and had no words for him, only short answers to his few questions. He gave me a blessing, forehead to forehead, heart to heart. And I left with what he would probably call a feeling of being "blissed out."

Through the people I am meeting in San Diego, my personal yoga practice, and other mysterious energies (such as the horses... what subtle amazing creatures they are) I am realizing that our senses can allow for so much understanding of our intentions and our communications. I went to a seminar on "teens and technology" when I was in college that explained a dramatic decrease in empathy from teenagers due to the degradation of communication by means of text messaging, IM, static web pages, and email. Ultimately they stated that "60% of communication occurs through the face and body, 25% occurs through the tone of voice or (sound), and 15% through the actual comprehension of words spoken...

My vision in my heart of hearts to actualize my socio-spiritual conscience is to transform Liberty Advance into a sustainable project is freedom: political, social and spiritual. This property, nestled just 60 miles east of San Diego, is where I received most of my yoga training, and what motivated me to move to Southern California. I am working toward helping Liberty become a place where everyone would want to live. Most human beings, at one time or another have dreamt of a world where there is abundance for everyone, or at least themselves. Through alternative energy technologies and progressive agriculture / permaculture methods, we can create a micro-economy that removes the economic pressures inherent to our society by reducing our reliance on industrial systems. We can create a renewable system of food and energy production that provides our basic needs so that we may focus more on personal growth.