Spirituality & Practice

Rabbi Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun and chair of the interfaith and secular Network of Spiritual Progressives, shares his thoughts on applying love, caring, nonviolence, and generosity to the present situation following the terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, and elsewhere around the world. While the media cheerleads for fear and militarism, Lerner points out that the ancient strategies of revenge and payback should be out of the question; they lead only to more bloodshed. Healing will come only when we move beyond the unconscionable terrorist attacks of ISIS and the havoc the United States and other countries have reigned down on the innocent civilians in Syria and Iraq in drone attacks. He writes: "As long as our resources (and here I include not only the U.S. and the West, but also China and Russia) are primarily focused on military, economic, cultural and political domination of the world, what we saw in Paris will become an increasing reality worldwide."

(Response to each: Gracious God, give us generous hearts.) — to share whatever gift it is that you have given to us. . . — to acknowledge you as the giver of all good gifts. . . — to give without counting the cost. . . — to share without expecting something in return. . . — to be wise in the way of caring for ourselves and others. . . — to hold all of our treasures and values with open hands. . . — to have gospel priorities and to align our life, love and time in their light. . . — to be gracious and unbegrudging in our giving. . . — to recognize the abundance of blessings in each passing day. . . — to know the freedom that comes with true generosity. . . — to experience the heart of the widow giving her mite. . . — to accept our talents, whether many or few, and to use them in service of the Kingdom. . . — to grow in giving thanks for everything. . . — to be happy with having what we need and to be wise enough to know what it is that we want and do not need. . . — to fall more deeply in love with the God of all generosity so that our hearts are strong enough to give away freely whatever is asked. . . O gracious God, who so generously lavishes our lives with goodness, create in our hearts a deep center of gratitude, a center that grows so strong in its thanksgiving that sharing freely of our treasures becomes the norm and the pattern of our existence. Remind us often of how much you cherish us, of how abundantly you have offered gifts to us, especially in the hours of our greatest need. May we always be grateful for your reaching into our lives with surprises of joy, growth, and unearned love. Amen.

Sovereign Lord, We pray for the people who are charged with representing our nation as they bridge culture, race, and religion to painstakingly negotiate terms of trade and forge alliances of security. May they view their task as sacred and be filled with hope, creativity, and endurance so that the bonds they forge among nations may bring mutual benefit and lasting peace. Lord, help our leaders to look beyond grand palaces and corporate offices to consider carefully the effects that the policies they are creating will have on the humble homes of average citizens. May America be girded by the spirit of cooperation and generosity that recognizes the needs of others alongside our own so that the entire world might enjoy a common wealth of food, drink, shelter, education, and recreation. Lord, may America not succumb to imperial temptations; rather, through persons of character, remind us of our shared religious heritage of servanthood. May we use our power in concert with the international community so that we might together bring in a new era marked by justice and peace.

What factors determine how you earn, spend, invest, and give away your money? The answer reflects your cultural background, your values, your ideals, and even your perspective on democracy. Bringing thoughtful awareness to your relationship with money can lead to a fulfilling life and deepened civic commitment. Here are suggestions for approaching your finances in ways that promote democratic values like equality, freedom, and justice, as well as democratic virtues like fairness, integrity, and consideration of others. 1. Cultivate Financial Literacy Which core values of American democracy show up in how you spend your money? Making sure that you have basic financial literacy helps you align your values with your personal spending and government spending. Understanding Personal Spending: Develop an income and spending plan, even if the income is only a weekly allowance. Consider including savings and charitable giving as part of your plan. Think of what you spend in relation to your overall income. For example, think of the percentage of your income you spend on housing, the percentage you spend on entertainment, the percentage you give to charities, etc. Evaluate if you are spending your money on needs (something you must have, like sufficient food and water, shelter, basic health care) before you are spending it on wants (something you would like to have, like a new car, name-brand clothes, dining at a restaurant). When making a purchase, consider the cost of the item and what other item(s) its purchase will keep you from buying. For instance, budget only a certain amount for snacks each month. If you spend the budgeted amount during the first half of the month, you may need to skip snacks during the second half. Take the time to comparison shop and make informed choices. Keep records of your purchases. Learn your lesson when you make a bad spending decision. If you make an impulse decision and later regret it, use it as a reminder to make a budget and stick to it, even if it means delaying a purchase. Practice not buying something until you have enough to pay for it in cash. Remember that credit is borrowing money from someone and that they charge you for it. Take advantage of free online debt calculators to get a better idea of how interest accrues. Remember that money needs to be set aside consistently for your savings to grow over time, and that it may take both investing and time to see substantial growth. Use one of the many free or low-cost online resources to make sure that every family member is financially literate, like those listed at https://www.mint.com/ultimate-resources-for-teaching-kids-about-money, or a free lesson plan like this one at https://www.incharge.org/financial-literacy/resources-for-teachers/financial-literacy-for-kids/. Understanding Government Spending: Several helpful websites, like https://www.usa.gov/budget, explain the government’s budget process. Pie charts showing the percentages of government spending in key categories are available from several sites, including this one. Review the chart to see if you agree with the allocation of government resources. Express your opinions to your representatives in Congress and/or your local newspaper. When you purchase an item that is taxed, say a prayer of gratitude for your ability to make the purchase. Then add a prayer that government leaders will make wise and responsible use of tax revenues. When you pay your taxes, take a moment to be thankful for some of the benefits they bring like freedom of the press, paved roads, public schools and libraries, national parks, and Medicare coverage for elders. Commit to learn about one tax-funded program and the people who benefit from the program. This Tax Day Ritual for individuals and families includes expressions of gratitude and sorrows and a prayer to be said before you submit or mail in your taxes. 2. Be Thrifty As you work on your financial literacy, you may discover that some words that refer to how money is used have gone out of vogue in contemporary America. "Thrift" is one of them. It is associated with hard work, regular savings, and careful stewardship of resources. In Franklin's Thrift, David Blankenhorn, Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, and Sorcha Brophy-Warren make the connection between thrift and democracy: "Thrift is broadly democratic in its ambition and reach. It aims to create mass prosperity. Toward that end, it seeks to bring new people, often immigrants and the working poor, into its compass and to unite such people in cooperative institutions. Thrift is also democratic in its faith in the power of education. Thrift leaders and institutions have consistently made it a priority to teach children about saving, conserving, and being generous to others." Reflect upon your associations with the word "thrifty." Then identify some ways that you can embrace this broadly democratic virtue in your money practices. Share your ideas with your partner, family, or friends. 3. Practice Socially Responsible Economics In Resisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological and Economical Transformation, Cynthia D. Moe-Lobeda, a professor of Christian ethics, expresses her view that economic oppression, racism, and gender-based oppression are "inextricably intertwined." She calls upon those who are economically privileged (those able to make economic choices that promote economic justice and ecological health without endangering themselves or their dependents) to follow God’s call to love neighbor as self. Moe-Lobeda offers multiple practices for honoring each other and the Earth that promote the common good, equality, and justice for all: When it comes to transportation and space, ask yourself if you need a new car or larger house. What would it mean to spend that money on public transportation or supporting local housing initiatives? Invest your money in socially responsible and ethical ways. Here are some of the many investment indexes for companies’ environmental, social, and governance practices: https://www.msci.com/msci-usa-esg-select-index https://www.msci.com/msci-low-carbon-indexes https://www.ftse.com/products/indices/ftse4good https://eu.spindices.com/indices/equity/sp-500-fossil-fuel-free-index An investment professional should also be able to give you helpful information regarding responsible investing. There are also multiple websites that rate a company’s social responsibility for consumers, such as: https://www.goodguide.com https://bcorporation.net/ https://www.smartrecruiters.com/blog/top-20-corporate-social-responsibility-initiatives-of-2018/ Petition your legislators at the local, state, and national levels to fund aid programs. Support community-organizing campaigns, such as a living-wage campaign or a Jubilee Campaign to cancel debt. Buy goods at alternative venues like co-ops and worker-owned businesses. Consider using municipality-owned services like cable, phone, or internet services; local or regional banks; community-supported agriculture and farmers’ markets for your needs. 4. Give to Charities As the needs for government support collide with demands from some politicians to cut government spending, charitable organizations are called upon to provide a safety net for poor and disadvantaged citizens; they are addressing everything from food insecurity to housing shortages to insufficient medical care. When you read the mission statements of many nonprofits, you will see they are committed to such democratic values as equality, freedom, independence, and justice for all. Their programs encourage such democratic virtues as caring, dignity, fairness, respect, and social conscience. An Internet search will yield names and contact information for many charities, and you can read about their programs on their websites. To get into the habit of charitable giving, try one of these simple practices suggested by Rabbi David Cooper in God Is a Verb. Take one dollar and fold it a few times. Put a paper clip on it and keep it handy in your pocket or purse. The next time you see a stranger who is asking for charity, no matter what he or she looks like, give away this dollar. Try to have a dollar in your pocket all the time to give away. Write a check for five or ten dollars, leaving the name black. Put it on your fridge with a magnet so that you will be constantly reminded of it. The next letter or advertisement you see asking for charity, fill in the name and send this check. Try to do this at least once a month. 5. Build a Relationship Economy Many Americans seem to be buying less and making and sharing more as they establish and grow their communities. Customer reviews of products are more important than ever, making the relationship between the companies and their customers of primary importance. Rather than focusing on transactions, many American businesses are shifting to relationship building with their customers, employees, and other business partners. Some governmental agencies seem to be gaining awareness of their relationships with the public, becoming more transparent with their budgets and other information of public interest. Use the following prompts to reflect on how you can become more engaged in the relationship economy: Who are your neighbors at home and at work? How can you build a sharing economy with them? How can you change your spending to reflect your appreciation of having a good relationship with those who provide goods and services? If you are run a business, how can you focus on building a relationship between the company and customer? How can you have authentic, mutually beneficial conversations with customers about your product/service? 6. Participate in a Co-op A cooperative (co-op) is a great place to practice democratic values of equality, the common good, and popular sovereignty while also getting to know those in your community. A co-op is an association of people who join to meet a shared need or goal, whether economic or social, through joint-ownership. Co-op members control the direction of business democratically, usually with one vote per member and an elected board of directors. Also, co-ops return their financial gain to their members in some form, such as discounts or refunds. Common types of co-ops include housing or building co-ops, public utility co-ops, agricultural co-ops, co-op banks or credit unions, and retail co-ops (like a food co-op). A counterbalance to the concentration of wealth and power in government, cooperatives are an example of a way to accumulate common assets. Co-ops offer not only ownership, but also a community with opportunities to belong and to serve. Of course, you also enjoy the use of the co-op’s product/service. Like any democracy, you need to give it some of your time to make a co-op work well. Since co-ops are like mini-democracies, practice your democratic values and virtues by not only joining but also by actively participating in the co-op of your choice. 7. Go Interest-Free In The Problem of Wealth: A Christian Response to a Culture of Affluence, theology professor Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty writes that Islamic financial institutions "do not consider money to be a commodity or capital. Rather, money is understood to be 'potential capital' that can only be put into productive use through the labor and services of a human being." Islam prohibits charging interest (riba) on money loaned. Not only do Islamic banks not charge interest on loans, they only invest in real assets, and they do not invest in drugs, alcohol, gambling, pornography, weapons or military equipment, or pork. The Islamic finance system is an equity system in which the creditor and borrower are more like shareholders, sharing both in the benefits and in the losses in accordance with their level of participation in the service or labor performed. Take a moment to consider the merits of this perspective. What do you think of the idea that money isn’t capital until it has been put to productive use by someone? Do you think a lender should be a person who sees that money is used productively? What are the benefits of such a system? Are there any ways you can modify your purchasing to be interest-free? 8. Follow the Money These days not only do our mailboxes get filled with paid political advertisements, so do our inboxes and newsfeeds. Identifying who funds these advertisements is critically important but not easy to do. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision designated corporations as persons, allowing corporate political contributions to be designated a form of free speech. This decision resulted in the establishment of hundreds of 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations through which political-action committees, special interests, and corporations can funnel unlimited political donations. Because there is no donor transparency, these donations are referred to as "dark money," and dark money is funding smear campaigns in local, state, and national elections. This activity is not limited to one group or position on the political spectrum; Republicans, Democrats, and Independents may all find themselves supported by or attacked by groups with access to dark money. The intention behind an influx of dark money into an election is often to elect candidates who can be pressured into supporting these "anonymous" donors' agenda; often the donor is a corporation. The documentary Dark Money directed by Kimberly Reed reveals the impact of dark money on Republican primary elections in Montana. Many Americans feel that the aftermath of Citizens United is an erosion of the democratic value of popular sovereignty. With the increasing prevalence of dark money, elections are being influenced — and thereby the government is being controlled by — corporations. Here are some actions you can take to move the country back in the direction of an electoral system that reflects the democratic value of one person, one vote: When you receive a political advertisement, do as much research as you can about the group that funds the advertisement. You may find the website http://www.opensecrets.org helpful. Fact check the claims in the advertisement through sites such as https://www.factcheck.org/, http://www.snopes.com and https://www.politifact.com/. Make the issue of dark money in politics a top priority when you talk with associates or write to your representatives. Participate in grassroots movements that are working to challenge dark money's influence on elections. Become a part of efforts to pass electoral system reform laws. Vote for candidates who support overturning the Citizens United decision. 9. Bridge the Gap Do you identify as a "have" or a "have not"? Are you a part of "the 1%" or "the 99%"? To truly have liberty and justice for all, , we must listen to people who have different financial resources than our own. The first step to bridging the gap between you and those in a different income group, whom you perceive as "other" may be to strive to see people as individuals — with their own stories, their own hearts, their own fears, their own longings — rather than to depersonalize them by labeling them or their group. Consider the next time you see a person who is homeless. Your paths might have crossed before. She might have been your cashier when you ran errands a few months ago, but you didn’t notice her. What you didn’t know was that her hourly wage was insufficient to cover her living expenses. When she had medical issues that were not completely covered by her insurance, she stopped getting the treatment she needed, which affected her work performance. After not being able to meet her medical and other living expenses, and after being fired for being late or missing hours because of her medical condition, she became homeless. You have investments in the company that did not pay her a living wage. Or, consider the next time you see a person who you consider to be wealthy. Perhaps what you don’t see is that this man is responsible for multiple charitable foundations that help many people in need. He may be single-handedly supporting more people, both directly and indirectly, than you can imagine. The point is that we don’t know what another person’s story is until we get to know them. So, assume the best of those people you’re tempted to consider "other." Don't evaluate them based on whether they have money or not. Ask them questions about their likes and loves. Get to know their stories. You might also try this suggestion from Dr. Mark Brady’s The Wisdom of Listening: Author Christine Longaker suggests seeing the "other" as "another you." Longaker recommends letting go of the traditional role you assign to this other person and envisioning them as another you, with the same desires and the same fears. Imagine changing places with this person so that you're in their life with their history and with their present experience -- with the same feelings, insecurities, and longings. Then imagine seeing yourself through the other person's eyes and ask yourself: What would I most want from this person? What would I most need from them? Try this with someone you know, such as a boss or an employee; then broaden the exercise to a whole category of people, such as all rich people or all poor people. As you record your experience in a journal or report it to a friend, consider how this kind of spiritual work, putting yourself in another's shoes, supports the democratic value of E Pluribus Unum, “Out of many — One. Additional Resources More resources related to the Practicing Democracy Project. Download additional Practicing Democracy Guides. More on consumerism. More on generosity. More on kindness. More on poverty. To sign up for an online course on practicing spirituality with money, visit: spiritualityandpractice.com/ecourses/course/view/79/practicing-spirituality-with-money This Practicing Democracy Guide is copyright © 2019 by Spirituality & Practice (SpiritualityandPractice.com), a multifaith website presenting resources for spiritual journeys as part of the Practicing Democracy Project. The guide was researched and written by Kristin Ritzau and Habib Todd Boerger, Practicing Democracy Fellows. Democratic values, virtues, and spiritual practices chart researched and created by Habib Todd Boerger. Photo credit: Nattanan Kanchanaprat at Pixabay.com For more information on the Project, visit PracticingDemocracy.net.

We missed this book when it first came out but recently were talking with a friend who had been using it with a small group of friends for the past year for regular discussions. We decided to check out what she has found so useful, and we're glad we did. Rachel Cowan is a rabbi and director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, and Linda Thal is a Jewish educator and founding codirector of the Yedidya Center for Jewish Spiritual Direction. Drawing from what they have learned from overseeing Wise Aging groups for meditation study, sharing stories, and insights on their spiritual journeys, the authors provide a spiritual perspective on this adventurous stage of life. The spiritual practices of Torah study, prayer, mindfulness, meditation, tikun midot (the development of ethical character traits), yoga, and singing are offered as antidotes to ageism and the fears that this stage of life will be characterized by our becoming invisible, irrelevant, and vulnerable. Cowan and Thal are intent upon accentuating aging as an opportunity for growth, discovery, and meaning. The challenge of living in the present can be fortified by mindfulness meditation, blessing practice, and journaling. With the perspective of distance, elders can reframe the stories which have shaped them and begin work on a life review. According to the authors, aging bears many gifts, including the chance to befriend our bodies and to cultivate nourishing relationships. In thematically rich chapters, Cowan and Thal write cogently about forgiveness and reconciliation, cultivating spiritual qualities for well-being (gratitude, generosity, patience, joy, and equanimity), living with loss and finding light, conscious dying, and legacy and stewardship. Along the way, the authors offer insights, tips, and exercises on letting go of what we no longer need, somatic knowing, living in an interdependent world, dealing with criticism from others, having joy carry us through hard times, facing death, and understanding one's legacy. Wise Aging is a deeply spiritual and eminently practical resource for handling both the blessings and the setbacks of aging.

"Like everyone I know, we occasionally find ourselves faced with a decision to which there is no obvious answer. Do we borrow money to build a bigger barn, or do we keep getting by with what we have? Do we spend our meager savings on trees and soil amendments, or do we keep our money for a rainy day? Do we cull a beloved-but-high-maintenance animal, or continue accommodating her needs? And so on. "At these times, it's helped us immeasurably to have a list of touchstone principles, ideas, and ideals we can return to. This is not a literal list, etched into stone or rolled into a yellowed scroll, although years ago we did create a written document to help us determine the direction of our land-based practices. "Truthfully, we are not always able to act in harmony with these principles. There are times when circumstances compel us to behave otherwise. But even in these cases, it's valuable to understand and acknowledge the compromise we're making. "The way we think, act, and perceive the world is a reflection of the world we wish to inhabit. There is little encouragement for discernment in the modern consumer economy, because of course discernment is rarely profitable to anyone but the discerning. By and large, the extractive economy depends on people not understanding the connection between their individual choices and the impact those choices have on their communities and the world at large. Which is really just another way of saying it depends on people feeling powerless. "It's always easiest to do what everyone else is doing. A couple of years ago, our sons' trapping and wilderness skills mentor wrote them a long letter. The letter was about many things, and one of those things was facing the challenge of finding their way in this world, with its conflicting forces of beauty and tragedy. 'It is always easiest to do what everyone else is doing;' wrote our boys' friend, and that line has stuck with me ever since. I turn to it time and again, generally when faced with a task or decision that is hard and perhaps even overwhelming, and which, if we'd chosen a different life, we might not even face at all. It is always easiest to do what everyone else is doing. And then I remind myself: Easiest, yes. But not necessarily the most satisfying or correct. "We will produce the most nourishing food possible. This may seem painfully obvious, but I still find it valuable to remind myself of the simple fact that producing real food is one of our primary goals. The optimal development of human health, emotion, intellect, and spirit cannot happen in the absence of true nourishment, which simply cannot be found in a box or can, no matter what labels are attached to it. Also, due to the increasing prevalence of environmental contaminants that none of us can avoid, support of good health through deep nutrition is essential. "Real nutrition comes only from vital soils that enable plants and animals to express their full potential. Organic is not enough. Macronutrients are not enough. The only soils capable of producing truly nourishing foods are biologically active soils that have been returned to proper balance through remineralization and organic fertility. "The labor to produce nourishing food is itself of value. I have to admit, I did not always see it this way. But over the years, I have come to understand that the value of the foods we produce is only partly found in the foods themselves. Indeed, I now understand that the labor itself holds a deep and intrinsic value; it maintains our physical health, it connects us to the land and nature, it fosters our intellect with new skills, and it develops the spirit. The sense of labor's role in feeding my family's body and spirit is so profound that it occasionally seems to me as if the food itself is merely a byproduct. "All of this does not mean we never utilize laborsaving technologies or seek to make our processes more efficient. In fact, we do this all the time, simply because doing so allows us to devote our energies toward completing other tasks or learning new skills. "Do not let the logic of the market dictate the logic of the homestead. According to the logic of the market, I should quit making butter and get a job, because I can earn more at my job than it costs to buy my butter. According to the logic of the market, I should buy all my food at the lowest possible price, with money I've earned by selling my time (aka my life) to the highest bidder. The truth is, the logic of the homestead rarely conforms to the logic of the market. It will almost always be cheaper/faster/easier to allow industry to provide, particularly if one is not discerning about the quality of the products offered. What logic does the homestead conform to? The logic that what you eat and how it was produced matters. The logic of vibrant health. The logic of making a life, and not merely a living. "Resilience of systems is the outgrowth of diversity, redundancy, simplicity, and, ultimately, resourcefulness. Diversity means that a failure of one crop can be offset by the abundance of another; redundancy means that a failure of one delivery mechanism — be it for water, heat, or fertility — can be offset by the continued operation of another; simplicity means that neither diversity nor redundancy is dependent on complex systems or mechanisms requiring specialized knowledge or components beyond the reach of the landowner. "Resourcefulness of body, emotion, spirit, and skills is just as important as resilience of systems. Because when systems fail, as is possible no matter how materially resilient they are, it will be resourcefulness of body, emotion, and spirit that carries the day. No change is certain; the only certainty is that things will change. True homestead resourcefulness depends on being adaptable not only to the change we expect but also to the possibility that things will not change as we expect. Being too invested in any particular outcome can lead to disillusionment when these changes do not unfold as anticipated. "Resourcefulness of body, emotion, and spirit is the outgrowth of health, skills, community, gratitude, generosity, and love. Investments in health, skills, community, gratitude, generosity, and love provide the sort of unconditional security that is not dependent on economic conditions. "The manner in which you spend your time is, in fact, the manner in which you spend your life. Time is not money; it is life. The notion that time and money can be conflated is enormously convenient to the industries that would like us to view our lives as being worth nothing more than whatever money we can earn so that we might buy whatever they are selling. "We are not stewards of the land; the land is the steward of us. The notion that humans should serve as 'good stewards of the land,' while well intentioned, is rooted in the fallacy that humans should seek to guide and influence nature. I believe that the reality is precisely the opposite, and our continued survival as a species depends upon us understanding that nature is our caregiver, rather than the other way around. The land is the steward of us, and we should treat her with the respect our caregiver deserves, always considering how our actions impact the natural world. This does not mean we won't affect the land for specific purposes. Rather, it serves as a reminder of our dependence on healthy ecosystems, and it humbles us to the truth that while the land would thrive in our absence, the reverse is not so true. "The more we mimic nature's processes, the greater success we will have. As restoration agriculture advocate Mark Shepard is fond of saying, 'We spend all our time trying to kill what wants to live, and trying to save things that want to die.' Much of that effort is expended in our attempt to compel food production systems to conform to preconceived notions of what agriculture should look like, rather than simply observing what plants and animals are naturally inclined to do. "Interdependence, not self-sufficiency. The more interdependence we develop with family, friends, neighbors, and community, the less dependent we become on institutions far beyond our sphere of influence. It is critical to acknowledge that our neighbors' needs are our needs. We must also be willing to humble ourselves into asking for assistance. There is nothing that industry wants more than for us to believe we should never need or accept help from our friends, family, neighbors, and communities. "Choice awareness. As much as we are able, Penny and I try not to think of ourselves as being faced with decisions to which we must react, which is a defensive position that will inevitably result in hurried (and therefore not well-considered) decision making. Instead, we prefer to think of ourselves as being proactively at choice. As with many of these ideas, this is one we are still working on. "Living in alignment. It is important to us that our daily activities comprise as much as possible actions we enjoy and which can be defended ethically and intellectually, not only from the perspective of humanity, but also from that of the natural world. "The pebble principle. The pebble principle refers to the idea that through our choices and actions, each a proverbial pebble dropped into the ocean of the world, we all generate waves of influence that reverberate through our communities and beyond. Often, we cannot know which of our choices and actions are generating these waves or how they will be received. But we can remember that every decision and everything we do carries ramifications that reach beyond our cognitive powers of observation. "The shore principle. The shore principle refers to the idea that just as we are all droppers of pebbles, we are also all receivers of waves. We are all shores, and we all have the power to determine which waves of influence we absorb and which we deflect. In short, the shore principle is the art of discernment, which I spoke of earlier. "Observation, not conceptualization. Penny and I frequently remind ourselves to not allow our powers of observation — of how things are — to be thwarted by our concept of how things should be. That's because our concepts are too often built on a foundation of flawed expectations and assumptions developed by dysfunctional institutions and detrimental practices. "When in doubt, be generous. We all inhabit a society that is largely influenced by an economic model that encourages accumulation and stinginess. In fact, it rewards these 'virtues,' via the self-perpetuating nature of interest-bearing asset accumulation. We have actually come to view generosity as a form of activism, and perhaps the most urgent form of activism our culture needs. To us, being generous does not mean giving everything away, but it does mean remembering that one of our goals in life is not to accumulate more than we reasonably need."

For more than 30 years, Carolyn Hobbs has used the heart teachings in this book with clients, couples, and workshop students. Its goal is to help readers to wake up free of unconscious ego habits, to find inner peace, and to see that freedom is a real place in the heart. The path to liberation requires that we square off with the ego's attempts to resist life and react personally; its need to create an unreal world of different, better, and easier; and its preferences for one thing over another. Hobbs challenges us to be present with our trusting heart and to reap the benefits of conscious choice, simple questions, responsibility, fearless love, and acceptance. At the end of the chapters, the author ponders heart tools for trusting the present, for being curious, for awakening, for self-sourcing, and for compassion. Hobbs picks up the pace as she rounds the corners and heads for home with rich resources and practices on bringing freedom and inner peace into the world. Here you will discover awesome chapters on generosity, appreciation, letting go, integrity, and surrender. What does it mean to totally accept life as it is? Hobbs reveals that it involves three N's: Nonresistance, nonjudgment, and nonattachment. In addition we must seek life-enhancing freedom in strange places and consistently bring this precious virtue into our love relationships. Free Yourself is a truly transformative sacred work tailor-made for spiritually independents.

"In the grasslands, the forests, the deserts, and the seas, animals learn to get along. They tolerate each other's differences and embrace diversity. We are part of the same animal kingdom. We, too, can learn to live in harmony with the world around us!" writes Rebeca Orozco in this charming children's book for kids ages 5 and up. Animals are our spiritual teachers but as indigenous people know, it takes time, patience, and an open heart to learn from them. Orozco presents short but poetic lessons from a monkey (altruism), a flamingo (community), a dolphin (communication), an elephant (generosity), an armadillo (responsibility), a crocodile (trust), an octopus (commitment), a penguin (solidarity), a wolf (brotherhood), and a wildebeest (tolerance). There is a wealth of edifying material in It's Our Nature and it comes at a time when far too many human beings are still blind to the soulful gifts that animals possess. Share this book with others so that it can reach as many children as possible!

Wendy Lustbader is an author, social worker, and professor who works with older people, their families and caregivers. She has collected a crosscut of elder voices from interviews, therapy sessions, conversations with older friends, research articles, films, blogs, radio vignettes, and chance encounters on buses and in cafes. The author is convinced that it is time to throw out our negative assumptions about aging and listen instead to those who have experienced a flourishing as they age. According to Lustbader, researchers who examined a telephone survey of over 340,000 Americans in 2008 found that older people, on average, are "happier and less stressed" than young people. Exploring ourselves, realizing our assets and limitations is a lifelong project. As we get older, our true colors show at last. And we are less willing to let the opinions of others determine our days or our deeds. Life also gets "lighter" as we let go of the arbitrary divisions of status and class. The disappointments that arise out of comparisons no longer seem to be important or necessary. "To be wealthy in relationships comes to seem the most valuable kind of fortune," observes Lustbader. Siblings draw closer together and become friends. Old friends are treasured as those who know the road-maps of our lives. And long-lived couples give us hope that love and commitment are possible for more married persons. Talking to older people, Lustbader discovered that "spiritual needs pull at us like a rising tide. Our interest in the sacred increases as loved ones die and our attachment to the material world fades." When asked about having the experience of seeing or feeling the presence of a loved one who has died, a surprising number of people answer in the affirmative and have stories to tell about their experience. The losses we have gone through make older people more susceptible to serving the broader claims of community. Part of this process is generosity and part of it is the universal need to feel useful. More than any other stage of life, older adults are sensitive to the importance of both giving and receiving. The harder one is accepting help from others and becoming dependent on them. Interdependence becomes a major motif in our lives and we begin to take seriously the ties which bind us together in a sacred union. Although our bodies may show the strain and pressures of a long life, mental resilience is a character trait that can be a guiding light for us. We have adapt ourselves to new situations, people, and conditions and that requires courage and flexibility. Some of the major challenges include: letting go, going through illness, slowing down, and not sinking into the quicksand of depression or despair.

Georg Feuerstein is the author of more than 30 books and an educator who offers distance-learning courses on Yoga philosophy and history. In his preface to this excellent resource, he notes the enormity and breadth of the problems we face in the twenty-first century. He agrees with Albert Einstein who once observed: "The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life." Feuerstein's goal here is to "outline the moral teachings of Yoga as an integral aspect of Yoga's program of spiritual self-transformation." The cultivation of virtue is a noble path that honors the interdependence of all beings and things and leads to wisdom and service of others. The author does a fine job assessing the five key virtues which are acknowledged by Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism: nonharming, truthfulness, nonstealing, nongrasping (greedlessness) and chastity. It is commendable to practice nonharming in action, thought, and word, and so we ask ourselves whether what we do for a living involves harming others in ways that are not morally justifiable, such as spreading gossip, competitiveness, our food habits, our consumer choices. Feuerstein looks at truthfulness and sees it at an all-time low in politics, the corporate world (including advertising and marketing), and the media. In his discussion of nonstealing, the author includes the problems of gambling, debt, inordinate wealth, identity theft, hacking, racketeering, and fraud. Theologian and novelist Andrew Greeley has called greed "America's disease." Antidotes to this way of life include voluntary simplicity and radical nonattachment. Feuerstein sees compassion and love as a 24-7 attitude, which embraces all beings. He concludes with a discussion of some miscellaneous yogic virtues that we possess "whenever self-centeredness has been suspended and the mind's characteristic turmoil has been properly pacified."