Kundalini Splendor

Note from Dorothy: I just spent the last hour naming all the friends I know who have given their lives to making the world a better place for us all--I think of them as the true "light givers" of our world. Then, before I could close, the entire entry diappeared off the screen. So I guess I will think of my expression of gratitude for this day like the blessings we write out and then burn in the fire--sending them on the way to heaven, rather than keeping them as relics below.
Thank you, everyone, for being my friends. You are the most precious gift one could hope to receive.


Gifts of Generosity

Anam Cara Foundation
Perennial Wisdom For The Soul's Journey

autumn

Greetings and Namaste!

On the eve of our Thanksgiving holiday it is an especially powerful time for everyone joining together in the contemplation of Giving Thanks. Every land, every tradition has their ways of bringing this to mind and celebrating the gifts we've received.

In practicing mindfulness, colored and flavored by gratitude, the spotlight of our attention goes to both the immediate comforts and pleasures for which we are grateful, and then continues going deeper and deeper to feelings of gratitude for what lies in those quiet, hidden places - of vulnerability, of interdependence, of the mysterious web of life and events that has brought us to this moment, with the blessings of a human birth, and the capacity to give beyond measure.

Giving thanks has been a part of human culture for thousands of years and this time in our northern hemisphere marks the harvest season, with its long tradition of celebrating the bounty that Mother Earth and Father Sun have provided us with. It's also a time of preparation for going into the dark cycle of the year. A reminder that not only does the body need its stores of food for times when these are scarce, but that the fullness of spirit also requires its stores of wisdom and love to deal with times of challenge, lack and dissolution.

We are so totally interdependent and fortunate to live in an era when we can fully see that interdependence concretely in our global environment, economics, agriculture, and health care. No longer is there any excuse for not knowing that for any of us to truly prosper we must all prosper.

May this be a blessed time for generously giving and giving thanks to all.

Wisdom's Gifts


The Runaway

The Place you are right now
God circled on a map for you. - Hafiz

The poet tells you
god has put a circle around you on a map
to locate you in sacred space.
Then why do you keep tunneling
underground,
carving labyrinths for your escape?

Dorothy Walters
Marrow of Flame, Hohm Press 2000; p. 9



Tears can feed
a pool of bitterness
or water the tree of love.
Cultivate the garden
that has been entrusted to you.

Martin Lowenthal
Writing in the Dark, Dedicated Life Publications 2009, p. 93



The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It is content with the low places that people disdain.
Thus is it like the Tao.

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don't try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.

When you are content to be simply yourself
and don't compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.

Tao Te Ching, 8 by Lao-tzu
Stephen Mitchell, Trans.
Harper Collins 1988


Upcoming Programs
Anam Cara Foundation, Bedford, NY

Sunday Dec. 13, 9am- 3:30pm
Abiding in Stillness - Gateway to the Sacred
This one day program will include meditation instruction, contemplations, chanting and a delicious vegetarian lunch. In this Holy season, give yourself time to step back from all the activities and come to rest in the Divine Presence, the source of lasting peace and good will toward all. Pre-registration required. Fee: $60, including lunch.

Tues. Jan. 12, 2010; 7:30-8:45
The Science & Art of Meditation
Start the New Year right with this informative and great introduction to the practice of meditation. Dr. Edwards will review some of the amazing brain research on meditation and how it supports optimal health and wellbeing. This is a wonderful program for people new to meditation and those who are interested in the scientific research on meditation. Suggested donation: $20.

Wed. Jan. 13, 20, 27, Feb. 3, 2010; 7-15- 8:45pm
Buddhist Wisdom Treasures II
Many people have been asking for a continuation of the Buddhst Wisdom Treasures for Non-Buddhists initial course and here it is! Start the New Year off with your highest good at heart. You don't have to have taken the first course, though it will be helpful, and of course you don't have to become a Buddhist to enjoy and benefit from the insights and wisdom of this great tradition. Pre-registration required. Fee: $125

Sat. Dec. 19th 7:00pm
Monthly Kirtan Night!
With Satya, Ma and Kalidas. Join us in this ancient and ecstatic practice of chanting the names of the Divine. Everyone is welcome!


Meditation Group Every Tuesday Evening:
Starts promptly at 7:30pm at our center at the Anam Cara Foundation 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.


For more information please visit our Events page (click here)

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 serve to help another to find love and compassion within 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, every moment, every breath.

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.

The Anam Cara Foundation 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 The Anam Cara Foundation. Because of your gifts we can offer free programs and instruction to thousands of people. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation please send it to address listed below.

I look forward to welcoming you in person to our programs.

With all my 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.
Lawrence signature
Lawrence Edwards, Ph.D.
Founder and Director
The Anam Cara Foundation

All newsletter contents copyrighted 2009

email: le@anamcara-ny.org
phone: 914-234-4800
web: http://www.anamcara-ny.org

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The Anam Cara Foundation | P.O. Box 215 | Bedford Hills | NY | 10507