Serving a community of private individuals and professionals who have the desire to cultivate a life of clarity, compassion, and creativity. Your feedback is encouraged. Please contact us at seishindo@seishindo.org.

1. Starting Line

One of my very first days visiting Kathmandu Nepal, a shopkeeper and myself sat drinking tea on the steps of his shop, and a beggar soon appeared. He looked to be anywhere from thirty to one hundred years old, he had long scraggly grey-brown hair, and he was barefoot and wearing a filthy garment that looked like a bed sheet that had not been washed for an awfully long time. On top of this garment he was wearing a suit jacket! He had beautiful piercing dark brown eyes, and he smiled in an inviting manner as he asked us for alms. The shopkeeper gave him the equivalent of about one cent. The man smiled and bowed, made one last gesture towards me, just to make sure that I did not want to add to his riches, and then he was on his way.

"Do you know about "karma" the shopkeeper asked?
"In the West, perhaps you call it destiny. We are all connected to each other in some way and the life we are living now is the result of how we have lived in other past lives." I nodded and said I was familiar with the concept.
"If you give alms of any significant amount to beggars, you intertwine your karma with theirs, and their fate will be dependent on your fate. If you do give, only give a cent or two so that your karma and their karma remain separate. If you give more than that, please know that you are not performing a random act." I nodded and thanked him for his sage advice.

A week later, walking with a Nepali friend, we came across a woman squatting alongside a very busy road, as she prayed and begged. Her face showed obvious scarring to her eyes and ears. Such scarring usually takes place for various religious reasons, and is not totally uncommon. I was attracted to the energy of this woman and we stopped to converse with her. It turned out that she was totally blind and partially deaf, and my friend had to scream in order for her to hear him. Without her asking I gave her about one dollar and we were quickly on our way.

After that I saw this woman almost every morning and I started giving her two or three dollars each time we met. When I left Nepal for the first time I sought her out with my friend, and had him scream to her and tell her I was leaving, but that I would be back some time in the future. I gave her about twenty dollars that day to help tide her over.

At the end of my second stay in Kathmandu I brought my friend with me again, to tell my beggar friend I would be leaving the next day. There she was crouched down on the noisy, crowded street as she prayed. We approached her, walking amongst boisterous children, busy adults, and livestock with clanking bells around their necks. When we were still about ten feet away she turned towards us, smiled with her scarred eyes and as we reached her she said "Namaste." Before we could crouch down and scream a reply, the woman asked my friend to thank me for my kindess. "How did you know it was us?" he asked.
"I can always feel the warmth of a kind hearted person." she said.

I think of her now, and hope in some small way, I might have eased her suffering, if only for a moment, as much as she has eased mine.

2. Main course

Today, I am inviting you to explore the boundaries of "self." I ask you to ponder where "I" begin and end. What is part of "me" and what is outside of "me"? What is "you" and what is "me"? What is "us" and what is "them"? If I was to show you a picture of "me" standing in a crowded room of friends and family, and ask you to draw a line around "me" how would you do so? Would you simply draw an oval encompassing my frame from head to foot? What if I showed you a picture of me out in nature. Would you draw a line around "me" taking in as little sky as possible?

When you think of "your self" does your definition of self include sunlight, potable water, food, a certain range of temperature and humidity, and air to breathe? Most likely you don't think of your "self" in quite this manner, but why not? If any of these all important elements are not present, "you" will soon cease to exist. You can't live without sunlight and water, but sunlight and water can live without you! Man needs nature. Man's very life depends on nature. But nature does not need or depend on man for life. Unless we say in this modern day and age, that nature depends on man to not destroy it, and man so often seems like he could care less.

When we say that an action/corporation/product is ecological we refer to how it supports the interdependence of all living organisms within an environment, which is itself a living organism. When we destroy any part of our natural environment we destroy a part of ourselves, because our personal ecology is fully dependent on the ecology of the natural elements that surrounds us.

I ask you again, "Can you live without potable water, oxygen, food, and sunlight? Can you live if the temperature and humidity of the earth's atmosphere was to change by more than about 15% on average? Can you live without depending on the natural elements for your life? Why is it that people in the industrialized world tend to label as "primitive" those cultures that teach that man and nature are inseparable, when indeed this is the case?

All of life requires an ecology, a balance, a conservative and corrective interplay between elements and energies. Every living system needs to be able to self correct, and every living system depends on elements outside of "itself" in order to maintain "itself." None of us live as separate entities depending only on our own will and intelligence.

Lately most human beings tend to treat the natural environment as a disposable item like a paper napkin or a pair of shoes. We use nature as a convenience item, or we use nature as a way to make money, and then we move on when we deplete the natural resources in a given area. Some people even treat their relationships with other people in a similar manner, and it is not all that surprising, if you really think that "me" is fully contained inside the boundaries of your own body.

When we disrespect nature we disrespect and misunderstand "me." When we are confused about who and what "me" is, it is that much easier to disrespect and misunderstand others. Just like human beings, no country is separate and complete unto itself. I hope that we will come to understand that caring for nature means caring for "me." That caring about "me" means caring about you. That caring about my country means caring about your country. That caring about "us", adds to the quality of all of life.

3. Practice: "Who am I? Who are You?"

Todays Practice offers you an active way to explore the ideas that I have presented in the paragraphs above. This exercise offers you a wonderful opportunity to gain a new perspective about yourself, the people you interact with, and your surroundings. Please do stop by the site and have a look.

4. Links

http://www.yokodana.com

Yoko Trading is a great company run by a friend. They offer:
Fine ceremonial Japanese kimono, vintage kimono, Japanese fabrics, antique Japanese textiles & garments, kimono accessories & decor antiques.

Locations in Japan & USA: Specialty Japanese kimonos, kimono by the pound, Japanese clothing, and Pre-war antiques & Much More Since 1989.

If you mention the Seishindo newsletter they will give you a discount!

5. Suggested Books by Cindy Franklin

"Focusing" by Eugene Gendlin, Ph.D.
This book is a classic. Research conducted in the 1970's at the University of Chicago studied what makes effective change occur for clients in therapy. Researchers came to the conclusion that it was not the orientation or actions of the therapist, but was certain key internal actions of clients, that made the difference. Those clients who got a "felt sense" of their issues, and who worked with and changed the way their problems concretely existed in their bodies, achieved change and transformation that others did not. Dr. Gendlin studied this process, which he came to call "Focusing." In this book he gives step-by-step instructions in the practice of focusing. This is a very practical and deeply rewarding book.

6. Suggested Music

CD: "Make me an Instrument" Kurt Van Sickle
This is a very soothing CD. The phrase "Make me an instrument Lord of thy peace" is sung over and over again in various permutations, and the effect is relaxing and calming. In particular I use this CD at times (either for myself or with clients) when I feel it is good to be reminded that we are not out in the world "on our own" and that it would be really wonderful to feel that the work "I" am doing is the work of God.

7. Endnote and Invitation

We invite you to send in
A) Questions and comments relating to what you read here.
B) Experiences that relate to the "Practices" presented.
C) The names of books/music/services/products, etc. you feel might be of interest to the Seishindo community. Please include a short write-up about your selections. Let us know whether or not it is OK to have your name appear with the information you share. We will do our best to address most if not all input. Please send all input to seishindo@seishindo.org.

8. Milestones

Today, we would like to honor our dear friend Ripudaman Pujji who passed away this summer. I met Mr. Pujji by accident in New Delhi, India some fifteen years ago. I was coming down a flight of stairs in a large office building, having just been told that a certain airlines was not going to honor my airline tickets. I was quite frustrated and muttering to myself, as I passed by numerous travel agencies on my way out of the building. As I passed by one office, the face of a regal gentleman seemed to shine forth as if lit by the sun, and I was immediately drawn to stop and talk to him.

Long story short, he helped me to get the flight that I had been denied just a few minutes before, and he became a life long friend, business associate, and advisor. He was one of the finest people I have had the honor to share my life with, and our hearts go out to his wife and family, during their painful time of transition.

* * *

This is a new section of our newsletter. We will use this space to acknowledge and honor various members of the Seishindo community. Graduations, marriages, births, passings, accomplishments of all kinds. If you have information that you feel is appropriate please send it to us at seishin@seishindo.org.

9. Copyright

Unless otherwise attributed, all material for the newsletter "Pure Heart, Simple Mind"(tm) is written and edited by Charlie Badenhop ©. All rights reserved.

You may reprint, copy, or distribute "Pure Heart, Simple Mind” (tm) provided you: a. Receive our written permission (which is likely). b. Attach the above copyright notice to our material. c. Do not sell our material to others. d. Keep the content of our material intact without any editing whatsoever.

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