.

Instead we are concerned with KEY IDEAS with which to read our world, extend relationships and integrate and focus our lives – and be of service to others.

Here are two such KEY IDEAS.  The first concerns  ’authenticity’ ;

"Is this book sub-title not a contradiction in terms?" (RP)

In his book  On Being Authentic Charles Guignon  apparently argues that ‘being authentic is to have a sincere story to tell about one’s life’. (I won’t have time to read this for a while but the idea of the book is very useful.)

Of course if we go all the time with teachers such as Eckhart Tolle the question arises; ‘Why value a story that is you?  That’s just another egoic trick to stop you realizing you are God.’

My view is that we soar on two wings – one is the unitive, with which Tolle helps as much as other greats such as Wilber but the world of duality to which we inevitably return, inbetween unitive experiences, is not God’s mistake, or our short-coming – it is the other wing of being and soaring – through which our consciousness is raised – and we come to know.

So in the world of duality, the world of time and things, what Baha’u'llah calls the contingent world and the Kingdom of Names, nesting reality through a set of stories makes sense – like Russian dolls.

'Russian memory-dolls for computer geeks!'

My story is inside my family’s story, which is inside our community’s story which is inside our ‘tribe’s’ story etc – right up to the story of humankind.  That makes sense as a way of seeing and reading the world – and of making of the parts a whole.

So according to this idea we achieve authenticity when we have a sincere story to tell about our lives.  This raises many questions, and is not sufficient for me, but we will discuss those issues on future courses.

Another way of looking at authenticity is to see what marketing gurus say.  Here is the view of Alina Wheeler, a brand marketing consultant;

Alina Wheeler's view of authenticity in brand identity

Given that the commercial world scans the spiritual world for ideas why shouldn’t we do the opposite?

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The second idea concerns ‘being in networks of relationships.’  This I will discuss in my next post.

I recently came across a very interesting post by J D Lejeune including a quotation attributed to Deepak Chopra;

Emotions are energy in motion. They bring us information if we are willing to experience them. Unfortunately, many of us are afraid of the energy of emotions and so we automatically resist them. And when we refuse to experience our emotions, we block them up. They become trapped and that entrapment drains our energy and brings continuing discomfort.

Don’t let emotions push you into action or reaction. Just STOP and PAY ATTENTION. Allow them to be and to speak to you. Once they are acknowledged, their energy is released.

“Instead of resisting any emotion, the best way to dispel it is to enter it fully, embrace it and see through your resistance.”

I was reminded of a similar comment from Dan Jordan in his essay, Becoming Your True Self.  About ‘anxiety’ Dr Jordan said. ‘Anxiety is energy without a goal.’

So goal-setting has an additional benefit your energy becomes achievement-focused instead of destructively free-floating!

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Interesting interview with Chopra on meditation and the use of mantras HERE

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‘Anxiety is energy without a goal’ – an additional good reason for goal-setting!

I stumbled across a contemplative woman whose life and insights shine out. Her name is Bernadette Roberts.

A fascinating interview on spiritualteachers.org is HERE

DVD, published and unpublished writings are listed on Bernadette’s Friends HERE

More HERE

More links etc at WikiPedia – HERE

An interesting site about Kevin Locke and US ‘first nation’ culture is HERE

Very interesting information about Kevin HERE

SEE higher quality video HERE

New Videos from EckhartTeachings

• Eckhart Tolle TV, “The Tao Te Ching”
• Eckhart Tolle TV, “To Think Or Not To Think.”
• Eckhart Tolle TV, “Spiritual Awakening in Daily Life”
• Eckhart Tolle TV Site Preview
• Eckhart Tolle, “What is my Responsibility?”
• Eckhart Tolle, “The Current Economy”

See also -  Eckhart TV channel

http://www.eckharttolletv.com

http://www.eckharttolletv.com

The 17 Central Concerns of Holistic, Human-centred studies inc Perennial Wisdom

The 17 Central Concerns of Holistic, Human-centred or Person-centred education are suggested as the planning, managing & evaluation criteria for any model of education that calls itself  ’Holistic’, Human-centred or, Person-centred  etc.

NB this also = a BOOKLIST and a COURSE-OUTLINE that demonstrates the essential features of the SunWALK Human-centred studies model.

Any such model, I argue will have to give a satisfactory, balanced, appropriate account of :

1 what it is to be fully & positively human.

2 the nature & characteristics of Holistic, Human-centred or Person-centred education.

3 the place of story and storying.

4 the central importance of meaning, its making and subjective & objective forms

5 appropriate & challenging forms of construing (subjective forms of expression)

6 appropriate & challenging forms of and de-construction (objective forms – ‘reading’, analysing etc.)

7 Interiority – and the physical, psychological & spiritual dimensions of learning & their inter-relationships

8 the re-establishment of the central importance of wisdom.

9 engendering and managing volition.

10 active and experiential learning

11 love /affect

12 knowing, knowledge & personal transformation

13 community – including friendship groups, class, family & wider community

14 multi-level-dialogue – intrapersonal and within friendship groups, class, family & wider comm.

15 the (chosen) sources of higher-order values & beliefs,

16 inspiration – the nature & implications of those higher-order values and beliefs – inc. the Whole, the nature of reality & the inevitable context of mystery (world-view)

17 finding & utilizing best available, appropriate, content for each element

NB suggested readings on next page below

Suggested Readings for the 17 concerns of Human-centred/Holistic studies – for managers, teachers, health workers, social workers, parents etc.

Course Key Question, to which all other questions relate = “What is it to be fully & positively human?”

1 Being Human – Heschel – Who is Man

2 A) What is Human-centred studies?  – RPs answer = the balancing antidote to de-humanization in any of the professions.  How? – by re-focusing on, “What does it mean to be fully and positively human – for me in my profession, and in my care of those for whom I’m responsible?”

B) What is Holistic Ed? – Jack Miller then Ron Miller Somewhat critical review of the Holistic Curriculum – but it shows a lot about the reviewer!

3 Story & Storying –  Peter Abbs –  Narratology – Narrative Studies (Applied) auto-ethnography

4 Meaning and its making – Heschel – Who is Man

5 Creativity – the subjective voice

A) Teaching of Fine Art/Performing arts etc. – find the best practice in whatever is the appropriate field for you.                                                     B) Arts in education i) – All Our Futures NAC Report for DfEE  -  ii) – Peter Abbs

6 Criticality – the objective voice.

A) PFC (Philosophy for Children) e.g. Bob Fisher Teaching Thinking: Philosophical Enquiry in the Classroom B) Best practice – in e.g Maths teaching, Sciences teaching, Technology and IT teaching etc (Choose from whatever is your field)

7 Interiority – Ken Wilber + Heschel’s Who is Man

8 Wisdom - HERE – NB Start with chapter by Gisela Labouvie-Vief         Prof Labouvie-Vief publications HERE

9 Volition  - Rollo May (Love and Will) –  then Assagioli and other humanistic and transpersonal psychologists

10 Active & Experiential Learning

11 Love/Affect – `Abdu’l-Bahá –  Affect (psychology)

12 Knowing – knowledge – & personal transformation – Wilber - Heschel – ‘Who is Man’

13 Community  - Bruner - Matthew Lipman

14 Multi-level dialogue – Nicholas C Burbules (his book on dialogue = the best) and Matthew Lipman - `Abdu’l-Bahá

15 Inspiration – the (chosen) sources of higher-order values & beliefs – Perennial Philosophy , Universalism – ~& then the great wisdom traditions

16 The ultimate context in which we all operate – (mystery and the unknown and unknowable) – the nature and implications of those (chosen) higher-order values and beliefs including the mystical – e.g.  Wilber -  Tolle - Karen Armstrong

17 Content – derive from best thinkers in each subject discipline.  Being driven by balancing the 4Cs – not so much by academic classifications

ADDITIONAL READINGS

1 True religion and what has gone wrong with religions – a) Karen Armstrong The Case for God.  b) Terry Eagleton in ‘Reason, Faith & Revolution – Reflections on the God Debate’.

2 The spiritual journey – Earthdream by Hamilton + Parker Palmer.

3 Psychology Prof synopses, Bill Huitt.   (on-line)

4 Fundamentalism – Terry Eagleton After Theory Chapters 7 & 8

7 For information on PCP Personal-Construct Psychology – George Kelly – start HERE

8 On Epiphany, insight via autobiography and ‘autoethnography applied’ see HERE