I'm writing this post from the Kindness Temple. This place has so much love, that at the very least, I want to express my gratitude in this form: sharing the aliveness growing in me thanks to all these Wednesdays of unconditional love.
1. Hermano Sri.
2. Definition of Greatness and the Drum Major Instinct.
3. Invaluable Heritage
1. Hermano Sri. Last night, brother Sri (a young and inspirng Doctor/Poet: Sriram Shamasunder) was the guest speaker at Wednesdays and he shared some truly remarkable stories from hisfive months of service in one of the poorest regions on the planet. It is hard to describe with words the images he showed us about the extreme poverty in Burundi and equally hard is to describe the shining eyes and beautiful smiles of the healed children. [I hope I can post soon one of the poems he wrote there, specially the one he read yesterday]. This man is the embodiment of service, a citizen of the World bringing the best of him to bring our lives into harmony with divine purpose. El hermano Sri is a leader who serves, a servant leader like many other servant leaders who are striving for the soul of live...
2. Definition of Greatness and the Drum Major Instinct. Another servant leader was Martin Luther King Jr. He said:
"We all have the drummajor instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. ... And the great issue of life is to harness the drummajor instinct. It is a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity."
"The definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant."
3. Invaluable Heritage
"I'd like somebody to mention that day [when I die] that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked. I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drummajor, say that I was a drummajor for justice. Say that I was a drummajor for peace. I was a drummajorfor righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter. I won't have any money to leave behind. I won't have the fine and luxurious things of life to leave behind. But I just want to leave a committed life behind."
For me, it is clear how Gandhi, King and Shamasunder connect betweeneach other through service. This quote from Martin Luther King Jr will disipate any doubts:
"If we are to have peace on Earth…we must develop a World perspective."
The inspiring service of hermano Sri, his committed life and his World perspective, altogether is an example of how a citizen of the World can planetize the Movement of the Ahimsa Revolution one heart at a time.
All these extraordinary human beings have left (and are leaving!) the best heritage we can have: to find the reason why we are on this planet, to find the meaning of life through service.
On Aug 20, 2009 Pancho wrote :
My family calls me Pancho and I love you all...
I'm writing this post from the Kindness Temple. This place has so much love, that at the very least, I want to express my gratitude in this form: sharing the aliveness growing in me thanks to all these Wednesdays of unconditional love.
1. Hermano Sri.
2. Definition of Greatness and the Drum Major Instinct.
3. Invaluable Heritage
1. Hermano Sri.
Last night, brother Sri (a young and inspirng Doctor/Poet: Sriram Shamasunder) was the guest speaker at Wednesdays and he shared some truly remarkable stories from his five months of service in one of the poorest regions on the planet. It is hard to describe with words the images he showed us about the extreme poverty in Burundi and equally hard is to describe the shining eyes and beautiful smiles of the healed children. [I hope I can post soon one of the poems he wrote there, specially the one he read yesterday]. This man is the embodiment of service, a citizen of the World bringing the best of him to bring our lives into harmony with divine purpose. El hermano Sri is a leader who serves, a servant leader like many other servant leaders who are striving for the soul of live...
2. Definition of Greatness and the Drum Major Instinct.
Another servant leader was Martin Luther King Jr. He said:
"We all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. ... And the great issue of life is to harness the drum major instinct. It is a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be the first in love. I want you to be the first in moral excellence. I want you to be the first in generosity."
"The definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant."
I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody.
I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry.
And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.
I want you to say on that day that I did try in my life to visit those who were in prison.
I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.
For me, it is clear how Gandhi, King and Shamasunder connect betweeneach other through service. This quote from Martin Luther King Jr will disipate any doubts:
"If we are to have peace on Earth…we must develop a World perspective."
The inspiring service of hermano Sri, his committed life and his World perspective, altogether is an example of how a citizen of the World can planetize the Movement of the Ahimsa Revolution one heart at a time.
All these extraordinary human beings have left (and are leaving!) the best heritage we can have: to find the reason why we are on this planet, to find the meaning of life through service.
May all become compassionate courageous and wise.