[Dialogue] An Evolution of Spiritual Action

[LAURELCG@aol.com]

Forwarded by Jann McGuire

An Evolution of Spiritual Action
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> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Summer 2005
> _________________________________
>
> Contact:
> Robert Rabbin
> info at radicalsages.com
> http://www.radicalsages.com
>
>
> An Evolution of Spiritual Action
>
> Robert Rabbin launches online hub of spiritual activism.
>
>
> San Francisco, CA:San Francisco-based writer, speaker, and life-long 
> mystic Robert Rabbin has just launched Radical Sages, a web site for 
> an emerging group of boomer-generation spiritual seekers who are 
> forsaking the mountain tops of transcendence for the urban streets of 
> social and political activism. The mission of Radical Sages is 
> toinform, inspire, and mobilize this global community into a unified 
> force for social renewal and political reform. The Radical Sages web 
> site is a unique combination of newswire, action center, and resource 
> library -- a hub of engagement for spiritual seekers and a refuge of 
> inspiration for hardened activists.
>
> Rabbin started Radical Sages as a portal through which both inner and 
> outer directed people can find new sources of spiritual connection and 
> meaning through action. "The embodiment of spiritual wisdom is through 
> committed action. The only way to distinguish 'altered states' is 
> through 'altered traits.' Such terms asengaged Buddhismandspiritual 
> activism are really redundant -- as long as we have life we are 
> engaged and active. We have to convert inner realization to conscious 
> choice."
>
> The user-friendly navigation bar leads visitors through layers of news 
> stories, action alerts, media releases, exclusive essays by well-known 
> spiritual leaders, world documents, speeches and interviews, and 
> Rabbin's SageBlog. There is also a special section for contributions 
> from kids. Another exclusive feature is the stable of social 
> commentators Rabbin has just begun to assemble--yoga and meditation 
> teachers and spiritual leaders who will offer analysis and opinion of 
> current events from a "higher consciousness" perspective. Future plans 
> include a Radical Sages web ring and an online store of merchandise 
> branded with the Radical Sages logo. People are encouraged to 
> volunteer their time and expertise to promote and expand Radical 
> Sages.
>
> It is also a social movement, the heart of which is the recognition 
> that "inner spiritual work and transformational social action are as 
> inseparable as flower and fragrance." But this realization was not 
> initially apparent to Rabbin; it came slowly into view after many 
> years and many journeys.
>
> With the 1971 publication of Ram Dass' seminal book, Be Here 
> Now,thousands of young Americans "turned on, tuned in, and dropped 
> out"--embracing the inward journey to self-realization espoused by the 
> consciousness pioneers of that era. Inspired by the burgeoning "new 
> age" of kaleidoscopic mysticism and disillusioned with the cultural 
> touchstone of materialism and the ethos of the military-industrial 
> complex, thousands of people embraced a mixed bag of transcendent 
> philosophies and meditative practices. Robert Rabbin was among them.
>
> As a high school senior in 1968, Rabbin formed a campus political 
> committee to educate and motivate students, worked on Sen. Eugene 
> McCarthy's presidential campaign, and joined anti-Viet Nam war 
> marches. "I went to Sacramento to study political science, but an 
> epiphany I had experienced when I was eleven years old wouldn't leave 
> me alone." Over-riding his political interest and social concerns was 
> a spiritual concern: "I had experienced the spiritual world behind 
> this material world, and I was compelled to explore that. I couldn't 
> give myself to anything until I had resolved the questions about who I 
> was and the nature of reality." Traveling restlessly through Europe 
> and the Middle East, he met a number of fellow seekers who had been to 
> India, and he decided to go. Following a four-month overland trek to 
> India, Robert met meditation master Swami Muktananda. "The spiritual 
> awakenings I had with Muktananda were so profound, I knew that is 
> where I belonged." For the next ten years, Rabbin remained under the 
> spiritual tutelage of this famed master.
>
> Shortly after Muktananda's death, Robert began an eclectic career of 
> writing, teaching, executive coaching and consulting. "Even though I 
> worked in the world, I maintained a kind of transcendental distance 
> from life. I was only at home in the silence of my inner being; I was 
> not truly comfortable in the world. I had found my Self, but I had 
> lost touch with my humanness. While I had love for everything, I had 
> nofeeling oraffection for anyone or anything.
>
> "The shadow side of spiritual work is the risk of mistaking detachment 
> for dissociation, and using spiritual concepts and ideals to be 
> socially and politically aloof and disengaged. It's almost as if 
> apathy is a badge of honor among spiritual practitioners, especially 
> those who engage in contemplative practices like meditation. We turn 
> inward to find an antidote to confusion, pain, and alienation, all of 
> which seem to be embedded in the world. Once we find the inner 
> currents of peace and love, we are not inclined to re-engage with the 
> same world from which we turned. I was a poster child for that 
> philosophy."
>
> Coinciding with the events of September 11, 2001, Rabbin says he 
> experienced a full healing of the "core wound of humanity--separation 
> from life itself. I experienced a reunion with life, and every cell in 
> my body realized that there had never been any separation. In both a 
> metaphorical and literal way, I and the world became one. The subtle 
> polarities of inner and outer, spiritual and worldly, ego and Self all 
> disappeared."
>
> As a result of this experience, Rabbin said he was compelled to embody 
> the words of Kabbalah:First we receive the Light. Then we impart the 
> Light. Thus we repair the world. "Repairing the world requires that we 
> add responsibility to realization, caring to love, and action to 
> insight. If there is no inner peace, can there be peace in the world? 
> And, likewise, if there is no peace in the world, can there be inner 
> peace? Inner and outer are more than mirror images of each other: they 
> areeach other," he concluded. "Each generation must create its own 
> authenticexpressionof spiritual wisdom. Our time is calling us to 
> participate wholeheartedly in social and political life, to evolve the 
> ideal of sage as 'aloof witness' to sage as 'passionate advocate for 
> peace, freedom, and social justice.'"
>
> While people often bond with others along religious or political party 
> affiliation, Rabbin avoids this convention. He points to Paul Ray's 
> definitive work oncultural creatives,people associated more by values 
> than by religion or politics. The people who comprise this group are 
> united by their strong support of human rights, ethical business 
> practices, the environment and sustainability, holistic health and 
> spiritual development.
>
> "The core audience for Radical Sages" Rabbin continued, "are those who 
> want to expand their awareness and develop their spiritual connection 
> to others and life without losing touch with the world around them. We 
> don't identify ourselves with labels like Democrat or Republican, 
> liberal or conservative; we align ourselves with those principles of 
> living that reflect the highest expression of our common humanity. 
> Radical Sages is not a revolution of ideology but an evolution of 
> spiritual action."
>
> Rabbin, who lives in San Francisco, currently funds all Radical Sages 
> activities through his speaking and workshop fees, though donations 
> are welcomed. He is the author of several books, includingIgniting The 
> Soul At Work andEchoes of Silence, and more than 200 articles.
>