[Oe List ...] Fwd: A letter from many - a copy for you...

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forwarded by Jann McGuire

<< > An Open Letter of Conscience and Choice

> To All Spiritual, Metaphysical, Yoga, and Meditation Communities

> by Robert Rabbin, Stephen Mitchell, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Dan Millman,

> Riane Eisler, Tom Hayden, et al.

>

> There are times in life when we must act. And when those moments come, 

> we

> must act with our truest heart, our clearest mind, and our noblest 

> intentions.

> November 2 is such a time. On that day, we will take in hand one of the

>  tools for social transformation. We will exercise our right to vote, 

> and

>  our responsibility to voice our values and conscience. We will choose 

> a new

>  president and vice president. We, the signers of this letter, after 

> full

>  consideration, careful study, and deep reflection, endorse and 

> recommend

>  John Kerry and John Edwards for these offices. We urge all of you to 

> vote

>  for them. This is a matter of great importance and urgency.

>

> The Kerry/Edwards ticket is not perfect, and we have many serious

> disagreements with them, especially in the area of militarism and 

> defense

>  spending. But Howard Dean rightfully cautions us to not let perfection

> become the enemy of the good. In this election, we have two clear 

> choices.

> By any standard or measure-policy, ideology, humanity, 

> truthfulness-Kerry

> is better by far than George W. Bush, and Edwards is better by far than

> Dick Cheney. We believe their cabinet selections and their many other

> appointments, including to the Supreme Court, will be better by far 

> than

> those of George W. Bush. We urge you to register and vote for John 

> Kerry

> and John Edwards.

>

> There are many reasons to not vote: cynicism, apathy, distrust of

> candidates, or the conviction that spirit transcends politics and we 

> dare

> not risk our spiritual brightness by descending into the murky depths 

> of

> political darkness and intrigue. But these are not legitimate reasons. 

> It

> is an inappropriate spiritual response to our times to be socially 

> aloof

> and politically uninvolved. The Dalai Lama encourages us, "Sometimes we

> look down on politics, criticizing it as dirty. However, if you look 

> at it

>  properly, politics in itself is not wrong. With good 

> motivation-sincerity

>  and honesty-politics becomes an instrument in the service of society."

>

> The self-evident fact of inter-dependence will not allow us to stand 

> on the

>  sidelines of life, to ignore what is happening in our own backyards. 

> We

> live in society, and society lives in us. This awareness requires

> responsibility. This awareness requires participation. This awareness

> requires expression.

>

> We all know from our studies, practice, and experience that the inner 

> and

> the outer are more than mirror images of each other: they are each 

> other.

> There is no separation, no difference, no distance between them. This 

> is

>  why the philosopher J. Krishnamurti said, "The crisis is not out 

> there in

> the world; it is in our own consciousness." A flower is not separate 

> from

> its fragrance.

>

> We have been refining our inner consciousness. We have been purifying 

> our

>  inner consciousness. We have been liberating our inner consciousness 

> from

> the stranglehold of limiting and hurtful beliefs and images and 

> concepts.

> For years, we have taken this "hero's journey" to inner truth, 

> freedom, and

>  wisdom in order to become whole and free. But we have not taken this

>  journey for ourselves alone; we have also taken this journey for 

> others and

>  for our world.

>

> It is not just for ourselves that we love wisdom and practice 

> compassion,

>  not just for ourselves that we pursue truth instead of falsehood, not 

> just

> for ourselves that we ask those fearsome questions that lead to 

> knowledge

> of the soul. No, it is not just for ourselves that we do this. We do it

>  equally for others. Our very quest for wholeness of being is at its 

> core a

> service to others. The Kabbalah reminds us, "First we receive the 

> light,

> then we impart the light. Thus we repair the world." And now it is 

> time to

> begin healing this world, our world, in the same way we have sought to 

> heal

> ourselves from the diseases of hatred, violence, and greed; in the 

> same way

> we have sought to heal our own hearts of anger born of fear, and fear 

> born

> of separation.

>

> Voting for John Kerry and John Edwards is a positive step towards this

> social healing. To be sure, it is just one step in a long journey, but 

> one

> we should all take on November 2.

> Signed (as private citizens, not as representatives of any 

> organization):

>

> Robert Rabbin, writer, speaker, creator of TruthForPresident.org

> Stephen Mitchell, writer

> Rabbi Michael Lerner, author, editor of Tikkun Magazine

> Dan Millman, author, teacher

> Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice & The Blade and The Power of

>  Partnership

> Tom Hayden, author, activist, former California legislator

> Sharon Steffensen, yoga teacher, editor of YOGAChicago

> Judith Whitson, publisher, writer, lecturer, teacher

> William W. Whitson, writer, speaker, retired Army officer

> Jonathan Granoff, Esq. (Ahamed Muhaiyaddeen), author, screenwriter,

>  speaker, activist

> Larry Robinson, Vice-mayor, Sebastopol, CA

> Tami Coyne, author, spiritual teacher

> Pamela Miles, founder of Institute for the Advancement of Complementary

>  Therapies

> Gilles Marin, author, founder of Chi Nei Tsang Institute

> Raphael Cushnir, author, spiritual teacher

> Stephen Dinan, author of Radical Spirit, progressive activist

> Sandra Sedgbeer, publisher of PlanetLightworker & Children of the New 

> Earth

> Connie Shaw, publisher of Sentient Publications

> Laurie Schryver, psychic, teacher, progressive activist

> Robert Skutch, author

> Lee Skutch, psychologist

> Kanu Kogod, Ph.D, anthropologist, author, founder of Bridges in

> Organizations

> David Lurey, yoga teacher

> Debbie Milam, author, Reiki master, president of Unlimited Inspiration

> Rev. Laura R. Davis, co-founder of Wisdom & Wellness Expo, Reiki master

> Rev. C.J. Davis, spiritual teacher, Reiki master,

> Elizabeth Ann Bloom, president of Here There & Beyond, Inc.

> Mary Alice O'Connor, interfaith minister

> Amy Kahn, yoga teacher

> Gina Rabbin, psychic, life and business coach

> Chetan Parkyn, author, spiritual teacher

> Carolina Eastwood, author, spiritual counselor

> Sister Mary Jude Jun, OSU is an Ursuline Sister

>

>

> © 2004/Robert Rabbin/All rights reserved >>