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Dera Pip,


There are so many interesting strands emerging from this list and so 
little time to engage. I enjoyed the insights of this posting and 
laughing at the porcupine reference. I would  enjoy working with you if 
the offer is still open?  Forgiveness is a central theme of many 
religions, faiths and life beliefs, living it is another matter.  In 
Buddhist teachings we hold in silence the tension until a resolution 
can be found or it is laid aside to be revisited at another time. I am 
familiar with the scarification and narrative wreckage scenario. You 
mentioned forgiveness of oneself and I am reminded of a conversation 
that I had with Jack where I said that Buddhist do not make mistakes 
they just have learning situations they do not want to repeat..smile.  
I am still of the opinion that within any situation is the potential to 
learn if the individual is really ready to address the issues. In so 
doing often huge ontological changes can and do occur even to the point 
of surrendering from public ascribed values and seeing them in a 
different light.  We talk of standards and values, of using faith as a 
framework on which to hang them. I was the same, when I embraced 
Buddhist teachings and became a priest I did so with an open heart, I 
believed that I could truly serve humanity. As I passed through my 
training and the traditions were given to me.  I started to sense a 
feeling odd dis-ease, the traditions were interpretations of men, their 
words , their values.  It started to “not fit”, the standards asked of 
me clashed with some basic values I held . The main being the Buddhist 
problem of women and sexuality for in none of my research could I find 
any reference to why women are not equal to men in their spiritual 
journey. Other teachings had their roots in cast and birth showing 
where the texts originated from over  2 centuries ago, written in 
Sanskrit and ground in a male dominated culture .  A cloud moved in 
over my joy of Buddhism for I could not accommodate such belief, 
ontologically it was and is unacceptable to me to see women as any 
thing other than equal. Once again race, gender and bias were 
presenting itself to me. How could Buddhism claim a colorless gaze on 
the one hand that embraced the essence of the individual while on the 
other denying an aspect of them such as cast and gender? I suffered  in 
my heart until I realized that perhaps what was written was not the 
essence of Buddha’s teachings of love and compassion for all, rather it 
was the manipulation of others interpretations of texts where their 
values  were placed into meaning. So what standard and values were 
used? I believe it was the standard of engaged enquiry, by this I mean 
one that is open to see the mistakes as teachings not as punishments. I 
have found that on adopting such a standard walking is the world is 
done lightly , harmoniously and leaving soft footprints in the sands of 
life.
The Mohawks have been mentioned on this list, I was lucky enough to 
study with their healers and elders in Brantford, Ontario, Canada for 
many years, I spoke in healing circles and to the council of elders and 
the Clan mothers. (A truly amazing group of women.)  At the beginning 
of the speech when the ritual eagles feather came to me. I spoke of my 
ancestry as an Irish/Scottish Celt, I talked of my whiteness and the 
troubles that others of my race had brought to their peoples and I 
apologized for that. I also said that I am not them, and I make no 
apology for my being what I am white, nor am I what some indigenous 
people call white people who are on a quest “a want to be”. I can not 
speak for the people only my limited observations and understanding but 
I saw a dynamic life affirming energy as the Mohawk people 
(Kanien'kehá:ka) took steps to forgive themselves for the loss of their 
link with the creator. Many are moving with open hearts to reclaim 
their culture and heritage. If anyone had reason to hate they did, for 
the power of their forgives was and is humbling They are not blind to 
events of the past,  or avoid the  very real problems of the present 
nor do they blame the Whiteman for every thing. Some are even taking 
the incredible steps to forgiving. However many suffer still from the 
legacy of the past.  The teachings I received from my friends in the 6 
Nations Peoples brought me to question further my Buddhist teachings. I 
found myself at odds with many in my order over the text. I could not 
understand how text had replaced compassionate, loving practice. 
However I am reminded of another North American indigenous saying of 
great promise in that the colors and peoples of the four directions 
will one day come together in peace.Many call this the lighting of the 
final fire. It would seem that a standard of forgiveness of both self 
and other is a good step along that path.

Love and respect
Je Kan.


Quoting Pip/Bruce Ferguson <[log in to unmask]>:

> Dear all
>
>
>
> One of the problems of having such a diverse and rich ongoing conversation
> as is currently occurring on this list, is that inevitably one finds one
> hasn't the time, or loses the plot, to refer to all the points that 'touch
> base' with one.  I have so many thoughts whirling around in my head that I'd
> like to engage with, but life gets in the way (spent the weekend with a very
> distressed sister, for one!)
>
>
>
> There were two contributions from Yaakub's recent post that hit home to me:
>
>
>
> "However, I have not been able to extend this quality of loving affection
> and acceptance so widely nor nearly so deeply with peers and colleagues in
> higher education."  I think this is a healthy reflection, coupled with a
> later comment about 'narrative ruin' with past colleagues.  I think one of
> the things that can be both a motivator (for us) and a demotivator (for
> others) when we are passionate about something, is that at times our passion
> can lead us to express our opinions in ways that are disinviting to others.
> And if the passion is coupled with past hurt, then the vehemence and
> 'disinvitational' expression can be magnified.  I remember acquiring an
> expression at one point which goes, "How do porcupines make love?"  and the
> answer is, "Carefully!"  It's actually quite wise when you think about it.
> It can happen in any exchange between two people, but is most potent when we
> are trying to get close to someone else.  They have 'spines' that we're not
> aware of - as we are often not aware of our own spines - and we can
> inadvertently injure ourselves or each other.  So Yaakub, it is great that
> you are commenting on your awareness of not being as loving and accepting to
> others as you might have been, but also that you are aware that 'narrative
> ruin' has been the result of some of your past exchanges.  Does Islam have a
> strong concept of self-forgiveness when we have erred?  One of the things I
> really like about Christianity is the concept that, while we are urged to be
> perfect as Christ is perfect, mostly it doesn't happen, but we are forgiven
> and restored.  I hope you are able to accept that forgiveness for yourself
> from whatever source it makes best sense to you, recognizing (as I used to
> tell my beginning teachers when they were beating themselves up for some
> shortcoming) that "We do the best we know how, and when we know better, we
> do better."
>
>
>
> The other comment you made, Yaakub, was "The hegemony of a totalizing Islam,
> such as expressed in the loathsome comments by the Australian Mufti, is as
> distasteful to Progressive Muslims as right-wing evangelical Christianity."
> Great sense of balance there!  New Zealand recently had some rich members of
> the Exclusive Brethren (a very right-wing Christian group) covertly pour $7m
> into an attempt to influence the outcome of our last election by slandering
> the Greens and Labour.  This, from a group that doesn't believe in voting
> themselves?  The ultimate in hypocrisy I think!  It reinforces the need for
> us to treat people as individuals not with totalizing narratives that are
> not helpful - some of the Exclusive Brethren are lovely people, and probably
> as horrified by this intervention as others of us have been.
>
>
>
> The last comment I wanted to engage with in this posting was Sarah
> Fletcher's question, "Is 'awareness' alone a shortfall as an action research
> outcome?"  I am not aware of any claimed action research project that had as
> its outcome awareness ALONE.  I had a woman in my action research course
> many years ago, who was aiming to improve the way she taught computer
> keyboarding by trying to influence her department to acquire and teach a
> more expensive and different keyboarding programme than was currently used.
> She taught 'Typequick' and hated it, believing that it was not helpful to
> her motivation or to the students.  However, in the investigative stages of
> her brief project, while gathering data, she found out that the students all
> liked the programme and saw no reason to change, and the only person who had
> a problem with it was herself.  So her resolution was to change her own
> thinking about the material she used - I believe this went beyond just
> awareness (that her thinking was the problem) into acceptance and
> remotivation (that what worked best for the students was what she should go
> with, at the end of the day).  It's the closest I've encountered to an
> 'awareness' outcome without substantial change except in oneself.
>
>
>
> In my understanding of action research, the change component is critical to
> the process.  Awareness is not enough.  It's like Freire's conscientisation
> - awareness coupled with action.  There is little point in being aware of
> oppression if we do nothing about that awareness.  Sarah, it might be good
> if you could share a brief example of what you meant by the question, as I
> don't have time to go in and look at your thesis.
>
>
>
> And finally, Jack, the youtube version was INCREDIBLY more accessible - fast
> and comprehensive - than the other way of accessing videoclips.  If it was
> possible to put the material you usually insert by the other methods onto
> youtube, then I think those of us who have been having problems with access
> would be most grateful.
>
>
>
> Peaceful thoughts to all (pai marire koutou!)
>
> Pip Bruce Ferguson
>
>



Rev Je Kan Adler-Collins
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Fukuoka Prefectural University Faculty of Nursing
Tagawa City
Fukuoka Prefecture
Japan