Wednesday 22 October 2008

The Tale

Once upon a time there was no ownership.

There was, as now, life and death, the strong and the weak, but if you took, you always gave something in return. Just as in-breath is followed by out-breath, so receiving was always followed by give away, or giving back. Sometimes this was as simple as giving praise, or thanks. Sometimes it was physical action, such as providing food or care, or the guarding of the young and tender. This applied both to other human beings and to trees, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, springs, fish, insects and all manner of earthly life.

Then there came to the land that was loved and cared for people who knew only ownership. They wanted to have, to hold and to take. Because they did not want others to have what they thought was theirs, they were obliged to defend what they wanted. Out of this defence grew aggression. Soon the ownership people got aggressive in advance of defence… just in case someone else made the mistake of taking what the ownership people thought was theirs. The strongest in the owning people got to have lots of what they wanted to own. The weakest got less. Soon the weakest began to feel that in failing to get, and own a lot, they were not as important or as good as the strong. But they wanted to be. So they tried to get, and to own, in any way possible, including aggression.

The land to which the ownership people came got to be owned. It got to be fought over, occasionally loved and appreciated, but mostly it, and life both above and beneath its surface, was taken, used, discarded and hoarded. The people who practiced give-away found that give-away too was taken.

Some people who lived give-away maintained the vision of that way of life even in the midst of Ownership. They called it The Way of Beauty to remind themselves, and perhaps others, of the loveliness of a life of praise and gratitude. They kept alive a way of being that was difficult to live in the midst of great having, taking, holding, hoarding and warring. They found it was better to keep the Way of Beauty not quite secret, but not quite open either. Ownership wanted everything, even what it did not understand. If it was something that it could not actually hold, hoard or make use of, then it wanted to be sure that no one else could have it, so Ownership took the life of others who might have something that Ownership could not understand.

In time, Ownership became the dominant way of life. With so much owning and warring and making of more and more things to own, life on earth grew further and further away from the Way of Beauty. More and more people born into the way of ownership realized their own discontent but did not know how to alter things. So some of the people who had quietly maintained the Way of Beauty agreed to be born among those who were steeped in Ownership. As children they tried to live give-away but often found that they had just the same experiences that they remembered from the time when the Ownership people first came to the land of the Way of Beauty. Many of these people steeped themselves in Ownership, but one by one, sometimes in partnership and from time to time in great gatherings or shared experiences, there came a stirring, an impulse to change or to bring about change.

These Way of Beauty in the midst of Ownership people were rarely clear and strong. Most of them had grown into a mixture of public Ownership and private Beauty. So even though they wanted to live differently they weren’t quite sure what the Way of Beauty meant. Was it enough to live it privately or in little communities? Could they hold on to possessions and still live give-away? These people wanted to live more beautifully but they found themselves having to defend their private Beauty against the aggression of Ownership. In short, they were thoroughly muddled, uncertain and sometimes a bit cross about not really belonging to Ownership or the Way of Beauty.

Mostly these people had forgotten the magic of praise, or wonder. But when magic struck, they remembered, not in words, but in ways of being or of feeling. Still they vacillated or cast doubts among each other or upon themselves. And so it came about that the Way of Beauty people born in the midst of Ownership began to journey to places on earth where the Way of Beauty was still remembered, or where beauty itself was so great that praise rose spontaneously. In this way these people grew stronger, more certain, and yet still they lived in part by Ownership. They tried to reason or think their way out of their double world, but that did not bring them to their inner wisdom. How to remind them of wholeness, of the inter-connectedness of all things, of the possibility of finding beauty within ownership?

Of course, only wholeness itself can remind anyone of the whole, so when these people were sufficiently willing or sufficiently desperate to abandon the notion of either/or, right/wrong, good/bad then there began the song of all the cells within the bodies of these people. Sometimes they listened; quite often they were caught unawares and heard or felt something that they could not explain. Best of all were the times when someone who remembered the Way of Beauty all the way through their being sang the songs of wholeness.

Then the people who knew the Way of Beauty but who had grown up in Ownership grew big and strong and beautiful. They were filled with peace. They knew more than they could speak. Then was it time for them to return to the lands that they had once loved and hear again the songs of praise that had once kept the Way of Beauty alive through all the cycles of the earth and stars.

This tale was written early in 2007 by Judith Seelig to speak, as she puts it, on behalf of all those people who still live the Way of Beauty despite the often rapacious presence of consumer interests in their landscape, and also to remind those of us who
are Western consumers that we have choice.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yep. working classes who don't own anything versus upper classes who own most of it.

I led a life of ownership and died
I led a life of poverty and died

Tell me, just who was the smartest?

Anonymous said...

A nice sentiment from Judith but sadly no more than that. The societal existence of people has always been fraught to some extent or other. Looking back for a golden period is simply delusional. The question is whether the current trajectory is towards a fairer society or not. Nirvana is just a concept, the real work is in reform in the imperfect world of the here and now.

C

Anonymous said...

WHAT PURPOSE THE MAN WHO WINS AT ILLUSIONS..?

ONLY TO DIE A MEANINGLESS, SLOW DEATH

YES, THIS MAN WAS A TRUE WINNER AND HAD HIS NAME ON EVERY BOARD
HE HAD THE BIGGEST HOUSE, BEST CARS
HE COULD MANIPULATE THE MOST PEOPLE

AND THEY BURIED HIM IN THE FINEST COFFIN ON EARTH

YET, THE ANTS DID STILL CREEP IN AND EAT HIS EYEBALLS!!!

sorry about the ant bit guys! heh

Rachel Elnaugh said...

C

I think you are mistaken.

I think we do have a golden period ahead of us - and it is coming faster than you think.

However it will be preceeded by a period of huge and turbulent change as your 'alpha' world of 'much to few' unfairness breaks down completely.

Yes the rich and establishment will fight to prevent that happening for sure, but these are forces so great that even with your Alpha powers of control you will not be able to stop them.

'The meek shall inherit the earth'.

R

Anonymous said...

Absolutely R, now is the Golden Time for the changes that are needed in the WORLD, back to a level playing for all.

Time to think where we all came from, (we all came into this world free and innocent) we must now take this opportunity to respect that, and to respect what our creator has given to us, LIFE.

In world such as ours which embraces all of mankind irrelevent of colour and creed, rank & oppulence, we must now humbly embrace those who from unavoidable calamity & misfortune have been reduced to the lowest ebb of poverty and distress.

Now is the time.

Anonymous said...

New Alpha must crush Old Alpha until Old Alpha no longer exists. This will pave the way for Zeta.

We have lived in a world where the Alphas run like sheep in the same direction. Bashing into each other as they go! In so doing crush our children and our children's children under foot.

They race into pointless wars that corrupt and create poverty, for all save the puppet masters.

These people are inferior in every way. Let those who have superior knowhow rise up and take the place that is rightfully theres.

Or forever watch this world in misery.

Where are these people,i ask?
Where are the good people with power?

Are they hiding behind the curtains, whilst the world cries for their help?

Anonymous said...

Each Age of Man believed they were either in a Golden Age or were creating one.

True folly and true arrogance.

Man has always "owned" be it territory, food, animals, houses or cars. The animal world is the same - should the Lion lie down with the Sheep?

The world has always been largely Alpha and always will be, just like the Animal Kingdom.

To believe you can change the world as a whole,except in limited ways is bordering on the insane.

And as with any "religion", your comments and rhetoric breed exclusion, rather than inclusion.

You have created your own Alpha identity, just as destructive, but worse for all its insidiousness and veneer of good intention.

Here endeth Lesson No. 7.

Anonymous said...

Grasshopper, yes the Animal Kingdom does own, but equally so, the animal kingdom is respectful to it's fellow animals, and is not greedy, they are satisfied with what they have.

Oh to be.......

DLOG

hani said...

I think Judith Seelig is an amazing person, and what she and Rachel and people like Esther and Jerry hicks are doing is, I believe, absolutely what is needed, and never ever is it meant to be exclusive, only inclusive. This is very much a learning journey and I would be the last one to have all the answers, but I am willing to keep an open mind and to listen without predjudice. If it helps to expand my understanding and knowledge, then that is a very good thing. It is not always possible to explain things in a logical and precise way, some things are just 'felt' to be right, and you make sense of them intuitively and instinctively. As Einstein said, 'logic can get you from A to B but imagination can take you anywhere' Appologies if I have mis quoted that. My opinion for what it is worth, is that I would like to see people engage in meaningful exchanges without hurling personal insults at each other, it distracts from and diminishes anything you are trying to say.

Anonymous said...

Lovely comment Hani.

I am off now, to raise some more money for charitable causes, and to wine & dine a little.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend,

God Bless you all,

DLOG

PS. See you tomorrow Stephen.

Anonymous said...

Fly over this country and what do you see?
Trees, greenery and hardly any people or buildings

Who lives in this land i thought?
How many lives there?
Can't be more than one hundred or so?

There are 70 million people in the UK inhabiting probably 5% of this land. And of that 5% of land, the wealthy take 1%.

Now that's ownership for you.
96% for the rich and 4% for the non-rich.

I don't want to live in an infinitesimal piece of land - the world is all of ours.

Anonymous said...

Rachel

The meek have been waiting an awfully long time...

Your argument is seductive because it is such an appealing vision. It gives hope to people struggling in their daily grind of an existence.

However, it is also potentially dangerous as the failure to realise such a dream, and that's what it is, will result in even more despair for the people that follow it.

Maybe I am a cynic, but I would like to think of myself as a pragmatist. Whilst holding out hope for your utopia I will try and do what I can now to improve the lives of those around me. This may be as basic as protecting the jobs of those who work with me during the turbulent times ahead.

C

Rachel Elnaugh said...

Yes C, the world of the cynic is indeed a dark and fearful place.

And how necessary it is for the Alphas to keep the masses that way as it is the only way of controlling them.

But what is actually happening is a raising of the human vibration to a new level, to the next stage of our evolution, where everything will be very very different.

The more people who join their energy the faster this will happen - and believe me, the dots are joining. We are nearing the tipping point.

R

Anonymous said...

Rachel

I wish you well in your dream of the future but I will stay here and try and work in the present.

I am not afraid of the future or indeed the present. I suspect those that are afraid are the ones to whom your vision is most appealing. Vulnerable people are usually the ones seeking such solace and end up the most disappointed as a result.

You may yet prove me wrong and if you do I will gladly admit it. In the interim however I will vibrate in my own way clearly not a harmonic of your own.

C

Anonymous said...

C,

The only ones who are scared of the future are those who would wish to cling to the past.

It is not a problem for me to say - each to their own, but these people are like roadblocks on the path to freedom. Their backward, programmed mentality serves to hold the rest of humanity back from reaching this enlightenment quicker.

It is the frightened, deluded people that serve to maintain others in the "pig pen" and to slow the progress of mankind to freedom.

These people are like the servants of those who would suppress our freedoms.

Anonymous said...

I think we need Mr A Dragon (Grashopper) to enlighten us more on this one, as there seems to be much difference between Rachel and C


HKPhooey

Anonymous said...

I think we both seek a fairer society. I suspect the difference is that Rachel is an idealist whereas I am a pragmatist.

Perhaps I am shortsighted whereas Rachel is longsighted. She can see a vision of things to come whereas I can avoid tripping over the immediate obstacles.

C

PS. Stephen - what have you done with DLOG?

Anonymous said...

I think Rachel believes in an awakening. This awakening will begin when peoples perception of what they have taken for granted begins to change.

I am now hearing people starting to question the BBC's coverage of what they are codenaming "Downturn". People are starting to realize that much of what is programmed is indeed "designed" as opposed to being delivered without motive.

People are beginning to realize that the western media is not the servant of the man in the street.

Whilst there is much of the programmed mind to dissolve - we are indeed beginning to see the signs of a change in perception.

People are starting to say that they will stand up and say no to schools teaching their 4 years olds about sex. They will begin to start saying NO - as the banks, institutions and politicians have said NO.

As with the Poll tax, the people have power and it is only a matter of time before this because obvious to the powers that be.

Anonymous said...

At the BBC i proposed to develop a network of websites that serviced all villages and towns in the UK. I wanted every town and village to have their own website and to link them all together into a web of online communities. Each website would have local news and events and was connected into your TV set.

But my proposal was rejected and i was told this was because such a system would not be of value. Years later i realized that if such a system existed - ordinary people would be able to discuss what affected them most and this could lead to the development of national opinion polls and action groups which could threaten the government of the day.

I suggest that if folks wanted to put the people in charge of the media - this is one way to achieve it.

So citizens of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales think about supporting such an initiative. And friends in other countries - think of doing the same.

I have the plans for such a system if you are interested and i was a head of one of the biggest websites in the world..www.bbc.co.uk

WE HAVE THE POWER.
THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE
LETS TAKE OWNERSHIP

Rachel Elnaugh said...

C, the only place it is possible to exist is in the present, but it is our actions (or rather, vibration) right here and now in the present which will shape the future.

That vibration is far more powerful if it is one of joy, empowerment, hope and optimism rather than one of fear, negativity, cynicim and pessimism.

There are a lot of people working to preserve the current status quo but an awful lot more who are not only starting to believe that there could be another way but also living it. This is the point of Judith's Tale.

Stephen to your point, the community movement is already happening.

I am on the board of Sustainable Bakewell - a newly formed CIC (Social Enterprise) - and went to a local meeting about climate change a week or so ago... I was blown away by the huge number of local communities taking matters into their own hands - Transition Matlock, Sustainable Eyam, Sustainable Youlgreave, Transition Buxton, the list goes on... Local action groups who are just getting on and taking the initiative to work together in collaboration and change the way they live.

Youlgreave for example has just installed a wind turbine - funded by local people - which helps power the village, as well as initiatives to grow more food locally for the local people.

All these groups are also exchanging ideas, know how and resources to help all the others progress faster.

Elsewhere in my business travels I am meeting so many entrepreneurs who are working together in joint venture and collaboration where no money changes hands for their exchanges of value.

Things are moving, times are changing and it is people everywhere who are making it happen.

Its a bottom up revolution.

Bottoms up!!!

Anonymous said...

C, "PS. Stephen - what have you done with DLOG?"

Stephen has done nothing with with DLOG.

I actually found Stephen to be an extremely passionate, down to earth person, and we had a very long chat, most interesting person, with a well 'screwed on head' who knows what he wants, and where he is going.

Thanks very much for meeting with me Stephen.

As for me being quiet at the moment, well, I have about 3 years worth of accounts to go through and fathom out, which where handed over to me on Friday evening, so now the work starts!!

DLOG

Anonymous said...

Hey Rachel, that all sounds very, very encouraging. Love the vision indeed and it is all about people, people, people! Excellent.

I got to give you a report on DLOG.

Wow! What a Guy! I didn't know people could have that much energy and passion. And he likes to meet everyone he can. Doesn't matter how high up the food chain they think they are.
DLOG is gonna damn well get into to see you. So watch out!

He is doing a very very smart thing that all entrepreneurs should take onboard. He is learning from everyones experiences and sharing his own. Its better than school. Even though he and his family run a longstanding business - he never stops learning. Puts me to shame actually.

Thanks for the four hour marathon of coffees and hot chocolates DLOG. We should do it again very soon.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for those very kind words Stephen, I actually learn't a lot from you yesterday during the Marathon, what a guy you are.

Yes most deff' meet again.

DLOG

Anonymous said...

HKPhooey, you are wise beyond your years.

I shall, as you request, add my teaching on the matter.

Idealogy in the hands of the evil, the egotistical and also the weak is a dangerous thing.

Too many weak minded individuals have taken an idealogy or religion and twisted it to thier own illusion of how the world should be.

These people are more dangerous by far even than those who work in the status quo. (I am of course not referring to Francis Rossi, who is a good and honest poet).

By all means set your sights high, but realise we live in an imperfect world. That world is from the atom up, full of inertia, in other words, resistance to change.

Change from the bottom up is a good thing, but requires action, not just words.

Those that follow can often be corrupted by a mind with a different purpose than at first is revealed.

Here endeth Lesson No 8.

Anonymous said...

Thought and belief and analysis is the problem Mr A Dragon.

Loving intuition needs no thought, needs no vehicle of communication, needs no motivation.

In fact under these cirsumstances (i can see what Rachel has been saying here) - change needs very little leadership either.

WHEN THE MAN SAYS TO YOU - I WANT TO TEACH YOUR 4 YEAR OLD ABOUT SEX - YOUR INTUITION SAYS NO.

Your head might think -"well i better not say that unless x or y -but you INTUITIVELY know the answer is NO.

Anything is possible with the intuition - because in universal consciousness - everything is possible.

And, in fact, you are preaching to the disinterested.

Anonymous said...

Mr A Dragon, you said "Those that follow can often be corrupted by a mind with a different purpose than at first is revealed."

But how can we ensure that this does not happen, these words you preach make me scared.

HKPhooey

Anonymous said...

HKPhooey

Do not be scared, as I can see that your mind is not weak and so you will not be fooled.

Stephen, I fear for you.

Your analogy was unnecessary and could offend many.

Much work is to be done.. A disturbing chapter.

Anonymous said...

Mr A Dragon,
But how will I know if my mind is being corrupted by these people?

HKPhooey

Anonymous said...

HKPhooey

A wise question and one asked by someone who truly knows there own strengths and weaknesses.

Your questioning mind will keep you safe.

While you seek to learn and to understand, your pure heart will guide you along the path of light.

You will accept the good and reject the rest.

Here endeth Lesson No. 11.

Anonymous said...

But tell me more, how will I know good from the rest, when will I find the good?

HKPhooey

Anonymous said...

And Mr A Dragon, who are these people?
Will I know these people when I meet them?

HKPhooey

Anonymous said...

My point regarding 4 year olds and adults relates to the governments proposal to teach our children the ins and outs of the birds and the bees. Which i am of course very much against.

Sorry to disrupt the progress of your operation Mr A dragon.

Anonymous said...

HKPhooey

Again, excellent and perceptive questions.

How will you know the good from the rest?

This is a difficult question that even the wise may struggle with. The good and the bad come in many guises and all is not always what it seems.

First you must talk with them and through open dialogue and their words and actions, you will soon discern the good.

Here endeth Lesson No. 12.