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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] Hi, I wanted to pass these messages onward....Cassie "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." ~John 17:16 ----- Original Message ----- From: Kathryn L. Nesbitt To: Undisclosed-Recipient:; Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 3:26 PM Subject: This says it well also a message from the Dalai Lhama From: Robert Rabbin <robrabbin@robrabbin.com> Subject: Letter to Mr. Bush Dear Friends: I wrote the following letter after attending last Sunday's peace rally in San Francisco, before which my soul was set on fire by Rev. Dorsey Blake's sermon at the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples. As I was writing this letter, I heard it in my head, like a sermon. I believe it is meant to be bellowed aloud, not read silently. Feel free to pass this letter along to others. With love and all best wishes, Robert Rabbin * * * Mr. Bush: I'm Coming for You with Love by Robert Rabbin Dear Mr. Bush, Today is February 17th. Yesterday I attended the peace rally at the Civic Center in San Francisco, along with about 250,000 other people, as diverse a group of human beings as could be found anywhere in the world.I wish you could have been there. You were, as you might suspect, a central topic of conversation. Your picture was on wide display, though not always in the most flattering of ways. Had you been there, you would have heard many people denounce you for your foreign policy (and for your domestic policies as well). I do not denounce you. You would have heard many people express their anger and outrage towards you and your administration. I am not angry nor outraged. You would have heard people criticize and condemn you for your implacable stand for war with Iraq. I do not criticize or condemn you. Had you been there, you might have felt that many people even hated you. But I do not hate you-even though you stand alone-belligerent and defiant-against the United Nations, against the will and good judgement of the people of the United States, against the will and good judgement of the people of all other nations in the world, against prudence, against reason, against every sacred impulse to preserve life, against the united voices of religious leaders who are the emissaries of wisdom...even though you stand alone against all of this I do not hate you. I love you and I thank you, for you have shown me who is truly responsible and culpable for the current state of affairs. It is not you, nor your administration. Though it would be easy to make a case against you for bullying the world toward World War III, for threatening all prospects of a peaceful and prosperous future for not just our nation but for all nations, I will not do so. You are not to blame. I am. Not you. Me. This is what you have shown me, and for this I love you and thank you. You have awakened me to my own responsibility for these gathering storm clouds of misery and calamity. Here is what you have taught me: When I should have been awake, I was asleep. When I should have been involved, I was apathetic. When I should have been paying attention, I was distracted. When I should have been concerned, I was disinterested. When I should have spoken up, I was silent. When I should have been active, I was passive. When I should have stood tall, I crouched meekly. This is what you have taught me. You have also reminded me of the core teaching of all spiritualtraditions and paths: We are all One being, connected and interdependent, sharing the same soul of light and love. From this view, the truth of which is confirmed by my personal experience, you are my own self. How can I blame you? When I look at you, at see myself. It is not a self I want to see, but there it is. When I see myself in you, I become ashamed, even fearful, for I see how easily I could forget everything I have learned in 30 years of spiritual study and practice. You remind me of who I was, one who had lost his living connection to love. And I am reminded of how without love there is no empathy; and without empathy, there is no feeling; and without feeling, one could plan to send 800 cruise missiles into the cribs and carriages of young children whose names and faces do not exist except as pinpoints on a map, how one could want to launch a horror the likes of which have never been seen on this Earth, how one could simply push away all good and wise counsel with the brutal hand of military might married to arrogance and ignorance, how one could justify unleashing a firestorm of death on a country, half of whose population is under 15 years of age. Though your motives are clear and indisputable-revenge, imperialism, and profit-these are not the true cause. The true cause is that I have forgotten to live what I know; I have forgotten to love the world in real and telling ways. And now I live as you. And though I speak to you, I am speaking to myself. You have helped me remember that I am to live what I know, that I am to love the world in real and telling ways. You have helped me awaken from my apathy with a ferocious passion for life. You have touched something deep within me, you have aroused something that is almost fearsome to behold-it is the power of love, too long forgotten and betrayed. But not now, and I pray not ever again, will I forget or betray love. And with this awakened and aroused passionate power of love I intend to stop you. So, I want you to know that I am coming for you, now that you have shown me that you are a part of my own self still steeped in forgetfulness and ignorance. I am coming for you, but not with anger or hate or blame. I am coming for you with love. I am going to bring you back into my greater Self, the one that could never, ever-not in a billion years-think up the things you have thought up. I am coming for you. One more thing. Do not underestimate the power of love. Do not add this mistake to the long and growing list of mistakes you have already made. Do not think love is weak, or passive, or fearful. Love created the universe. Love is a power louder than missiles, more powerful than fear, more conquering than hate. Love cannot be stopped, but you can be. And you will be, because I am coming to stop you with love. © 2003/Robert Rabbin/All rights reserved Robert Rabbin is a life-long mystic, author, and catalyst for clarity who recently descended from the mountain peaks of transcendence. He lives down here now, but with the view from above. Robert's mission is to gather the world's mystics into a radical force for social reform. For further details and contact information, please visit www.robrabbin.com. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Every community needs a group of angelic troublemakers." -- Bayard Rustin, nonviolent activist and social reformer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ROBERT RABBIN 20 Sunnyside Avenue Suite A-118 Mill Valley, CA 94941-1928 USA robrabbin@robrabbin.com (415) 705-0807 http://www.robrabbin.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA On the Occasion of THE FIRST "WORLD DAY OF PLANETARY CONSCIOUSNESS" Many of the world's problems and conflicts arise because we have lost sight of the basic humanity that binds us all together as a human family. We tend to forget that despite the diversity of race, religion, ideology, and so forth, people are equal in their basic wish for peace and happiness. However, this will be achieved neither by merely talking or thinking about it, nor by waiting for someone else to do something about it. We each have to take responsibility as best we can within our own sphere of activity. As free human beings we can use our unique intelligence to try to understand our world and ourselves. In the world at present, there is not much concern for humane values: there is too much dependence on money and power. If human society loses the value of justice, the value of compassion, the value of honesty, we will face greater difficulties in the future. Some people may think that these sorts of ethical attitudes are not much needed in the areas of business or politics. I strongly disagree. The quality of all our actions depends on our motivation. A real sense of appreciation of humanity, compassion and love, are the key issues. If we develop a good heart, whether the field is science, agriculture or politics, since the motivation is so very important, the result will be more beneficial. With proper motivation these activities can help humanity; without it they go the other way. This is why the compassionate thought is so very important for humankind. Although it is difficult to bring about the inner change that gives rise to it, it is absolutely worthwhile to try. It is natural that we should strive to improve our standard of living, but not at any cost. The more we pursue profit and material improvement, ignoring the deeper values, such as compassion, tolerance and contentment that comes of a corresponding inner growth, the quicker ethical values will disappear from our communities. Then we will all experience unhappiness in the long run, for when there is no place for justice and honesty in people's hearts, the weak are the first to suffer. The resentments resulting from such inequity ultimately affect everyone adversely. What we must do is to balance external material progress with the sense of responsibility that comes of education and inner development. It is also natural that we will face obstacles in pursuit of our goals. But if we remain passive, making no effort to solve the problems we meet, conflicts will arise and hindrances will grow. Transforming these obstacles into opportunities for positive growth is a challenge to our human ingenuity. To achieve this requires patience, compassion and the use of our intelligence. But to ignore such opportunities is to waste our human potential. It is extremely important to realize that the graver the crisis we encounter, the greater is our need for patience. Above all, we must not lose our determination. The last century was marred by conflict and war. Let us take steps now to ensure that this new century will be characterized instead by non-violence and dialogue, the preconditions of peaceful co-existence. It is natural that in any human society there will be differences and conflicts, but we have to develop confidence that dialogue and other peaceful methods are a valid alternative to violence in all our relations. If we take the differences between us as grounds for fighting and argument, there will be no end to it. All of us will be weakened and diminished. I welcome occasions like the World Day of Planetary Consciousness because they represent an effort to involve many people positively in different parts of the world at the same time. The Day will provide an opportunity to develop and encourage planetary consciousness. This is very important because we too easily approve well-meaning suggestions to protect the environment, to work for peace and to help those unable to help themselves without recognizing that we are all involved. We expect someone else actually to do something about it. Improving our world is not just a matter of relying on governments and leaders. We all have to participate. Therefore, I pray that everyone celebrating the sunrise on the first World Day of Planetary Consciousness will be inspired to do something practical to increase respect for the Earth, to foster genuine peace among its people, and to nurture greater compassion in all our lives. "To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease, and lightness. This state is then no longer dependent upon things being in a certain way, good or bad." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk