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NEWSLETTER                                                                No. 1, 2004~
A global goodwill, interfaith newsletter spotlighting newsworthy  articles, events, people and information in world affairs.

 

A.  Articles
B.  Books and Authors
C.  Health and Well-Being
D.  Events
E.  Subscribe

"Wisdom is the light of truth, the knowing, the real, which enables us to help.
The Will to Good is the light of Wisdom in the action of loving understanding, compassion, 
and,  pure-practical reasoning." - CJ Wheat


A.  Articles - Interfaithnews.net, Worldgoodwill.org, SaveTibet.org, MercyCorps.org, TheHungerSite.com,         G
                      Christ And The Coming New-Age.

"HANDS ACROSS JORDAN: Creating a Bridge of Peace Across the Jordan River
Can a group of passionate activists from a small town in California really do anything about the retributions, recriminations, and violence in the Middle East? An initiative called "Hands Across the Jordan" seeks to find out. Their intention is to build a bridge of peace across the Jordan River, with help from all around the world, to help unite the people of Israel and Jordan in a grassroots effort. Here is their statement.
Read the article at http://www.interfaithnews.net/article.php?id=202 "

"RESPONDING to the Genocide in Darfur  
InterfaithNews.Net's editorial response to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, with links to organizations working to alleviate the continuing
humanitarian crisis. 
Read the article at http://www.interfaithnews.net/article.php?id=207 "

"THE PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS Results in Thousands of Commitments to Address Religious Violence and Other Urgent Issues Facing the World
The Parliament of the World's Religions—the oldest modern tradition of international interfaith dialogue—recently convened in Barcelona, Spain. Sadly InterfaithNews.Net was not able to cover the event in person. With over 8,000 souls in attendance, it seems to have been a phenomenal success. But can that success be translated into meaningful activity outside of Barcelona? Many of the participants believe so. Read on for the final press release from the Parliament, highlighting important commitments to interfaith work on Religious Violence, External (International) Debt, Water, and Refugees.
Read the article at http://www.interfaithnews.net/article.php?id=205  "

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LAW AND FREEDOM IN THE MODERN WORLD                                                                                       G

"Agni Yoga, 422. To simplify or to complicate? Even a child will prefer the former."

"It is a curious fact that although science and technology have contributed much to making physical existence easier, this has been at the expense of tending to make it more complicated. The productive power of modern industry has hugely expanded the range of goods and services open to those who can afford them, to the point that there is an almost paralysing variety of choice. Likewise, from the few simple rules of conduct that governed small communities, we have moved to vast reams of legislation to try to cover every kind of human interaction. Why is this? Certainly, there are more tools for interaction now – our ancestors could only have dreamed of text messaging or web cams. Also, there are more "things", more consumer goods, that can be exchanged. And science has reduced some risks, only to create new ones............."
Read the article at http://lucistrust.org/goodwill/nl/2004/3/2004nl3_p3.shtml


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A call for urgency:                                                                                                                                                G

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR TIBET
"As Tenzin Delek's projected execution date nears, we urgently need you to take action to save his life."

"On April 7, 2002, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and three other monks were seized in a nighttime raid on their monastery. Tenzin Delek was held incommunicado for eight months and charged with "inciting separatism." After a judicial process that failed to meet minimum standards of due process, Tenzin Delek was sentenced to death with a two year suspension.

Lobsang Dhondup, a Tibetan man charged in connection with Tenzin Delek's alleged crime, was executed on January 26, 2003, only hours after a Chinese court rejected both men's
appeal.

To date the Chinese authorities have produced no credible evidence for the charges
lodged against Tenzin Delek, and they have not responded to calls by the United States and other governments to produce this evidence.

December 2004 will mark two years since Tenzin Delek was sentenced to death, and January 26 will be the second anniversary of the final judgement against him. We are unable to determine with certainty which date would mark the end of his two year reprieve. That's why we are asking for your help today."

What can you do?
"
The International Campaign for Tibet and other Tibet and human rights organizations are actively fighting for Tenzin Delek's freedom. To do this, we need you to raise your voice."

If you live in the United States...
"Send an email to your U.S. Senators.
We have mounted a major effort for the passage of U.S. Senate Resolution 365 calling for the immediate release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and other Tibetan political prisoners. The resolution is now before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and we need a vote by the full Senate before Congress adjourns in early October."

If you live outside the United States...
"
You can contact your own government representatives and ask them to call for Tenzin Delek's freedom."

And whereever you live...
"Send an email to the Foreign Minister of China.
Let him know that the world is watching."

"
Since his arrest, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche has maintained his innocence. While in prison, he was able to smuggle out a tape that was later broadcast on Radio Free Asia. He said:

"Since I am a Tibetan, I have always been sincere and devoted to the interests and well-being of Tibetan people. That is the real reason why the Chinese do not like me and framed me. That is why they are going to take my precious life even though I am innocent...

Now they put me in jail. Even at the cost of my precious life, I will never stop working for the Tibetan people's well-being..."


Please take action today and help save the life of someone whose only trespass was against the authority of the Chinese Communist Party. Your support is important and will help us reach the critical mass necessary to provoke a positive result."
Sincerely,
John Ackerly,
President

P.S. Click here to learn more about this campaign and to take further actions.
 
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"MERCY CORPS is a non-profit organization that exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, just communities."
"Mercy Corps' programs in Sudan, India, and throughout the world, are helping provide poor families hope for the future--one child at a time.
Please give today."

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THE HUNGER SITE                                                                                                                                          G
Your click on the "Give Free Food" button at The Hunger Site funds food for the hungry, paid for by site sponsors whose ads appear after you click, and provided to people in need around the world through the efforts of Mercy Corps and America's Second Harvest.

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CHRIST AND THE COMING NEW-AGE                                                                                                        G

"... there is a final point which I would like to make; it lies in the realm of religion and concerns the significance of Christmas. From the very night of time, as well you know, the period wherein the sun moves northward again has been regarded as a festival season; for thousands of years it has been associated with the coming of the Sun-God to save the world, to bring light and fruitfulness to the Earth and through the work of the Son of God to bring hope to humanity. The Christmas season is regarded by those who do not know any better as uniquely the Festival of the Christ, and this the Christian churches have emphasized and to this all churchmen testify. This is both true and false. The Founder of the Christian Church - God in the flesh - availed Himself of this period and came to us in the dark of the year and initiated a new era in which light was to be the distinguishing note. This has been true from several angles, even from the purely physical, for today we have a lighted world; everywhere lights are to be seen and the pitch dark nights of olden times are fast disappearing. Light has also descended on the earth in the form of the "light of knowledge." Today, education whose objective is to lead all men on to a "lighted way," is the keynote of our civilization and is a major preoccupation in all countries. The removal of illiteracy, the development of a true culture and the ascertaining of truth in all fields of thought and of research are of paramount importance in all lands.

Thus, when Christ proclaimed (as He assuredly did), along with all world Saviors and Sun-Gods, that He was the Light of the worlds, He inaugurated a marvelous period in which humanity has been widely and universally enlightened. This period dates from Christmas Day, two thousand years ago, in Palestine. That was the greatest of all Christmas Days and its emanating influence was more potent than was any previous arrival of a Bearer of Light, because humanity was more ready for the light. Christ came in the sign of Pisces, the Fishes - the sign of the divine Intermediary in the highest sense, or of the medium in the lower; it is the sign of many of the world Saviors and of those Revealers of divinity Who establish world relationships. I would have you note that phrase. The major impulse driving the Christ towards special work was the desire to establish right human relations; it is also the desire - realized or unrealized - of humanity, and we know that some day the Desire of all nations will come, that right human relations will be found everywhere and that goodwill will implement that fulfillment, leading to peace in all lands and among all peoples.

Down through the ages, Christmas Day has been recognized and kept as a season of new beginnings, of better human contacts and of happier relations among families and communities. Yet just as the churches have descended into a profoundly materialistic presentation of Christianity, so the simple Christmas Day which would have pleased the heart of Christ has degenerated into an orgy of spending, of acquiring good things, and is regarded as a period which is "good for trade." We need, therefore, to remember that when any phase of life-inspired religion is interpreted entirely materially, when any civilization and culture loses its sense of spiritual values and responds mainly to the material values, then it has served its usefulness and must  pass away, and this in the interests of life itself and progress.

The message of the birth of Christ rings ever new but is not today understood. The emphasis during the Aquarian Age, the age into which we are fast entering, will shift away from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, and from the infant Savior to the Risen Christ. Pisces has seen, during two thousand years, the spreading light; Aquarius will see the Rising Light, and of both of these the Christ is the eternal symbol.

The ancient story of the Birth will become universalized and be seen as the story of every disciple and initiate who takes the first initiation and in his time and place becomes a server and a light-bearer. In the Aquarian Age two momentous developments will take place:

   1.    The Birth Initiation will condition human thinking and aspiration everywhere.
   2.    The religion of the Risen Christ, and not of the newly born Christ or of the crucified Christ,
            will be the distinctive keynote.

It is seldom realized that hundreds of thousands of people in every land have taken, or are preparing to take, this first initiation, called the Birth at Bethlehem, the House of Bread. Humanity, the world disciple, is now ready for this. Indications of the accuracy of the above statement can be seen in the reorientation of people everywhere to things spiritual, their interest in human good and human welfare, the perseverance they show in their search for light and their longing and desire for a true peace, based on right human relations, implemented by goodwill. This "mind as it is in Christ" can be seen in their revolt against materialistic religion and in the widespread effort to be seen in Europe and elsewhere to return the land (Mother-Earth, the true Virgin Mary) to the people. It can be seen in the constant movement of people throughout the world from place to place, symbolized in the Gospel story by the journey of Mary with the infant Jesus into Egypt.

Then followed, as we are told in the New Testament, a cycle of thirty years wherein all we know is that the infant Jesus grew to manhood and could then take the second initiation, the Baptism in Jordan, and begin His public service. Today the many who in this life have taken the first initiation are entering the long silence of that symbolic thirty years wherein they too will grow to manhood and take the second initiation. This initiation demonstrates the complete control of the emotional nature and of all Piscean characteristics. The thirty years can be looked upon as a period of spiritual unfoldment during the three divisions into which Aquarius (and consequently the New Age now upon us) will be divided. I refer to what is technically known as the three decans of each sign. In this sign the waters of the Piscean age will, symbolically speaking, be absorbed into the water-pot carried on the shoulder of Aquarius in the symbol which is distinctive of this sign, for Aquarius is the water-carrier, bringing the water of life to the people - life more abundantly.

In the Aquarian Age, the Risen Christ is Himself the Water-Carrier; He will not this time demonstrate the perfected life of a Son of God, which was His main mission before; He will appear as the supreme Head of the Spiritual Hierarchy, meeting the need of the thirsty nations of the world - thirsty for truth, for right human relations and for loving understanding. He will be recognized this time by all and in His Own Person will testify to the fact of the resurrection, and hence demonstrate the paralleling fact of the immortality of the soul, of the spiritual man. The emphasis during the past two thousand years has been on death; it has colored all the teaching of the orthodox churches; only one day in the year has been dedicated to the thought of the resurrection. The emphasis in the Aquarian Age will be on life and freedom from the tomb of matter, and this is the note which will distinguish the new world religion from all that have preceded it.

The Festival of Easter and the Feast of Pentecost will be the two outstanding days of the religious year. Pentecost is, as you must well know, the symbol of right human relations in which all men and nations will understand each other and - though speaking in many and diverse languages - will know only one spiritual speech.

It is significant that two important episodes are related in the final part of the Gospel story - one preceding and one following immediately after the apparent death of Christ. They are:

    1.    The story of the upper chamber to which the man carrying the water pot and typifying Aquarius led
            the disciples, and in which the first communion service was held, participated in by all and foretelling
            that great relationship which will distinguish humanity in the coming age, after the tests of the
            Piscean Age. Such a communion service has never yet been held, but the New Age will see it take place.

    2.    The story of the upper chamber in which the disciples met and arrived at a true recognition of the
            Risen Christ and at a perfect and complete understanding of each other in spite of the symbolic diversity
            of tongues. They had a touch of prevision, of prophetic insight, and foresaw a little of the wonder of
            the Aquarian Age.

The vision in men's minds today is that of the Aquarian Age, even if they recognize it not. The future will see right relationships, true communion, a sharing of all things (wine, the blood, the life and bread, economic satisfaction) and goodwill; we have also a picture of the future of humanity when all nations are united in complete understanding and the diversity of languages - symbolic of differing traditions, cultures, civilizations and points of view - will provide no barrier to right human relations. At the center of each of these pictures is to be found the Christ. Thus the expressed aims and efforts of the United Nations will be eventually brought to fruition and a new church of God, gathered out of all religions and spiritual groups, will untidily bring to an end the great heresy of separateness. Love, unity, and the Risen Christ will be present, and He will demonstrate to us the perfect life."
(See...The Destiny of The Nations)

Food for thought.....  This may be or may not be true.  It is for you to decide.
God Bless and peace be within you.-CJ


B.  Books and Authors                                                                                                                                        G

"Jesus Was a Physics Major" by Robert Bazemore takes a light-hearted look at the advances in science from the Classical Newtonian model through quantum theory and correlates these findings to the ancient wisdom taught by the masters, specifically, Jesus Christ.
"This book is a result of eighteen years of studying science and religion. My left-brain training in engineering, physics, and physiology clashed with my right-brain understanding of Christianity. Using my life as a laboratory, I set out to “prove” how spiritual practices in faith, prayer, healing, and prosperity correlate to natural law."

"Between A Rock And A Hard Place" by Aron Ralston - "It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year-old mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to get a break from a winter of solo climbing Colorado's highest and toughest peaks ------
What does one do in the face of almost certain death?"

"Perfecting Ourselves: Coordinating Body, Mind and Spirit" by Aaron Hoopes - "Author Aaron Hoopes explores the basic threads of the self—body, mind and spirit and demonstrates simple methods of integrating the three through breathing exercises, meditation, focused quietism and conscious living. He considers the body and how we can become more fully aware of it by examining detrimental behaviors, exploring the effect they have and suggesting ways to counter them. In particular, he shows how deep breathing exercises and conscious awareness of the breath constitute a major pathway to physical health and well-being. He then looks at......."

"The Diamond Cutter: The Buddha on Managing Your Business and Your Life"  by Geshe Michael Roach - "With a unique combination of ancient and contemporary wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, The Diamond Cutter presents readers with empowering strategies for success in their work and personal lives. Geshe Michael Roach, one of the great teachers today of Tibetan Buddhism, has richly woven The Diamond Cutter and gives fresh insight into ancient wisdom by using examples from his own experience as one of the founders of the Andin International Diamond Corporation, which was started with capital of fifty thousand dollars and which today has annual sales in excess of one hundred million dollars."


C.  Health and Well-Being                     Coming Soon                                                                                              


D.  Events                                                                                                                                                            G

October 04, 2004                            "World Habitat Day"
                                                        For information click  http://www.unhabitat.org/whd/2004/

October 15 - 17, 2004                    "Gather The Women  - 2004 International Congress"
                                                        For information click http://www.gatherthewomen.org

October 16, 2004                            "World Food Day"
                                                        For information click  http://www.fao.org/wfd/index_en.asp

October 24, 2004                            "United Nations Day"
                                                        For information click  http://www.unausa.org/programs/unday.htm

November 17-25, 2004                   "World Conservation Congress"
                                                        For information click  http://www.iucn.org/congress/about/welcome.htm

Nov. 29 - Dec. 7, 2004                    "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change"
                                                        For information click  http://unfccc.int/

December 01, 2004                        "World Aids Day"
                                                        For information click  http://www.unaids.org/en/events/world+aids+day+2004.asp

December 10, 2004                        "Human Rights Day"
                                                        For information click  http://www.un.org/av/special/hrday/

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2004#1 ,
2005#1, 2005#2 , 2005#3
 2006#1 , 2006#2 , 2006#3
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