10-Sep-2004
GOLDBERG VARIATION #7
[NOTE: My email address is phil@philipgoldberg.com. I’m told that messages intended for me have been sent to phil@philgoldberg.com (without the “ip”). If I haven’t responded to something you sent me, this is why. Please check your address book.]
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Greetings,
The post-Labor Day period usually brings a burst of energy and activity, and this fall will be no exception for me. Over the past year or two, my colleagues in the Forge Guild of Spiritual Leaders and Teachers (of which I’m now Director, as some of you know), have been designing programs for members of the public who wish to pursue genuine spiritual growth in a diverse, non-dogmatic context. We are now launching:
- The Forge Community for Spiritual Wisdom. An international membership organization with offerings that foster ongoing and open-ended spiritual growth. Open to people from any and all paths, who wish to learn from the richness of our differences.
- Forge Hearths. A truly new kind of community providing regular trans-traditional gatherings, with facilitated dialogue, exercises and practices, along with a chance to build unusually authentic connections.
- Forge Weekend Workshop ("Spirituality for the 21st Century"). An opportunity to deepen your life, take the next step on your path and shape relationships into spiritual partnerships, all without having a "right answer" imposed on you.
For information about the Forge Institute, the Guild and these and other programs: www.theforge.org.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP IN LOS ANGELES
I’ll be leading the first Forge workshop, with my colleague, Susan Quinn, an organizational consultant, author and Director of the Forge Community for Spiritual Wisdom. Dates: October 30-31 (yes, Halloween, but you’ll be home in plenty of time to get into costume). It promises to be a profoundly transformative weekend – and a lot of fun – whether you’re new to the spiritual path or a seasoned veteran. For those interested in continued exploration, the weekend can also be the beginning of an ongoing Forge Hearth.
For a full description and details, scroll to the end of this newsletter. For more information, e-mail me at Goldberg@theForge.org, or call 310-827-8266.
MONTHLY COLUMN
I’ve had two new columns in Healthy Update, the newsletter of HealthWorld Online (www.healthy.net): "Entering the Shadow, Do Not Turn Away," about how our spiritual lives can benefit from peering into the shadow side of our psyches (to read it: http://healthy.net/scr/column.asp?id=603); and "That Old-Time Religion, " which reflects on the Five Functions of religion and suggests ways to end the separation between religion and spirituality (http://healthy.net/scr/column.asp?id=608)
ILLUMINATIONS ON FORGIVENESS
With the Jewish High Holidays coming up, forgiveness seemed an appropriate theme. Here is a multifaith sampling:
“I offer you prayers for all whom I have grieved, vexed and oppressed, by word or deed, knowingly or unknowingly, that you might equally forgive all of us our sins, and all of us our offenses against each other.” – Thomas a Kempis
“Where there is forgiveness, there is God himself.” – Adi Granth (Sikh scripture)
“Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass.” – Confucius
SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION
A master tells a group of seekers that the spiritual process is like filling a sieve with water. Reflecting upon the image, the disciples grow depressed. You can’t fill a sieve with water! What is he saying? That we’ll never become full? That it’s impossible to fill worldly life with the Sacred?
When the students voice their dilemma, the teacher takes them to a beach and tosses a sieve into the ocean. It floats for a moment, then sinks. "Now it is filled with water," he says. "That is how to do spiritual practice: throw yourself completely into the Divine."
How about you? Do you throw yourself into what you regard as sacred? Are you diligent about your spiritual practices?
RECOMMENDED BOOK
“Hasidic Tales” by Rami Shapiro. Like all great stories, these traditional tales transcend the time, place and culture from which they arose, offering spiritual wisdom to everyone, regardless of their path or faith. Some are as enigmatic and unpredictable as the Zen teaching stories. Others are simply illuminating. Rabbi Rami’s translations have a contemporary feel, and his insightful commentaries add clarity, depth and an expanded sense of meaning. From his Introduction: “While often dealing with matters of the spirit, [the tales] continually ground us in the facts of daily living, for heaven and earth, nirvana and samsara, this world and the World to Come are simply different ways of experiencing the singular reality of this very moment.” For more: http://rabbirami.com/.
HOW TO WRITE – AND SELL – A BOOK PROPOSAL
If you missed my teleclass on the subject and you’re wondering what it takes to write a proposal that will attract a publisher, you can order the CD of the session at: http://speakerservices.com/products/index.html
THE MARKETING CORNERSTONE
I’m conducting regular telephone seminars for The Marketing Cornerstone, a new educational venture that offers training for personal and professional development. It’s aimed primarily at individuals in marketing, but the programs are pertinent to a wide range of people. http://www.themarketingcornerstone.com.
THIS NEWSLETTER
Feel free to pass this on to interested friends. Anyone can subscribe by clicking on http://www.philipgoldberg.com/newsletter.htm and entering an e-mail address in the right-hand column. If you don’t wish to receive these mailings, you can unsubscribe with the same link or send me a private message.
Blessings to all,
Phil
Spirituality for the 21st Century
— A Weekend Workshop —
· Are you interested in spirituality but tired of systems that claim to have the only truth?
· Do you long to be in community with others on the path?
· Do you want to clarify your spiritual commitments and your life's focus?
· Do you want to deepen your relationships and connections?
We invite you to join us for a unique trans-traditional workshop. If you’re a serious spiritual seeker, whether you practice within a tradition or have created your own personal path, you will find these two days potentially life-transforming.
The program, created by members of the Forge Guild, a dynamic organization of spiritual leaders and teachers from a range of paths, was designed specifically for people like you – independent, clear thinkers who wish to grow spiritually in a diverse, non-dogmatic setting. It offers a combination of teachings, meditative practices, facilitated discussions, and small group processes, all designed to take you to new depths. Whether new to the spiritual path or a seasoned practitioner, you will:
· Reflect on and deepen your experiences of the sacred
· Explore your growing edges and current challenges
· Share deep listening and other techniques to enrich interpersonal connections
· Participate in facilitated discussions and rich small group processes
· Use meditation, movement and other spiritual practices
· Identify and overcome the barriers to living a fully spiritual life
· Enhance the spiritual dimension of your relationships
· Integrate spirituality into everyday life
Facilitators: Philip Goldberg. Phil is a spiritual counselor and ordained Interfaith Minister. He is the author or coauthor of 17 books, including Making Peace with God and Roadsigns: Navigating Your Path to Spiritual Happiness. He is the Director of the Forge Guild of Spiritual Leaders and Teachers.
Susan Quinn. The author of The Deepest Spiritual Life, Susan practices Zen Buddhism and has been an Organizational Development consultant and trainer for over 20 years. She is the Director of the Forge Community for Spiritual Wisdom, a trans-traditional spiritual organization.
When: October 30 & 31, 2004. 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM both days.
Where: Bodymind Institute, 11081 Missouri (at Sepulveda), LA.
