Thank you Tenneson, Your phrasing: "...I feel challenged to open my heart, show up, let go (like > watching my kids grow and watching our relationship evolve from nesting > parenting to co-journeying humans".
Very inspiring and I am greatful for the similar realization/experience I had during the year-end visit to china of our 2 daughters who study in NL. Gijs Quoting Tenneson Woolf <[email protected]>: > Thank you for the many stirrings here. I mostly listen on this listserve. And > learn. > > I am coming to learn so much more about living open space. It has become a > bit of a mantra for me. Way beyond method of course, which I've always known > in my head. And so much more into life itself, self-organizing, and the > niggly places where I feel challenged to open my heart, show up, let go (like > watching my kids grow and watching our relationship evolve from nesting > parenting to co-journeying humans -- something like that). > > With gratitude. > > Tenneson > > > Tenneson Woolf > [email protected] > 801 376 2213 (mobile) > > www.tennesonwoolf.com > www.berkanacollaborative.org > www.berkana.org > www.artofhosting.org > > Twitter, Facebook: TennesonWoolf > Skype: tenneson_woolf > > > > > On Jan 1, 2012, at 6:00 PM, Peggy Holman wrote: > > > This wonderful discussion evokes a practical example for me. > > > > It comes from the years of Spirited Work, a community of practice that met > 4 times a year in Open Space, using one of Angeles Arrien's archetypes as the > theme each quarter. (Winter - season of the warrior, Spring - the healer, > Summer -- the visionary, Fall -- the teacher). > > > > Two examples seem relevant to this conversation. > > > > The first is the remarkable maturing that happened to people who came > season after season, year after year. My favorite example was a 30-something > geeky guy who showed up one season. His focus was on getting a girl friend > and his lousy track record with intimate relationships. While he is still > single, I watched his interests and his way of relating to others > dramatically change over the years. He grew up. So did the rest of us, with > increasing non-attachment, equanimity, compassion, faith in mystery, and so > many other qualities I associate with a buddha nature. > > > > Secondly, during the last couple years of Spirited Work, Mark Jones > introduced the notion of Spirited Work as bodhi-sanga -- enlightened > community. I would say Open Space was pivotal to our growing in that > direction. > > > > best of the new year to everyone, > > Peggy > > > > > > _________________________________ > > Peggy Holman > > [email protected] > > > > 15347 SE 49th Place > > Bellevue, WA 98006 > > 425-746-6274 > > www.peggyholman.com > > www.journalismthatmatters.org > > > > Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into > Opportunity > > > > "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get > burnt, is to become > > the fire". > > -- Drew Dellinger > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Dec 18, 2011, at 8:19 PM, Arno Baltin wrote: > > > >> Hi Every One, > >> > >> I like this discussion on connections and would comment on the > co-incidence topic in particular > >> > >> It seems to me that the connection between Buddhist Practice and Open > Space is probably co-incidental. > >> > >> As following the discussion on OSLIST on connections of OST with other > (spiritual) practices I am reading a book on a thinker and a poet of ours - > Uku Masing. It is a collection of memories from his students, friends and > admirers. There is a poem of his, quoted, in which he says he would rather be > the "friend of the whole space" than exploiter of its resources. > >> The friend of the space sounds very OS-like for me. And it reminds me of > another co-incident of my getting closer to OST. It happened during my visit > to US in 1992. My guide to the country was a Friend, Kersey Bradley. At the > time he was an engineer on a cargo ship (Liberty) which took me over the > ocean. He invited me to his home, introduced to his lovely family and helped > to get further north from Pennsylvania. When in Worcester (MA) I met the > local Friends and attended their meetings regularly. As looking back to these > meetings from my experience of OST, this was and introduction into OS - the > circle, space for expressing, listening, no particular leader of the meeting, > the Spirit. > >> Ten years later I was sitting in opening circle of OST led by Harrison in > Tartu. > >> I am grateful to these people and those co-incideces. > >> Be well, > >> Arno > >> > >> > >> Arno Baltin > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> 2011/12/17 Harrison Owen <[email protected]> > >> Bernhard having said that I was in(for more discussion) I guess I > just sort of disappeared without further word. However, being at a loss for > words is not a common state for me J -- and the topic you raise is, and has > been, of intense interest to me. > >> > >> > >> > >> The similarity of the Open Space experience and the Buddhist practice and > experience caught my attention some time ago. And, as I said in my prior > post, it is not just Buddhism but many, perhaps most, of the other great > traditions. But Buddhism is certainly a great place to start. > >> > >> > >> > >> I am not at all sure what the initiating moment was, but I rather think it > was when I noticed a common phrase that folks used in the closing circle. It > didnt happen every time, but more often than not, somebody would remark, I > feel like I have come home. Nobody ever defined precisely what they meant by > home, and maybe they couldnt so I always took it at face value. > Something about feeling natural and comfortable, just the way I am. The > implication was that in other situations the feeling was being un-natural, > ill at ease and to some extent inauthentic or put on. What popped into my > head was a phrase I had often encountered in the Buddhist literature about > seeing/meeting my original face. > >> > >> > >> > >> When combined with observed and/or reported feelings and behaviors in Open > Space, such as: -- focus and presence, the capacity to treat others with > respect, the ability to listen and engage the other with depth and > sensitivity, an expanded sense of vision and possibility, renewed hope, > fundamental life change, an acute sense of spaciousness such that the present > moment (Now) just grew and grew it seemed like something was going on. The > fact that most or all of these things are also the reported results of > Buddhist Practice (certainly my practice which is pretty much Buddhist) was > more than sufficient to alert my curiosity bump. Something was definitely > going on. But what and why? > >> > >> > >> > >> That Buddhist Practice could produce such results was understandable to me > given the original insights of Gautama, centuries of intense study, communal > practice, and no small amount of discipline. But what about Open Space? We > just sat in a circle, created a bulletin board, opened a market > place originally inspired by two martinis. And our history in this enterprise > is hardly extensive, at least in comparison to the Buddhist community. I > confess that it made absolutely no sense at all. > >> > >> > >> > >> The questions, however, are fairly clear even if the answers are a tad > wispy. What are the connections? What is the means/mechanism? You mentioned a > collective Master function about which I would love to hear more. But my > thoughts have been going in a slightly different direction. No certainty for > sure but just to share. > >> > >> > >> > >> First for the connection. It seems to me that the connection between > Buddhist Practice and Open Space is probably co-incidental. But that does not > make it a weak connection, for co-incidental, as I am using the word here > means that the two are connected through a prior (coincident) connection > with the power of self organization. Yes I know the whole notion of self > organization nowhere shows up in the Buddhist literature, so far as I know. > But if the present general scientific contention is correct that > self-organization has been operative for at least 13.7 billion years it would > be rather odd if we (present day humans) were the first to notice the effect > upon human life, be that individual or collective. So my thought (suggestion) > would be that the Buddhist community, being the keen observers of the human > condition that they are, discovered a (the) fundamental power of life (by > whatever name) and created a practice enabling human beings to fully align > themselves with that power. Once in alignment, the experience is of full > authenticity, being fully what we really are, seeing our original face. Or > coming home. Is this really true? I dont know, but given another lifetime, > I would surely like to find out. I guess I should have been a Hindu? > >> > >> > >> > >> My story about Open Space is that, quite serendipitously (dumb blind > luck), we arrived at a similar place by a very different route. Every time we > open space, the process of self organization is initiated, re-initiated or > maybe just brought to our consciousness. And the net result is that we (the > participants) find ourselves in a environment which allows/invites us to be > as we really are. Almost without knowing it, we find ourselves in alignment > with a fundamental process of the cosmos. Once there, we experience a > strangely comfortable world, which looks just like the everyday world, but > feels rather different. We have come home. Obviously, not everybody in every > Open Space shares this experience. For some people it just doesnt take, or > if it does take the level of resistance is such that the new experience is > perceived as strange, weird, or worse. But for many people in multiple times > and places over our 25 year adventure it definitely feels like we have come > home. At least that is a possible story. > >> > >> > >> > >> Would I suggest that Open Space somehow supplants the Buddhist > experience? A straight simple shot to Nirvana? Absolutely not! But I do think > the two experiences can be very complementary. At least that has certainly > how it has been for me. Even though a first encounter with Open Space can > feel like coming home, that homecoming is often taken with baby steps. What > is missing is a deep appreciation of the full power and possibilities at > hand. It is sort of like coming back to the old homestead with lots of warm > feelings, but little knowledge of all the rooms and spaces, nooks and > crannies that await our exploration and appropriation. In my own case, it > was my practice (largely Buddhist, as I said) that became my guide, both as > facilitator and participant. I dont have a clue as to whether others might > share they will have to speak for themselves. > >> > >> > >> > >> So if it were true that the operative power of self organization were the > connecting link between the Buddhist experience and Open Space would that > somehow consign both to a realm dominated by a purely physical force, thereby > reducing each to the level of a side show in the great drama of Physics? Do > we suddenly and necessarily find ourselves in the company of all those who > choose to understand life and our part in it simply as the product of quarks > and neutrinos, hormones and peptides? What about those other realities that > some of us call Spirit or Consciousness? The choice is clearly there to be > made, but from where I sit, the two poles (Spirit and matter) and not > mutually exclusive. > >> > >> > >> > >> One of the oldest discussions of humankind is the precedence of > Spirit/Consciousness and matter. Is matter the product of > Spirit/Consciousness? Or did it somehow occur that matter evolved to become > conscious? For the vast majority of human history it was understood that > matter emerges from Consciousness, indeed I suspect that is the majority > opinion even today. Recently, however, the relationship has been reversed, at > least in parts of the Scientific West. I suspect there will never come a day > when the issue is resolved at the level of proof. It will remain a matter of > discussion, choice, and experience, which I rather think to be a good thing. > >> > >> > >> > >> Speaking personally, however, I am clear about my experience and my > choice. In the beginning, indeed before any possibility of beginning there > is Consciousness/Spirit. Given this experience and choice, self organization > assumes the position of a manifestation of consciousness. Self Organization > is what Consciousness does in time and space, along with many other things. > Is this true? I dont think we will ever know, and indeed the wondrous gift > of this Great Cloud of Unknowing is a less than gentle reminder of our > limitations. In the meantime, and all that said It works for me. Those of > you who know me will hardly be surprised. After all I am the guy who opened > his first book on Organizations with the line, Spirit is the most important > thing. I havent changed. > >> > >> > >> > >> Enough of this esoterica! And if you have read this far you may well be > asking yourself, Wheres the Beef? What possible practical benefit? What > makes you think that filling the space of OSLIST with this sort of stuff > could have any useful application. Fair question. > >> > >> > >> > >> I think there are at least two reasons. The first I might summarize under > the heading of Beer in the Fridge. > >> > >> > >> > >> If you are thirsty for a beer in my house, all you really have to know is > how to open the refrigerator door and open a can. The fact that major > scientific advances, over multiple years, possessing mind bending complexity > lie behind the coldness of the beer just waiting your parched throat > doesnt really affect a thing. If you want the beer, get it. On the other > hand if you are a real aficionado for whom all the little things count, you > really do need to know something about Refrigeration Mechanics, the flow of > gasses, the way pressure can raise and lower temperatures. Same thing with > Open Space. If all you want to do is have a good meeting, no problem. Sit in > a circle, create a bulletin board, open a market place, and go to work. Aint > Rocket Science. However, should you want to enhance the quality of the space, > raise the level of impact, extend the positive effects for yourself and the > participants, looking under the hood, thinking about the details, asking > impossible questions is probably a good place to start. > >> > >> > >> > >> My second reason may be a little more abstract. And it is all about the > 5th Principle: Wherever it happens is the right place. For me the cutting > edge in what we do is not so much about doing an event but rather coming to > an understanding that Open Space is a 24X7 reality and that we may learn how > to enhance the power of the experience wherever that might be taking place > Tahrir Square, OWS, or the kitchen table. Learning to do that well involves, > at the least, looking for linkages and connections potential allies in a > common undertaking. > >> > >> > >> > >> So I am done for the moment. As I said at the start, being at a loss for > words in not my common state. Maybe I should work on that? > >> > >> > >> > >> Harrison > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Harrison Owen > >> > >> 7808 River Falls Dr. > >> > >> Potomac, MD 20854 > >> > >> USA > >> > >> > >> > >> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > >> > >> Camden, Maine 20854 > >> > >> > >> > >> Phone 301-365-2093 > >> > >> (summer) 207-763-3261 > >> > >> > >> > >> www.openspaceworld.com > >> > >> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > >> > >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > OSLIST Go > to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > >> > >> > >> > >> From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bernhard Weber > >> Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 12:13 AM > >> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > >> Subject: [OSList] Individual and collective master (was: OST - Open > Systems Thinking) > >> > >> > >> > >> Harrison and all > >> > >> > >> > >> I like the recently upcoming discussion about the history of Systems > Thinking, but I would also like to make a big jump from this. > >> > >> > >> > >> I am not shure, but to me it seems to not be by pure "accident". > >> > >> 1. Recently Stanley park wrote "Now is the territory of Peace- Nirvana" > >> > >> 2. And some days later you Harrison wrote "Open the space of your life and > the lives of those around you, and you will discover your own natural state". > >> > >> > >> > >> "Your own natural state", that is exactly how Buddhist masters (like e.g. > Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, the contemporary Tibetan Dzogchen-teacher) > refer to what is often called enlightenment, liberation, Rigpa, ... > >> > >> > >> > >> Although it is not really possible to "feel" something behind the words of > a written posting, I always felt some kind of reluctance by side of you, when > somebody in the group related the effects of OST or the OS spirit to central > Buddhist concepts. Would you prefer to not discuss it (treat it as a tabu) or > am I completely wrong here? (And my feeling demasked as pseudo-feeling;-) > >> > >> > >> > >> I am here in Sri Lanka at the beginning of the 7th year of residence, the > place/space where Gautamas words have been put into Pali language and written > down some hundreds of years after his passing away/paranirvana. So all this > is resonating in me as a kind of effect of the Spirit of the space/genius > loci. > >> > >> > >> > >> Anyhow I would like to invite you and all to explore, if the following > idea makes sense: > >> > >> > >> > >> What the two citations above seem to hint at in my eyes , is a quite > specific function/effect of Open Space: being a trigger for processes during > which not only things get done, as it has been pointed out again and again, > but a trigger for processes that may also lead to enlightenment. If there is > some value in that idea, then OS might be a collective equivalent of a master > >> > >> > >> > >> A master also can only be a trigger, because as already the historical > Gautama (called the Buddha) stated, that he can, on basis of his own > experience only show the way, point to the right direction, but the > practitioner has to do the work. There is no way that the master can do it > (the full liberation, the reaching of the natural state) for the student. > >> > >> > >> > >> So I am wondering if the efficiency and effectiveness of OST in getting > things done, is not intrinsicly knitted together with (alias dialectically > connected to) this "collective master function". Two sides of one medal? > >> > >> > >> > >> Of course I am not interested to tie OS to Buddhism as a belief system. > >> > >> But of course my understanding of the ways to enlightenment is also not > tied to a specific belief system. I have luckily been exposed to "passion, > responsability and love " in- and outside of OST in various cultures like my > own Christian culture in Austria, Candomblé in Brazil, animistic cults (as > the christians call them) in Africa, Buddhism of the Theravada, Mahayana, and > Tibetan tradition (Buddhism fused with Bön), Yoga in India... And it always > works and in all kinds of places. > >> > >> > >> > >> So once again: might it be legitimate, make sense and be useful to look at > OST as a kind of set up for a collective master without a present individual > guru? > >> > >> Or not? > >> > >> > >> > >> Bernd/Colombo > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> . > >> > >> > >> Bernd Weber > >> > >> Change Facilitation s.r.o., A Global Partner Who Makes Change Happen in > Complex Environments; www.change-facilitation.com, > www.change-management-toolbook.com [email protected]; > Regional Phone numbers: > >> > >> -Austria: +43 664 135 4828, landline + 431 5968657) > >> > >> -Sri Lanka: landline +94 11 2785859, iPhone +94 777740757 > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> NEW: Intensive Learning Workshop > >> > >> "Playing with the Waves of Change" > >> > >> www.change-facilitation.com/ > >> > >> > >> > >> You want to have the design for a "Playing with the Waves (of Change) WS > 2 completely taylor-made according to your individual learning interests & > needs & limitations? Then have a look to the questionnaire at > >> > >> www.surveymonkey.com/s/5ZDS6JQ > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> If you get Email from my account <[email protected]> > please do not use the reply button but answer to <[email protected]>, because my > change-facilitation.org INBOX is not working for the time being. > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> Am 13.12.2011 um 22:11 schrieb Harrison Owen: > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> discover your own natural state > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> OSList mailing list > >> To post send emails to [email protected] > >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> OSList mailing list > >> To post send emails to [email protected] > >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > > OSList mailing list > > To post send emails to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > _______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
