12/22/2023
Sharing this Newsletter from SAND and Sounds of SAND Anthology 2023, https://www.youtube.com//podcasts
It is Winter Solstice, the darkest time of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and this year, the darkness weighs heavily on our human world, with countless beings suffering in a myriad of ways.
In the face of violence and human cruelty, it’s tempting to fall into hatred and rage, blame and shame, bitterness and despair. We may recognize the domino effect of meeting harm with harm, the endless cycles of vengeance bred by fear and the illusion of separateness.
Moving away from this reactivity rarely comes easily, or once and for all. Doing so asks of us to let go, to take a leap of faith beyond deeply ingrained narratives. Only then can we find the grace that dissolves our defenses and softens our hearts to what we cannot yet grasp.
As we gather this holiday season, may we hold space for all that stirs within – light and shadow, joy and grief. When we meet families and friends, may we hold softness and compassion in our hearts as we meet challenging emotions and old ancestral pains.
May we remember that even the most difficult inner and interpersonal terrain holds the pathway to love and wholeness. The path requires radically accepting our human condition and making room for joy, for rage, for grief, for death. When we approach all our experiences with compassion, that compassion radiates outwards to the world and creates a meeting ground for action, healing, truth telling and transformation.
May love touch all that is unloved, in ourselves and in the world. May we all find true belonging within, beyond apparent separation.
We have created an anthology episode on the Sounds of SAND podcast, to explore the themes of silence, stillness, darkness, and prayer for the return to light. You are invited to listen to poetry, essays, conversations and songs that celebrate our shared blanket of grief in these troubled times.
More than ever, we are deeply grateful for your support of the vibrant SAND community. With you by our side we can continue to share transformative conversations and projects.
Sounds of SAND, Ep. 66 – Silent Light
Build the way you want
🌙 This episode, “Silent Light,” features SAND speakers from our past and present, including Adyashanti, Vera De Chalambert, Fred LaMotte, Maya Luna, Amoda Maa, Gabor Maté, Michael Meade, Lama Rod Owens, Mirabai Starr, Joan Tollifson, and Pamela Wilson.
Listen and Subscribe to Sounds of SAND to receive our weekly episodes in your podcast app.
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https://www.youtube.com//podcasts
With appreciation & love,
Zaya, Maurizio & The SAND Team
