I have been absorbed in my own world of dedicated
traditional practice in my specific Buddhist tradition for years. I have certainly been aware that mindfulness
meditation practices, in various forms, and--of course--yoga, have become
increasingly popular. I was surprised to see, however, how many
business leaders, such as Bill Ford from Ford Motors, and many (apparently
famous) tech entrepreneurs such as Bill Evans—formerly of Twitter—and top
executives from Facebook, Google, and Linked-in are willing to be “out” not
only about their meditation practices, but the role that compassion and wisdom
play in their world view. This was
complemented by many researchers and grass-roots activists who are working to
bring these practices and compassionate values to their communities and the
world.
Two members of Congress spoke about the intersection between
their political work and their personal practice… Tulsi Gabbard and Tim Ryan,
and I was impressed with their humility and good heart.
Marianne Williamson, a prolific and popular writer and
lecturer on spiritual topics, was perhaps the biggest surprise. She speaks in a style that obviously draws
from Christian preachers, even through she is not that, and initially I had the
impulse to leave the room, because the studied style of professional speaker on
the circuit usually sends a signal to me that I am about to be hustled. But, what a pleasant surprise when the
message she sent was to throw down the gauntlet to the all of there, especially
the business leaders, to use all that brain and financial power to do real good
in the world… and specifically to get together and do what needs to be done to
eliminate extreme poverty in the world.
But more important than the big talks were discussions I had
with individuals about their current work and projects that I am working
in. I have a project I am in the
formative stages of, and it was very good for me to see the big picture of what
will certainly be an eventual revolution in the U.S. – balancing inner life and
outer work and new values that inevitably come out of that. As San Francisco goes, so goes the
nation. Eventually.
These people were mostly coming from the doing side and
trying to bring in the contemplative side, and I come from the contemplative
side and am moving into doing. I just
listened and watched, like a beginner all over again, asking myself again and
again “what can I take from this into my work?”
“What do I bring to the table as a strength.”
Inside I watched my various reactions to the environment,
from my snarky anti-authoritarian side, to my pride rearing its head, and also
(not unrelated) what would push my buttons.
I found that my own capacity to actively engage with others – almost
everyone there was a total stranger – needed to be balanced with unengaged
times, some lunches alone, and a few chair naps. There were a lot of sub-spaces, including a
meditation room and a yoga room, which I admired from afar.
I recommend this gathering—if you or your organization can
afford it—to folks who are engaged in wisdom and compassion work, in any
setting, as a way to expand and connect in the larger world of people who will
get the significance of what you are doing.
