Giant maneki-neko "lucky" cat in Oita, Japan. Try!

Dear all,

Have you felt more anxiety, frustation, or other forms of distress in the last few days? The prospect of another endless war and violence became palpable after the killing of Qassem Suleimani on Friday. As I discussed in a recent lecture, available online, executive power has been unchecked for years, enabling perpetual war.

By cultivating a connection to our true selves, limiting destructive influences and enhancing positive influences, we can break the grip of these toxic forces. Steven Hassan, mind control and cult expert, has written a book about the "Cult of Trump" - I review it in a recent Psychology Today blogpost that went somewhat bacterial, if not quite viral.

The Cult of Trump

Compassion has been transformative for me and many others. There are still spots available for my Compassion Cultivation Training workshop, which begins this Wednesday, January 8th and continues for 8 weeks. Sliding scale available. Reply to this email if you are interested, or sign up online. This class begins with lovingkindness and compassion for oneself, and extends to compassion for others using in-class experientials and daily guided meditations at home. We absolutely need to build our reservoir of compassion to overcome this era of abusive power and transform both our national conversation and our inner dialogue.

Compassion Cultivation Training 8 Week Series, Winter 2020

I wish you luck in cultivating heart and mind in this New Year. I've found that being almost entirely off social media again (no Facebook since October) has been beneficial. I've been immersing myself in Attenborough documentaries, reading books, and seeing friends. I think cultivating coherence within one's own mind is key. Removing the distractions of social media helps me a lot. If you're new to my newsletter, you can check out my book Facebuddha: Transcendence in the Age of Social Networks (click for book trailer and purchase links). Amazon is offering about a dozen used and new copies on major discount.

If you haven't purchased a copy before, now is the time!

Facebuddha: Transcendence in the Age of Social Networks

Be well, and stay in touch!

Ravi