“Never bear more than one kind of trouble at a time. Some people bear three – all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have.”

– Edward Everell Hale

“Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace.”

– The Dhammapada

Dear friend,

I’m blessed to be connected with you this year. Thank you for being a kind supporter of the Living Jain Daily Inspirational Quotes, and continuing to enrich my path to freedom…

Diwali: A time when we remember Bhagwan Mahavir who attained liberation from the cycle of worldly life and entered a space of abundant, infinite, eternal bliss.

A time when we remind ourselves of what remains ever-constant for us, and the rest which changes moment by moment by moment.

A time when we observe deep within ourselves and penetrate our many layers that have a habit of hiding who we truly are.

A time when we intentionally let go of the insistence on how things SHOULD be and the false perceptions that we have so far held onto so tightly that have caused conflict in our most intimate of relationships.

A time when we start the new year with the understanding that the joys and challenges that we encounter from here on, have already, in our many many previous lives, been addressed and overcome time and time again.

So what remains for us, as we encounter this new year? How do continue to steadily tread along this Jain path to freedom?

We do so by being aware that nothing need phase us, whether it’s birth, death, marriage, or breakup, because we’ve already experienced it a gazillion times before and come through it unscratched.

We do so by walking each step, with awareness and attentiveness of all that’s around us, by stripping away our expectations of how things should be, and by meeting others and ourselves with friendship, compassion, appreciation, respect, forgiveness, truth, and most of all… love.

So to connect with friends who are also embracing, exploring, and enriching their own path to freedom, I intend to attend several high-impact seed-planting soul-nourishing events in the following couple of months.

Please see details below of a 3-day conference next week on climate change, social justice, and ethical business, an event next month on what it takes to be an everyday hero, and finally an opportunity at the tail end of 2007 to serve those who have had to resort to living on the streets of London.

If you happen to be in London UK during that time, perhaps you’d like to attend as well so that we may further enrich our experience of each event…

With love,
Sol

Sol Shah
Living Jain

www.LivingJain.com
www.cynergise.com

—

Event # 1: Recognising the impact of our actions on the world at “Be The Change: The Sky’s The Limit”

Dates: Thursday 15th to Saturday 17th November 2007
Times: 9am to 6pm + evening entertainment on 15th & 16th Nov
Location: Central Hall Westminster, Parliament Square, London SW1
Advanced Registration: http://www.BeTheChange.org.uk
Event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=18841179952

Some of the best minds – from China, India, Germany, South Africa, Canada, America and from all over the UK – are coming together across 3 days: campaigners, entrepreneurs, students, scientists, politicians, coaches, educators – all seeking a real step-change in our response to both climate change and social injustice.

There’s also the UK premiere of the multi-award winning documentary “Dalai Lama Renaissance” on Thursday evening (15th Nov) and the second screening on Friday evening (16th Nov) – catch either screening, or both if you’re a hardcore film buff! This can be booked separately.

Ticket Offer for Kids: School kids and 6th formers get to attend for free – a handful of these tickets are left – if you know any 6th formers, please get this email to them immediately.

Ticket Offer for Under 25s: Under 25s can qualify for a bursary ticket – yes, 200 students and young professionals under the age of 25 get to pay what they can!

Ticket Offer for Over 25s: Not forgetting those 25 and over (myself included!) – a limited number of tickets are being made available at one third of the price for those who are aged 25 and over.

For further details and to book, visit http://www.BeTheChange.org.uk

—

Event # 2: Responding to challenges heroically at “Young Jains: Everyday Hero”

Date: Sunday 16th December 2007
Times: 9.30am to 5pm followed by dinner
Location: Sayer Centre, Oxgate Lane, Cricklewood, London NW2
Advanced Registration: http://www.YoungJains.org.uk
Event on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=13135905506

This fully engaging one-day conference aimed at students, seekers, and young professionals, is down-to-earth, heart-warming, soul-shaking and faith-strengthening, and enables us to cast a glance on the power of all things, little and big, that we take for granted.

We all face challenges in our daily lives, but how do we deal with them? What perspective do you work from? Have you stopped to consider another point of view? Do you deal with matters heroically?

The day will allow you to explore your own challenges, and empower you to respond to them heroically.

For further details and to register, visit http://www.YoungJains.org.uk

—

Event # 3: Serving homeless guests at “Crisis Open Christmas”

Dates: 23rd – 30th December 2007 (yet to decide which days I’ll be there)
Times: daytime slot, evening slot, night slot
Location: London – specific location will be disclosed by Crisis nearer the time
Advanced Registration: http://www.crisis.org.uk/page.builder/crisis_open_christmasnew.html
Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5468753268

Event details from the Crisis website…

If you are homeless or living in hostel accommodation, Christmas can be a lonely and depressing time. For the past 35 years, Crisis Open Christmas has helped to alleviate that loneliness, providing Christmas Centres across London from 23 – 30 December that not only offer vital companionship, hot meals and warmth, but a wide range of essential services that homeless people do not normally have access to.

In 2006 over 6500 volunteers gave up their time over the Christmas week to support our work. If you are interested in volunteering at the next COC you can do so in five ways.

General volunteer: This role gives you an opportunity to take part in a variety of tasks which ensure the safe and effective running of the Centre. Tasks such as welcoming guests and serving food, to washing hair and sorting bedding. We need about 85 per cent of volunteers to carry out this role.

Support volunteer: Join the team that makes the COC happen! From logistics and operational roles to driving vehicles, coordinating food deliveries to being a translator, we need key people to help deliver the event.

Services volunteer: Use your specialist skills to help deliver the variety of services we provide our guests – medical professionals, advice practitioners, hairdressers, massage therapists, chefs and many more

Learning & Skills: Help us inspire and entertain our guests. Learning and skills volunteers have a unique opportunity to engage with our guests on a very personal level. Learning and skills covers a wide range of activities.

Set up volunteers: Help get the Centres ready for our guests before the 23 Dec, and put them back to normal after the 30 Dec.

—

“We don’t have to be facing a personal tragedy to make our relationships our number one priority. No project, no deadline, no clean kitchen is as important as the quality of our relationships.”

– from Random Acts of Kindness

“Do not fear going slowly, fear only to stand still”

– Chinese Proverb

“Our lives are like the course of the sun. At the darkest moment there is the promise of daylight.”

– London Times, Editorial, 24Dec1984

“Only one principle will give you courage, that is the principle that no evil lasts forever nor indeed for very long.”

– Epicurus, 341-271 BCE

“Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.”

– Albert Einstein

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

– Marianne Williamson, A Course In Miracles

“No three words have greater power than I Love You.”

– Anonymous