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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200604
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200611
DTSTAMP:20260503T131158
CREATED:20200604T160610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250718T115606Z
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SUMMARY:peace\, love & happiness  6/4/20
DESCRIPTION:THE OPEN ROAD \npeace\, love & happiness newsletter \n  \nJune 4\, 2020 \n  \nMost of the writing I’ve done in my life has been in journals and letters. I found this letter that I wrote in 2010 to a man serving time in a Texas prison. He was suffering from depression\, so I wrote this letter to him. (I have edited it slightly.) \n  \nJuly 29\, 2010 \n  \nDear E \n  \nSome thoughts on depression. \nI think a  lot of suffering comes from “bad mental habits.” I would estimate that 99% of our suffering is self-inflicted. \nIn my own life\, I find three practices very helpful. \nMeditation \nDialogue \nStudy \n  \nMeditation \nYou don’t need a meditation teacher or tradition. All you need to do is spend some time every day sitting quietly. Doing nothing. Paying attention. Watching your thoughts. Being still. Being calm. Breathing in and out. Forget about the past\, forget about the future. Forget about The Autobiography of E. \nThought and language give rise to concepts like “self” and “other.” “Inside” and “outside.” “Body” and “mind.” “Life” and “death.” In silence\, there are no such categories. In silence\, there are no problems. In silence\, there are no boundaries. \nDo not waste another minute of your precious human life in self-pity or regret. Go forward. \nCount your blessings. \nEverything you see is utterly miraculous. Your body is miraculous: your hands\, your eyes\, your brain\, your lungs\, your stomach\, your heart. \nYou are perfect. There is nothing wrong with you. You are basically good. Love\, happiness and freedom are your birthrights. \nEveryone you see around you is beautiful inside. Look for that beauty. \nWater the seeds inside you of peace\, love\, happiness and understanding. \nDo not water the seeds of fear\, anger\, regret\, sorrow\, self-pity. \nPrison is a great place to find the peace which passeth understanding. \nPrison is a great place to learn to love yourself and everyone else\, without exception. \nPrison is a great place to learn how to stop making yourself miserable and be happy. \nPrison is a great place to be free. \n  \nDialogue \nWe need each other more than we know. \nDialogue is a way of breaking out of our isolation\, getting out of our rut\, connecting with others. \nYou said that there is one person who you can have a really good conversation with\, and that he has helped you to see things in a better perspective. \nTake good care of that relationship. Honor it. Spend time with him. \nThere are other guys in prison whom you can have meaningful dialogue with if you are patient and make an effort. \nThe trick is to get below the superficial level where most conversation takes place and down to stuff that is more meaningful. \nMy prison dialogue group has taught me that everyone hungers for meaningful dialogue\, even if they don’t know it. \nWe all need to learn the art of giving expression to who we are below the surface\, and to eliciting that from others. \nI know that in prison especially people tend to “do their own time\,” and obviously you don’t want to naïvely open yourself up to someone who would take advantage of your openness in some way\, but the cost of not communicating authentically with others is loneliness and isolation. So\, it’s worth the effort. \nIt’s important to speak and to be heard\, to see and be seen\, and ultimately to love and be loved. \nIf we talk about the weather or about sports\, neither of us will learn anything that we don’t already know\, but if you ask “What is your story?” and really listen you will find that this other person is just as interesting as you are. You will learn things you didn’t know. \nNot just “Where did you go to high school?\,” but “Have you ever loved a woman?” Not “What are you in for?\,” but “What is your heart’s desire?” \nSo\, now I will ask you that question\, as par of our ongoing dialogue. \nWhat is your heart’s desire? \n  \nStudy \nI hated school. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that school felt like a prison to me. I spent the whole time looking out the window\, dreaming of escape. \nI feel like precious years of my life were stolen from me. I’m still angry at the world of adults that locked me up like that. \nWhat was my crime? \nMy parents expected me to go to college after high school\, but I dropped out after half a year. \nAt that point my education began. I started reading things I wanted to read\, following my curiosity. I never stopped doing that. \nI think that if I was in prison\, I would do my best to pretend that it was my monastery\, my university. \nPart of my approach to reading is that I mostly read things that I expect will change me\, open my heart or my mind\, or both. Of course sometimes I read for pure entertainment. Books that are funny lighten our mood. Stories feed our imagination. \nMostly\, I read to gain a better understanding of us human beings and the world in which we live. For me\, this kind of reading can be tremendously exciting and make my life more meaningful. It enlarges my world. \nHere are some of the books I have discovered on my lifelong reading journey: \nFirst of all\, there are foundational books. These are the classics—the books that have been most important to humanity—that people have read and re-read. Millions of people have used the spiritual classics as a guide to their lives. The spiritual classics include the Bible\, the Qur’an\, Bhagavad Gita\, Tao Te Ching\, I Ching\, Dhammapada\, and Buddhist sutras. \nIn addition to those basic spiritual texts\, there are the classics of literature\, from the Odyssey of Homer to Ulysses by James Joyce. The literary critic Harold Bloom puts William Shakespeare at the center of what he calls the Western Canon. \nI find I am especially nourished by the writings and sayings of various saints\, yogis\, prophets\, mystics\, poets\, and spiritual geniuses\, ancient and modern. What they all have in common is something that might be called “depth.” It’s a long list but here are some of my favorites: \nLao Tzu\, Seng Ts’an\, Han Shan\, Hafiz\, Shakespeare\, Traherne\, Blake\, Emerson\, Thoreau\, Whitman\, Dostoevsky\, Narayana Guru\, Ramana Maharshi\, R.H. Blyth\, J. Krishnamurti\, Shunryu Suzuki\, Martin Luther King\, Alan Watts\, Joseph Campbell\, Susan Griffin\, Wendell Berry and Thich Nhat Hanh. \nThese people—along with my close personal friends—profoundly affected the way I see\, experience and understand my life\, the world\, and their inseparability. \nI have more I want to write about books\, but I have to do some stuff right now\, so I think I’ll save it for another letter and get this in the mail to you. \npeace & love \nJohnny
URL:https://openroadpdx.com/event/peace-love-happiness-6-4-20-6-10-20/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20200607
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20200608
DTSTAMP:20260503T131158
CREATED:20200603T191633Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240616T193251Z
UID:901-1591488000-1591574399@openroadpdx.com
SUMMARY:Bibliophiles Unanimous!: the Open Road Literary Salon
DESCRIPTION:  \n  \n \n  \n“The real joy of a book lies in reading it over and over again\, and always finding it different\, coming upon another meaning\, another level of meaning.” \n–from Apocalypse by D. H. Lawrence \n  \n¡Beloved Bibliophiles! \n  \nOn June 16th\, our topic will be Books That Give You Something New Every Time You Read Them. \n  \nHere’s the Zoom link:  \n  \nhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/87614013058 \n  \n  \nI hope to see you there!  \n  \npeace\, love & happiness  \nJohnny \n  \n  \n \n  \nFrom the back cover: \n  \nIf you know Johnny\, you will love this book. If you don’t\, after reading\, you will want to meet him—by reading this book. Who else can provide such a good-humored\, big-hearted\, modern Socratic quest into the nature of human happiness\, and the myriad paths to finding joy? Johnny lived in India—and in the remote Eastern Oregon town of Ashwood. He’s spent years in prison—as a generous visitor creating dialog circles to bring lively thought to shadowed lives. And all the time he was writing these zesty morsels of insight\, poem\, story\, meditation\, and manifesto just for you. \n  \n—Kim Stafford\, author of As the Sky Begins to Change  \n  \n  \n\n\n\nIf you missed our 2021 Valentine’s Day Special\, you can enjoy the poems we read by clicking on this phrase: Valentine’s Day Special! LOVE POEMS. Or you could get inspiration from the STORY POEMS we shared on Sunday\, March 28th. Or: MYSTICAL POETRY & PROSE from Animist\, Polytheist\, Hindu\, Taoist\, Buddhist\, Jewish\, Christian & Muslim mystics (4/11/21). Or Poetry (9/25/22). Or American Indian Authors and Culture (11/20/22).\n\n\n  \nWe had a lovely group reading on Zoom of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” on his birthday (May 31\, 2020)\, and have been carrying on a lively literary salon ever since on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. You’re invited! \nI know that in our busy world not everyone can come every week\, or stay for the whole thing\, but if this sounds like fun to you\, please join us this Sunday or some other Sunday. \nDon’t worry\, this is not a college class! It’s non-competitive. There’s no homework. No one is expected to know anything\, learn anything or improve in any way. It’s just a way to get together and enjoy each other’s company–a locus for the Nonstop Love-In that is happening always and everywhere. \n  \nHere’s the a list of the topics we’ve used so far: \n  \n\nPoetry Corner (favorite poems old and new) 6/7/20\nCan a book change the way you see and experience the world? (give examples) 6/14\nThe Quintessential Hippie Library (you could start with the Whole Earth Catalog and The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda and go from there—some of you surely know what I’m talking about) 6/21\nWhat are your five all-time favorite novels? or six? or whatever? 6/28\nReligion and Spirituality (what sacred-mystic-poetic texts have most enriched your life?) 7/5\nWhat writers taught you most about the way the world works—sociologically\, politically\, economically\, ecologically\, philosophically\, mythologically\, psychologically\, anthropologically\, scientifically\, aesthetically\, fundamentally? 7/12\nBooks With Pictures in Them (this would include art books as well as illustrated books and children’s books) (another question: what are the most gorgeous books you own\, or wish you owned?) 7/19\nfeatured poet: William Blake  7/26\nOddball Books (books found off the beaten path\, books the other people probably haven’t heard of\, books that are unlike other books\, books that explore non-mainstream ways of seeing and understanding the world\, y’know: oddball books)  8/2\nIdea Books (nonfiction books that you learned something from that has stayed with you)  8/9\nWell-Written Books (what writers write in a way that thrills you?)  8/16 \nBooks About Books (literary criticism\, books about reading\, writing\, writers\, words\, the alphabet\, libraries\, et cetera) 8/23 \nFilms Based on Books: which are the best?  8/30\nPoetry Corner. Read us poems you’ve written\, or some of your favorites from other writers.  9/6\nMulticultural. Books not written in English and/or not written by white guys. Fiction or nonfiction  9/13\nGuest Author: Ashley Lucas.  This was a Special Event–a Virtual Book Tour. Ashley’s new book\, Prison Theatre and the Global Crisis of Incarceration had just been published. Ashley (in Michigan) read from her book\, answered questions and hosted a conversation. Howard joined us from New York\, Al and Nick from Seattle\, lots of Oregonians\, and Carlos from Peru! You might want to read this Interview with Ashley Lucas.  9/20\nNature\, Ecology & the Environmental Crisis. 9/27\nNo Bibliophiles Unanimous on 10/4.\nPositive Futures\, Utopian Visions. Mainly thinking nonfiction here\, but novels that give a positive vision of the future would also be good (if there are any.)  10/11\nThe Bible. What does this book mean to you? What have you learned from it? What is its role in our society? What is its role in Western Literature? Considered as a myth (sacred story)\, what does it say about us\, our world\, and our relationship to the Divine?  10/18\nShakespeare.  10/25\nKids Books. For Children of All Ages. Bring kids’ books to read. Bring kids if you can. What were your favorites when you were a kid?  11/1\nIrish Writers  11/8\nEconomics  11/15  Know of any well-written books that have helped to illuminate this arcane subject for you?\nRead any good books lately? A favorite question of bibliophiles  11/22\nMythology with Will Hornyak. Any authors\, books\, articles that have drawn you closer to the world of myth? What myths do you live by? 12/6\nPoetry’s Task with Kim Stafford.  12/20/20\nFavorite Women Poets with Deborah Buchanan & Katie Radditz. 1/3/21\nSPECIAL EVENT!!!: A Play Reading with Howard Thoresen\, Alan Benditt & Andrew Larkin. This is gonna be F-U-N! Contact Johnny for details.  1/17/21\nIdentity & Mythos: The Stories We Tell Ourselves.  1/31/21\nValentine’s Day Special! LOVE POEMS.  1/14/21\nFACTORY by Antler. Group Poetry Reading!  2/28/21\nPoems & Books About Work. We’ll talk about Antler’s poem “Factory\,” share poems about work\, talk about books on the subject of work\, and regale each other with some of our own work experiences.  3/14/21\nStory Poems. Homer\, Dante\, Shakespeare\, Edward Lear\, Robert Service–y’know\, Story Poems. Poems that tell a story.  3/28/21\nMYSTICAL POETRY & PROSE from Animist\, Polytheist\, Hindu\, Taoist\, Buddhist\, Jewish\, Christian & Muslim mystics.  4/11/21\nSHAKESPEARE’S 457th BIRTHDAY!!! Bring along some of your favorite passages from the Immortal Bard.  4/25/21\nALL THINGS GREEK. Stratis Panourios\, our hierophant\, from Athens\, led a dialogos about Greek drama. 5/16/21\nAnnual Group Reading of SONG OF MYSELF to celebrate Walt Whitman’s 202nd birthday!  5/30/21\nBloomsday Celebration!  6/13/21\nPLAYS!: Plays you’ve read\, plays you’ve seen\, plays you’ve performed.  6/27/21\nWhat are your favorite 50 books from the past 50 years?  (Books published since 1971.)  7/11/21\nWhat are Your Favorite Documentary Films?  7/25/21\nPoetry Corner!  8/8/21\nWhat Do You Read?\, How Do You Read? & Why Do You Read?  8/22/21\nWomen’s Liberation!  9/5/21\nBooks With Pictures In Them with Special Guest Professor Andrew D. Larkin  9/19/21\nLooking Glass Bookstore with Special Guests Bill Kloster and Katie Radditz  10/3/21\nPoems That Are Funny  10/17/21\nNature  10/31/21\nNature Poetry  11/14/21\nMythology  11/28/21\nGroup Reading of “A Christmas Carol” 12/12/21\nRead Any Good Books Lately?  1/9/22\nFavorite Fictional Characters  2/27/22\nFor Women’s History Month: Women Writers and Characters  3/13/22\nWar & Peace & Spring!  3/27/22\nGary Snyder & Friends  4/10/22\nOf Strange Shadows: TheMysteries of Shakespeare’s Sonnets with Keith Scales (Celebrating William Shakespeare’s 458th Birthday)  4/24/22\nWhat Shaped Your Worldview (Including Books)?  5/8/22\nAnnual Group Reading of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”  5/29/22\nBloomsday Celebration  6/16/22\nA Conversation With Susan Griffin  6/26/22\nAuthors & Writings That Make You Happy!  7/10/22\nAuthors & Writings That Make You Happy!  7/24/22\nRead Any Good Books Lately?  8/28/22\nRead Something You Wrote  9/11/22\nPOETRY  9/25/22\nMore Poems  10/9/22\nNeruda\, Mistral\, García Márquez\, et cetera  11/6/22\nAmerican Indian Authors and Culture  11/20/22\nSilence  12/4/22\nAnnual Group Reading of A Christmas Carol  12/18/22\nSong Lyrics1/1/2023\nHope  1/15/23\nKeith Scales Reads T. S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets  1/29/23\nValentine’s Day Special: “What have you learned about love from books & plays & poems?” 2/12/23\nSnowed In! 2/26/23\nMemorize a Poem!  3/12/23\n“sweet spring…  4/9/23\nShakespeare’s Birthday Extravaganza!!!  4/23/23\nPsychology  5/7/23\nFavorite Women Authors  5/21/23\nPoetry Reading: Featured Poets are Elizabeth Domike & Alex Tretbar  6/4/23\nVisions of Utopia & Paradise  6/18/23\nWhat’s Going On?  7/30/23\nWhat Are Your Top Ten (or Fifteen) Favorite Novels of All Time? 8/13/23\nMother Goose & Friends  9/10/23\nBlack Elk’s Vision  9/24/23\nSPECIAL EVENT!: Mythic Ireland with Will Hornyak  10/8/23\nPeace & War  10/22/23\nWisdom  12/3/23\nA Child’s Christmas in Wales read by Keith Scales  12/17/23\nWhat are the best books you read in 2023 & what books are you looking forward to reading in 2024?  12/31/23\nHistories!  1/14/23\nWho do you admire\, and why?  2/25/24\nWorld Literature  3/10/24 \nBook Launch for The Nonstop Love-In by Johnny Stallings  3/23/24\nMysteries!  4/7/24\nSci-Fi!  5/5/24\nOld Poems!  5/19/24\nSong of Myself  6/2/24\n102.  Books That Give You Something New Every Time You Read Them  6/16/24\n\n\n  \nI hope to see you at our next Sunday Zoom gathering! \npeace & love \nJohnny \n 
URL:https://openroadpdx.com/event/bibliophiles-unanimous/
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