Starting Intentional Evolutionary Spirituality Communities

[Kavita Byrd]

Dear Friends on WS-Now!,

Kingsley and Nicolya and I have been discussing this all-important subject: how can we join together to begin to create living communities for evolutionary spirituality? Kingsley suggested we start a forum on this topic, so here goes!

First of all, I would like to share a vision for a community and learning centre for evolutionary spirituality which I have been working on for some time; it's called the "Shakti Centre for Integrated Spiritual and Social Transformation." I've attached it here and would love comments and feedback from all who are interested -- either in helping to co-create this vision, or if you know of any other such communities already existing (or envisioned) with whom we could possibly join forces. WS apparently has also been hoping to create a Centre for Human Evolution... so this idea is definitely in the air! Let's help bring it down to earth -- welcome all your inspiration, contacts and ideas for networking on this theme!

Here's the Shakti Centre proposal in detail (the gist is in the first two pages, if you want a quick sense of what it is all about...)

ShaktiCentre2012latest.doc

                                                                           Love and blessings,

                                                                           Kavita

[Kingsley Dennis]

Kavita - thank you for sharing this wonderful document. You have created an in-depth and thoughtful sketch for the beginnings of a transformational community. Such projects are always emergent - awaiting the right mix of people, place & timing... I hope there will be some constructive feedback from members here...some ideas perhaps on how to go forward with community building. It is important to bring people together in this evolving process...

Please also update here with any progress with the project....perhaps you can connect networks of people together.....??

[Kavita Byrd]

Dear Kingsley,

Yes, an important point I need to add in terms of progress with the project is that land has been offered in Bali (by a Balinese prince, believe it or not, who is himself a great devotee of Shakti, and very interested in social alternatives too.) So this is a real possibility. What I would need though before I could go ahead is a team of people ready to help me with it from the beginning, including some inspired folks who are also experienced in financial, administrative and legal areas, as well as hands-on sustainable building and permaculture. Funding is also still a big question but I feel if the land is there, and the team is ready to go, funding will come much more easily... I already have some ideas about this (though very much welcome other suggestions too!)

Anyone in WS interested in being part of this? Also, Kingsley, do you think the Human Evolution Centre might want to join forces with something like this in Bali?.. Talk about networking and bringing people together, this could be a really exciting possibility...

                                                           All blessings,

                                                             Kavita

                                                                   

[Joe Shuster]

Hi Kavita,

This is an impressive and heartening vision. It is so tantalizing to imagine the possibilities! The discussions and interactions would be delightful, and I have little doubt that just being steeped in such an integrated environment would by itself be a consciousness-transformative experience.

I appreciate the amount of work put into creating this and I love the breadth of your scope: religion, culture, etc. Breathtaking.

There are so many good things that could be brough in and to leverage. It could be a living (breathing) example of Barbara Marx Hubbard's "Peace Room" concept, composed of like-minded evolutionaries.

A couple things that I experienced as I read it:

Where are the arts? Religion gets plenty of mention, and science gets a little, but not the arts. An ecological community of transformation will naturally attract and encourage artistic expression, but it is a shortcoming, I feel, not to address that.

The emphasis on the feminine elements, frankly, distanced me. While I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment and the need, I do not feel that, for a document that is stressing integration, it balances the principles very well. The gentle writing style and soft words resonate well with the topic but I kept waiting for a positive masculine ethos to come through: something that expresses creative strength and ancient fire, ingenuity and action-oriented change. It is not a show-stopper without those, but it will likely limit the audience. Perhaps that was intentional and perhaps that is part of the vision. But it is not balanced without it.

Having said that, I feel that your vision for such a network of intentional communities represents a tremendous hope for our future and I encourage you to follow it boldly and bring it forth with all the compassion and love that you can muster.

Hope this feedback was useful.
I wish you success.

Sincerely,

Joe

[Kavita Byrd]

Dear Joe,

Thanks for taking the time to read it, and your thoughtful comments! In answer to the points you raised, it does include creative expression -- writing, music, films, etc, expressing new and inspired visions -- you'll find the part about that on page five, and again in more detail on page 9. As for the masculine-feminine balance, it's all about that, at all levels -- I think the emphasis on integrating inner depth and outer dynamic creative action that characterize much of the project exemplify a strength and breadth that unify both feminine and masculine, however one may slice it... Of course, I would hope that gentleness isn't exclusively feminine nor ingenuity exclusively masculine, but in any case I feel both are there in a healthy and dynamic balance...

                                                                                  All the best,

                                                                                    Kavita

[Barbara Smith Stoff]

Have printed this out to read ASAP!!!!