SEVEN MANDALAS

EXPLORING

REVERENCE FOR LIFE

AS A SPIRITUAL PATH

DENNIS RIVERS AND FRIENDS

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By Dennis Rivers – Cooperative University of the Great Turning – www.univgt.org – Permission to copy granted to all: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License 2014 – See www.CreativeCommons.org.Many bows of gratitude to Joanna Macy, Ramon Panikkar, Thomas Berry, Mahatma Gandhi, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Albert Schweitzer, and the Narrative Therapy / Appreciative Inquiry movements. Version 15D December 30, 2014––

1. I embrace the Lifethat unfolds within me:What deeper strengths,skills, understandings,and qualities of heartam I being challengedto develop bythe ecological,economic andpolitical crisesin the worldaround me?

2. I embrace the Lifethat unfolds between us:

What deeper strengths,skills, understandings,

& qualities of heartare the ecological,

economic andpolitical crises

of Planet Earthchallenging us

to nurture inone another?

as friends?as co-workers?

as family?as citizens?

How do I feel calledto mend the world?

What particular workevokes in me the greatest

compassion, creativity and kindness?

3. I embracethe Web of Lifethat surrounds

and sustains us:

4. I embracethe infinitedepths of Life,of which my lifeis an expression:Confronted withthe severe breakdownsin the world around me,how will I open my lifeto new sources of inspiration,to the hidden heart of all life?

Bringingout the best

in myselfbecoming and

bringing into the worldthe beautiful aliveness

yearning to be bornin all of us

–

Working with othersto mend what is broken,

stop what is harmful,and nurture what islife-giving, in theworld around us

1. REVERENCE FOR LIFE AS A SPIRITUAL PATH: A SPIRAL OF CREATIVE QUESTIONS & BEAUTIFUL POSSIBILITIES

Opening to andconnecting withthe creative energies

& deeper dimensionsof Life, Nature,

Beauty, Time,the Cosmos,

(and more)

Bringingout the bestin one another,kindness towardall, mutual

encouragement toface the difficulttruths of oursituation

By Dennis Rivers – Cooperative University of the Great Turning – www.univgt.org – Permission to copy granted to all: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License 2014 – See www.CreativeCommons.org.

I embracethe Life that

unfolds within me,as courage, kindness,

and beautifulaliveness

2. A MANDALA OF BLESSING PRAYERS IN THE SPIRIT OF REVERENCE FOR LIFE (INDIVIDUAL)

May I liveever more

consciously andradiantly

within theHeart of

All Life

May Inurturethe deepest

and best inevery personI encounter

May Imend what is broken,

and nurture what islife-giving, in all theworld around me

By Dennis Rivers – Cooperative University of the Great Turning – www.univgt.org – Permission to copy granted to all: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License 2014 – See www.CreativeCommons.org.

3. A MANDALA OF DAILY BLESSING PRAYERS IN THE SPIRIT OF REVERENCE FOR LIFE (INTERPERSONAL)

May younurturethe deepest

and bestin all the people

you encounter

May youmend what is broken,

and nurture what islife-giving, in all theworld around you

May you liveever more

consciously andradiantly

within theHeart of

All Life

May yougive birth, ever

more fully, to thecourage, kindness &

beautiful alivenessdeep within you

By Dennis Rivers – Cooperative University of the Great Turning – www.univgt.org – Permission to copy granted to all: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License 2014 – See www.CreativeCommons.org.

4. A MANDALA OF BLESSING PRAYERS IN THE SPIRIT OF REVERENCE FOR LIFE (SHARED)

May wenurturethe deepest

and bestin all the people

we encounter

May wemend what is broken,

and nurture what islife-giving, in all theworld around us

May we liveever more

consciously andradiantly

within theHeart of

All Life

May wegive birth, ever

more fully, to thecourage, kindness &

beautiful alivenessdeep within us

By Dennis Rivers – Cooperative University of the Great Turning – www.univgt.org – Permission to copy granted to all: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License 2014 – See www.CreativeCommons.org.

5. ECO-BHAKTI: PRAYERS OF SURRENDER IN THE SPIRIT OF REVERENCE FOR LIFE

I openmy life tothe beautifulaliveness thatunfolds between us

as deep listening,truth-telling,

and...

I open my life to allthe joys and sorrows

of mending of what isbroken, and nurturingwhat is life-giving,in the worldaround me

I open my life toembrace more deeply& express more fully

the infinite Web ofLife, past, present

& future, out ofwhich my life

arises

I openmy life to the

beautiful alivenessthat unfolds within

me as gratitude, courage,compassion,

creativity, and ...

By Dennis Rivers – Cooperative University of the Great Turning – www.univgt.org – Permission to copy granted to all: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License 2014 – See www.CreativeCommons.org.

What deeper strengths,skills, understandings,and qualities of heartam I being challengedto develop bythe ecological,economic andpolitical crisesin the worldaround me?

What deeper strengths,skills, understandings,

& qualities of heartare the ecological,

economic andpolitical crises

of Planet Earthchallenging us

to nurture inone another?

as friends?as co-workers?

as family?as citizens?

How do I feel calledto mend the world?

What particular workevokes in me the greatest

compassion, creativity and kindness?

Confronted withthe severe breakdownsin the world around me,how will I open my lifeto new sources of inspiration,to the hidden heart of all life?

6. REVERENCE FOR LIFE AS A SPIRITUAL PATH: CREATIVE QUESTIONS AND YOUR PERSONAL ANSWERS

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By Dennis Rivers – Cooperative University of the Great Turning – www.univgt.org – Permission to copy granted to all: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 International License 2014 – See www.CreativeCommons.org.

7. REVERENCE FOR LIFE AS A SPIRITUAL PATH: WRITING THE BLESSING/PRAYER OF YOUR OWN HEART

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