Pema Chodron, Buddhist nun, emphasizes the importance of
facing our fears and embracing life’s ups and downs alike. She
is one of the first Westerners to receive full monastic ordination
in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Some of her teachings to study or at least ponder:

” The happiness we seek is already here and it will be found
through relaxation and letting go rather than through struggle.”

“Fear is a natural reaction to moving closer to the truth.”

”The truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come
together and they fall apart. Then they come together again
and fall apart again. It’s just that.”

”The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to
happen: room for grief, room for relief, for misery, for joy.”

​⭐️🌟✨💫💥⭐️🌟✨💫💥⭐️🌟✨💫💥⭐️🌟✨💫💥⭐️🌟✨

This Summer has been the hottest on record with fires in many
countries, poor air quality, death of humans and other life forms

terrible environmental damage.

​The following verses are taken from EARTHRISE by

Amanda Gorman

”We’ve known that we’re caught in the throes
of climatic changes some say
will just go away,
while some simply pray to survive another day;
For it is the obscure, the oppressed, the poor,
who when the disaster is declared done,
still suffer more than anyone.

Climate change is the single greatest challenge of our time.

Of this, you’re certainly aware
It’s saddening, but I cannot spare you
from knowing an inconvenient fact because
it’s getting the facts straight
that gets us to act and not to wait.

So I tell you this not to scare you,
but to prepare you, to dare you
to dream a different reality.

Where despite disparities we call all to protect this world,
this riddled blue marble, this little true marvel,
to muster the verve and the nerve
to see how we can serve our planet.
...
See the entire poem on SIERRA CLUB NEWS ( 2018 )

This course recognizes the heritage of Native Americans.
Among other cotations see Session Twelve for complete
speech given by Chief Seattle in 1854

leader of the Suquamish Nation upon giving up land to
US government.

​

The following are other hopeful ideas from various Native
Americans:

”The Holy Land is Everywhere.” by Black Elk, medicine man
of the Oglala Lakota

”As long as you remember what you have seen, then nothing
is gone. As long as you remember, it is part of this story we
have together.” by Leslie Marmon Silko, member of
Laguna Pueblo

Remember you are this universe and this universe is you.”
by Joy Harjo, Muscogee musician & first Native American
US Poet Laureate

”Very often you are in the right place, at the right time, but you
don’t know it. “ Maria Tallchief, member of Osage Nation
and one of the all-time great American ballerinas


“You have to look deeper, way below the anger, the hurt, the
hate, the jealousy, the self-pity, way down where the dreams
lie...Find your dream. It’s the pursuit of the dream that heals
you.” By Billy Mills, member of Oglala Lakota & US Gold
Medalist I’m track & field


✨🌟💫💥⭐️✨🌟💫💥⭐️✨🌟💫💥⭐️✨🌟💫💥⭐️✨🌟💫

His title MAHATMA means great soul; his policy of nonviolence
is called SATYAGRAHA. It is worth reading his shortened biography
on Wikapedia

Some of Mahatma Gandhi wisdom includes:

”If we are to teach real peace in our world, and if we are to carry
on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the
children.”

”Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were
to live forever.”

”When I despair, I (try to) remember that all through history the way
of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and
murderers, and for a time they can seem invisible, but in the end
they always fail. Think of it...always.”

”It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be
reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest
might.

”Mutual courtesy and respect is the foundation of culture.”


ATVCOURSE uses many more quotes by Gandhi in all parts
of the curriculum.


☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️

​

See SESSION SIX for slide show about world’s great religions and
their consistency in views about Peace.
​

Here is one view written by Bishop Desmond Tutu
”God [Great Spirit] places us in the world as fellow workers—agents
of transformation. We work with God [Great Spirit]

so that injustice is transformed into justice, so there will be more
compassion and caring, that there will be more laughter and joy,
​that there will be more togetherness in this world.”

☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️

Amanda Gorman, Youth Poet Laureate read an original poem
at Inauguration for President Joseph Biden in January, 2020

For the New York Times interview on January 20, 2022 she explains
her fear of reading her poem at the Inauguration.

I’m a firm believer that often terror is trying to tell us of a force far
greater than despair. In this way I look at fear not as cowardice
but as a call forward, a summons to fight for what we hold dear.

And now more than ever we have every right to be affected,
afflicted and affronted. If you are alive you’re afraid. If you
are not afraid, then you are not paying attention.

The only thing we have to fear is having no fear itself—having
no feeling on behalf of whom and what we’ve lost, whom
and what we love.

See parts of Amanda Gorman’s Inauguration Poem blog
posted February, 2021.

⭐️💥✨💫🌟⭐️💥✨💫🌟⭐️💥✨💫🌟⭐️💥✨💫🌟⭐️💥✨

I don’t want to give the impression that non-violence will work miracles overnight. Men are not easily moved from their mental
​ruts or purged of their prejudice or irrational feelings. When the
underprivileged demand freedom, the privileged first react with
​bitterness and resistance. So the nonviolent approach does not
immediately change the hearts of the oppressor.
​It first does something to thee hearts and souls of those committed
​to it. It gives them a new self respect; it calls up sources of strength
​and courage that they did not know they had.
​Finally it reaches the opponent and so stirs his conscience that
reconciliation becomes reality

Listen to MLK JR give the complete speech at the end of Session
​One before Review and Reflect.

☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️☮️
​

​The following can be found on our past bog post for January, 2019
Ugly speech continues; some examples are name calling,
bullying, false news etc.

Adele Looney, wife of our founder of this ATV Course, keeps this
list on her refrigerator of possible reactions to bad behaviors.
​❤️Adele will turn 100 years just before Valentines Day, 2023.❤️

REFRIGERATOR LIST

❤️ Be Helpful .........................Be Loving
❤️Be Kind................................Be Patient
❤️Be Tolerant...............,...........Be Just
❤️Be Gentle..............................Be Joyful
❤️Be Foregiving........................Be Slow to Anger

❤️Have Self Control
​

These behaviors are great additions to ATVCourse Session One
which emphasizes how to deescalate conflict and potential
violence. See Session One with other sessions under sub heading
​PERSONAL ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE

Over the last year ATVC BLOG has touched on these topics;
perhaps reviewing a few could prepare us for 2023❣️

• Encouragement to Keep Working for Peace
•. When Peacemaking Seems Overwhelming
• Juliet Saltman, Early Civil Rights Leader & Akron University
Professor Dies at 99
​• Checking On “Dear Vaccine” National Poetry Project

• White Flags on the National Mall ( Counting USA covid deaths )
• Former John Looney Intern, Ellen Zielinski Visits Poland ( as
that country helps Ukrainians )
• Pictures From Poland
• More Pictures From Poland
• Transforming Weapons Into Art

• Keeping Hope Alive




Dr Martin Luther King Jr once said:
”EVERYTHING that is done in the world is done by ( with )
​ HOPE.”

✨⭐️💫🌟✨⭐️💫🌟✨⭐️💫🌟✨⭐️💫🌟✨⭐️💫🌟✨⭐️💫

“Two Bullets per Person” By Welling Hall

Please read an excellent article under Friends Journal.Org
September, 2022. Several art pieces are pictured with format
and materials described. We are not quoting here with respect
to copyright.

However several of artworks were influenced by these words:
...they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war anymore.

​ MICAH 4:3