After the screening, I posted on my facebook “Returned from the “Live Beyond the Edge” screening, filled with a love in my heart – thank you to everyone who attended, physically and in spirit.”

Everyone watching, seated in the gallery and main room of Clearpoint center. In the foreground on the right is Roger C. Ingraham (my father).

I am rewarded in the process of watching the films with others. The guided meditation film worked very well in a group screening experience. If people are open, the depth of the meditation can be intensified with a group. Many people commented on their feelings of peace and inspiration in the discussion afterwards.

In a circle, discussing the experience of the film and beginning to connect beyond the film medium. From left to right, Roger C. Ingraham (my father), Artist Angelina Hart, Founder of Clearpoint and fellow producer of Edition 1 of LBTE Steve Munn, Filmmaker Roger Ingraham, Jennifer Eazarsky, Devin Recchio, and Leo Rochetti.

In the circle discussion, people shared openly about themselves and, I felt that for many, as well as myself, this was a bright opportunity to affirm what we’ve already felt inside. The world is changing – we’re facing many challenges as individuals and collectively – and the deep urge to reach out and at the same time dive within, is something that needs affirmation.

Editor Christie Strong in the foreground, Painter Shannon McCarthy next, and Ella Ingraham (my mother).

There are many things I could point out about the screening – but I was most touched by the vibrant sensitivity that settled into the room after watching. There was a genuine listening and sharing happening. My heart felt open. The sense that a new opportunity is arising for all of us is something that could be felt in the room. And the films help to show us something that is often clouded by answers and words: that the only real way to harmonious community and a better world is through an immediate opportunity – of love and insight – starting with onesself.

Continued discussion into the night, drinking fresh spring water and delicious snacks prepared by Shannon McCarthy on the right here. Filmmaker Roger Ingraham on the left, speaking with Debra (back) of http://odinvillage.com/

The Clearpoint Center from the outside, in Stafford, CT where retreats, classes, and film screenings like this one regularly take place. Check out http://www.clearpointcenter.com

You’re invited to the first public screening of all 4 short films (28 minutes of content) in this first edition of “Live Beyond the Edge.” This series, featuring Spiritual Master Panache Desai, offers a message of unity, divinity, and hope in these challenging times.

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WHEN: Friday 14th of May – from 7:30 – 9pm
WHERE: Clearpoint Center – 259 East St. Stafford Springs, CT 06076.
Click here for directions.
ENTRY: $10

To secure your place in advance, click here to register.

I’ll be there at the screening to introduce the films and answer any questions at the end. Look forward to seeing you there.

~ Roger

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In this exploration, we can limit our scope to unbiased direct experience. This is the first tenet of the “direct path” approach to truth. This “direct path” approach has been taught in the past by Jean Klein, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Ramana Maharshi, the founders of Tibetan Buddhism, and many others. Conventional knowledge says “I am body and mind. I was born and I die.” Conventional knowledge is based on the physical and objective world as supreme. The deep spiritual teachings take a different stance. They realize that the only way one can know the world is through the subjective tool of the mind – and the knowing tool itself is, in our direct experience, inseparably linked with all world-experience. Therefore, all world-knowledge and all experience is inherently biased. As a result, in order to perform an honest exploration of personal truth, one must inquire into the very means of knowing, the mind itself.  To do this, one puts aside hearsay, second-hand knowledge, conventional explanations, and intellectual complication – and limits onesself to examining simple and direct experience.

Direct experience is a mesh of thoughts, sensations, and perceptions, inseparable – constantly changing. One way to describe and break down our experience is as the five  senses – taste, touch, sight, hearing, smell — and two more subtle ways of experiencing: thought, and emotions. All of these sensations or perceptions take place in one experience, or one consciousness. This consciousness can only know the seemingly-solid 3d “external” world through these ever-changing sensations.

We can explore and notice that when we close our eyes, we may find it easier to be peaceful. The world in our mind becomes sparser and we are able to let go of the thoughts and worries of “the world”. Many different religions assert, in their own way, that the true nature of our consciousness is undivided and unlimited – borderless and formless. It is said that we are all born of God, and that God is unlimited and formless. We may notice that in order for an object to take on a reality in our consciousness, a thought of this object is required, which then gives it form and limitation. Before the thought, with eyes closed, the world within is actually less colored by the mind, and becomes a formless open eternity, an open expanse of peacefulness ~ then a thought comes in…and seems to disturb!

This is where exploration comes in. What is a thought? Do they need to be erased completely for peace to exist? Who is erasing a thought (Is it another thought saying it wants to erase…)?

This exploration isn’t merely intellectual conjecture – it’s meant to be done continuously as thoughts, sensations arise. It is meant as an experiential inquiry. The direct result is integration and insight. It causes an actual experiential integration of our thoughts, sensations, and perceptions – these things which we have said are “me.” My thoughts, my sensations, my emotions, my vision….This is what composes “me.” What happens if we were to discover that thoughts arose spontaneously out of Grace, and disappeared in that same Grace – if emotions were perfect and pure always, arising and subsiding as mysteriously as thoughts…these discoveries might change our view of ourselves…

To be continued….

in joy, R

But dear god, I am bleeding for you,
stay here with me,
everything I do is for you,
and my eyes wander up to you,
looking for that light at the end of the tunnel.
You are my light,
You are my light,
You are my light.

In my mind, a heavy drama unfolds.
The sad and constant drums of war-beat people seeking unity in common opposition,
The sirens of sadness building their high momentum for the wounded and dying,
I see a crowd of government and suited petty thieves, with drug-tumblers and grimy dirty,
Blips and short blinks of light in the night – Fearful sex-men and other gimmicks of not-knowing.

A dog chasing its tale in the living room, to the loving laughter of the bright angels,
All the scrappy fear-driven crimes of man feel like crumbs at the table of suffering.

It is crimes that weigh on the hearts of lovely giants, these crimes feel criminal,
Einstein feels the a guilty burden of atomic warfare clouding his awe-struck love,
And this loss, this burden on his light, is felt deeply across the world. Anger & outbursts.
To be a lover of harmony and science, and in one’s love, to have done wrong.
To have committed a crime against humanity. You see, it is wrong to love so freely.
As we have always suspected, love is up to no good. It would be better to sit in silence,
and choke one’s soul quietly. It would be better to sit on the sidelines.
It would be better to check thoroughly before one loves, double-check just to make sure.
With every love-thrown instinct, who knows what crimes might be unleashed upon the world?

I sit here, in my love, quaking. Wondering if I am to break this fragile game.
My heart trembles with possibility, at the next breath, at the next thought, at the next move.
Will he really go forward with it – this radical fiend of the universe, bearing the mark of the unknown?
He is a demon – or a child. He is not to be trusted. He is a heretic and a rabble-rouser.
He is a lover and a free spirit. I cannot quite figure him out but I am certain of one thing.
Judge and jury, this is a man who can no longer be reasoned with. He is beyond reason.
We must, if we are to make any progress – We must take him out.
I hate to say it but enough is enough.
Would you like your life shaken to its core? Do you really want your home to crumble?
Is it not enough to face your daily bills and duties – do you now need another rogue on the streets?
Tell him to be silent ~ Tell him to shut up. Send him somewhere small and cramped, where his voice will not be heard… Please, do not waste a moment. Not a moment.
This life demands your immediate action. Save yourselves, brothers. Save yourselves!

Then nothing!
Actively nothing!
The sound of breathing, in a love and stillness-drenched moment.
Just breathing.

2) Remove any support of entities you don’t agree with: the major banks (Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America), the military, and major corporations. Shift your resources to ethical, local, & sustainable efforts that give back. This leads to actual profit for the whole.

3) Find new ways to share with others freely, through open systems like http://www.couchsurfing.org/ or through your daily actions. A new level of wealth comes in giving. In giving, we build and enable a new web of conscious interconnectedness into our lives.

4) Redefine profit, success, and wealth.

You know, the rich and famous are still hungry for love.

Redefinition of success: It is service. It is being connected to ourselves fully. It is impersonal and personal love.

We are all cells in a giant body. The happiest cells in the body are the ones playing their active role for the well-being of the whole. The cells with the most resources are the ones that are constantly sharing those resources elsewhere. In giving, there is receiving.

A tumor closes its walls, defending and hording for itself. Cancer is uncontrolled growth. Cancer is invasion and destruction of other tissues.

Amma is one in many prominent examples of a human “cell” who has opened the floodgates to giving freely – and focusing on love (which is the energy of connection): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lwTAYeyv9U

We are all interconnected ~ Realizing this is committing to open our love for the well-being of all. It is committing to our inner calling to be ourselves. It is committing to no longer violate our core. It is committing to own our intelligence, and our ability to discover our purpose in each moment. Our nature is oneness, an expansive liberated love. At each moment, we can let go of everything that isn’t that.

When we come into alignment with ourselves and loving service to the world, we begin to know that this is our true wealth, profit, success, and comfort.

with love,

R

A message to U.S. citizens, businesses, and government,
Martin Luther King Day, Contemplation on core values for this physical world:

Acquire few needs.
Realize how little one needs to live a full and comfortable life. Of our few needs, the greatest need of all is the need to give. If we aren’t giving fully, then many other false needs rise up and plague our thoughts. Giving fulfills the cycle of life.

Cultivate peace, internal and external. Look for, notice, and relax any fear & negativity. Encourage all people to achieve internal peace as a path to world peace.

Let’s resolve to end war. It is aggression towards ourselves. As we do to others, it will be done to us. We all have the choice of non-violence resistance as a means of taking a firm stand. To end war on a global scale, a starting point is here and now: let’s all end aggression in our own lives. With such short lives, there is little time to waste on any form of aggression.

Take the non-violence vow in thought, word, and deed: http://www.itakethevow.com

Take a stance in this world. “Please use your freedom to promote ours.”- imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Living in this troubled world, our heart begs us to stand up courageously for life, for others. Out of fear, many of us stay seated and watch. Don’t question or hesitate. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

I ask our Congress to take a stand. Iraq is an illegal war started on false premises. It is unjustifiable. Publicly acknowledge this and hold accountable the politicians who manipulated and abused their duties to get us there.

As a country, let’s stop greedily pursuing other countries’ resources. Let’s refuse to profit at the expense of others. As U.S. citizens, we share an imperialist history of religious, monetary, and racial conquest and colonization. Broken bonds and broken trust. Let’s heal the connection with our human family. Help integrate our history with the Native Americans: http://www.nativeres.org/

Cultivate loving compassion. Compassion allows us to love authentically. Feel the world through another’s eyes, culture, and beliefs. Their suffering is our suffering. Their joy is our joy. On so many levels, we are all inextricably linked.

Pledge allegiance to the earth and all its creatures.

This planet is not ours to do with as we please. We cannot own it. We cannot own any of the plants and animals on it. The notion of ownership is best abandoned for stewardship. We are stewards of the land, and we share this home with myriad other plants and earthlings who all have their place. It is our responsibility to live and act harmoniously for the benefit of all.

Let’s realize that other animals deserve their own rights, habitat, and a respected place in our law and doctrine. Their free will is something we can learn from. Their lives are not delivered for our idle consumption. In all our efforts, harmony with the earth and fellow earthlings will determine our continued success. Our joy in this physical world is one of communion with nature, finding our harmonious place in the great web of life. The waves of isolation, fear, and alienation that plague the modern mind are linked to our disconnection and abuse of the natural world.

Redefine wealth & success. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Even the rich are hungry for love. Success is always just around the corner. A life of connected service for others is the luxurious lifestyle we seek. The deep impenetrable comfort we imagine is found in being of highest use. Let’s work towards respectable working conditions and living conditions for all people around the world. Our wealth cannot be their poverty. Let’s remove support of multinational resource-consuming corporations and their products.  Let’s shift our investments and resources to sustainability, local community, and ethical businesses. Watch this video on the first ethical bank in the UK: http://vimeo.com/4075390

Let’s connect. Realize our community, human and beyond. Despite differences, beyond differences, we all share this life together.

Seek your source, because every sense of knowing the world is only temporary. Eventually, our world crumbles in the hands of mystery. The journey home is the greatest journey.

The Kickstarter Campaign was a success! Due to remaining interest, I’ll keep the Paypal button below open until January 15th for backers who are still interested in contributing. Thank you.

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I’m working to create an inspired series of short films about a man who has much to share with the world: spiritual master Panache Desai (http://www.panachedesai.com). The current working title of this series is: “Live Beyond the Edge.” The films will be of his 4rth and final Global Gathering in New Orleans, where a spiritual service was done for the many areas that are still devastated from Katrina. The film encourages everyone to make the leap: Begin living from a place of acknowledging our divine selves. Liberate our internal light. And share who we are.

To get access to the films, updates, a limited-edition DVD only for backers, credits, and become a part of the process, join as a backer: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rogeringraham/live-beyond-the-edge-meet-spiritual-master-panac

A backer supports the creation of the films and with $1 gets exclusive updates and raw footage, $10 gets first access to the finished films – A backer of $50 gets all previous, plus a limited-edition DVD only for backers – a backer of $100 gets all previous, plus an extra DVD, and a film credit of “Brought to you with the support of:” – and a backer of $500 gets all previous plus a “Producer” credit and a special hour-long phone session with Panache.

Check out the link above, and thank you so much for becoming a part of the process!

The world is changing, and we all have the chance to become a part of the change! What a bright world it can be!

~ Roger Ingraham

To become a backer through Paypal, here’s a Paypal Button below!

Contribution Level & Prizes

Option 1 $1.00 Option 2 $10.00 Option 3 $50.00 Option 4 $100.00 Option 5 $500.00

Thanks to Wikipedia, here is an idea of the world situation when it comes to these basic inherent rights:

What’s the story of Free Speech in Africa?

“The replacement of authoritarian regimes in Kenya and Ghana has substantially improved the situation in those countries. On the other hand, Eritrea allows no independent media and uses draft evasion as a pretext to crack down on any dissent, spoken or otherwise. One of the poorest and smallest nations in Africa, Eritrea is now the largest prison for journalists; since 2001, fourteen journalists have been imprisoned in unknown places without a trial. Sudan, Libya, and Equatorial Guinea also have repressive laws and practices.”

And the story in Asia?

“Several Asian countries provide formal legal guarantees of freedom of speech to their citizens. These are not, however, implemented in practice in most places. Countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, North Korea and Central Asian Republics like Turkmenistan brutally repress freedom of speech. Freedom of speech has improved in the People’s Republic of China in recent years, but the level of free expression is still far from that of Western nations.”

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What about Freedom of Religion?

“According to the results of a comprehensive Dec. 09 study, about one-third of the countries in the world have high or very high restrictions on religion, and nearly 70 percent of the world’s population lives in countries with heavy restrictions on freedom of religion. This concerns restrictions on religion originating from both national authorities and social hostilities undertaken by private individuals, organisations and social groups. Government restrictions included constitutional limitations or other prohibitions on free speech.

The countries of North and South America reportedly had some of the lowest levels of government and social restrictions on religion, while The Middle East and North Africa were the regions with the highest. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran were the countries that top the list of countries with the overall highest levels of restriction on religion.

Of the world’s 25 most populous countries, Iran, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan and India had the most restrictions, while Brazil, Japan, the United States, Italy, South Africa and the United Kingdom had some of the lowest levels.”

So with this new year approaching, I ask you to share yourself courageously with the world. It will brighten your heart, transform your soul, and release the fearful reigns of the mind.

I heard this recently – here it is: The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Let it come in. We think we don’t deserve love, we think if we let it in we’ll become too soft. But a wise man named Levine said it right. He said, ‘Love is the only rational act.’”

~ Roger Ingraham

“Awakening can be gentle and gradual, or quite dramatic and abrupt. In either event, memory is restored to varying degrees, allowing starseeds to consciously take up their missions. Their connections to the Higher Self are also strengthened, permitting them to be largely guided by their inner knowing.” ~ an excerpt on the topic from http://www.paoweb.com/starseed.htm