Sabine Lichtenfels - Spiritual Work

To all Peaceworkers,

This spiritual and political network, called the Ring of Power, was launched in April of 2002. Ever since then a text of empowerment has been sent to a growing network of peace workers on a regular basis.

I frequently receive letters in response to this which bear witness to the commitment of many other peace forces worldwide. Some of them regularly take part in the Monday meditations at sunrise which connect the planetary peace community around the globe. Beyond religion and world views we connect with the spirit of peace creating peace within and around us.

I thank all those who have faithfully been in service for years now to ensure that the Ring of Power is sent without interruption. Every now and again I had my doubts whether the amount of work and attention spent is worthwhile. However, the many dedicated letters I receive in response to these Ring of Power emails motivate me to carry on.

This will be the last time that the Ring of Power will come to you in this format. A group of Tamera coworkers has been tirelessly working on presenting my work to the interested public. They have created a website which includes a new way for the Ring of Power to be continued, and a way for the letters I receive to be accessible to all readers. It will be a surprise we can look forward to next Monday.

May the weekly texts of empowerment continue to be an inspiration for the challenging work that is ahead of us when we want to contribute to uniting peace forces worldwide.

Once more I have chosen a text on the subject of community.

This time it is an excerpt from the I Ching, the age-old book of wisdom.

Text of Empowerment:

(I.Ching, sign 48, Ching/the Well)

(…)

Thus the well is the symbol of that social structure which, evolved by mankind in meeting its most primitive needs, is independent of all political forms. Political structures change, as do nations, but the life of man with its needs remains eternally the same-this cannot be changed. Life is also inexhaustible. It grows neither less not more; it exists for one and for all. The generations come and go, and all enjoy life in its inexhaustible abundance.

However, there are two prerequisites for a satisfactory political or social organization of mankind. We must go down to the very foundations of life. For any merely superficial ordering of life that leaves its deepest needs unsatisfied is as ineffectual as if no attempt at order had ever been made. Carelessness-by which the jug is broken-is also disastrous.

(…)

This hexagram applies also to the individual. However men may differ in disposition and in education, the foundations of human nature are the same in everyone. And every human being can draw in the course of his education from the inexhaustible wellspring of the divine in man's nature. But here likewise two dangers threaten: a man may fail in his education to penetrate to the real roots of humanity and remain fixed in convention-a partial education of this sort is as bad as none- or he may suddenly collapse and neglect his self-development.

Sentence of Empowerment: The foundations of human nature are the same in everyone.

With best wishes

Sabine Lichtenfels