Author Archives: Alan Levin

Preparation for a Sacred Psychedelic Journey

I’m sure you’re aware of the explosion of interest in what’s being called “the psychedelic renaissance.” Articles in all of the forms of media are calling attention to the many research programs for treating addictions, depression, anxiety, end-of-life issues, eating disorders, etc., Ketamine clinics are proliferating all over the country, and big-money corporations are seeking to gain control of the substances themselves. With all this, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that psychedelic substances or medicines are ancient tools for spiritual awakening, for opening perception and awareness to the true nature of Reality, aligning with one’s Soul or Spiritual essence, and for finding one’s place in serving the community of life of which we are part.

With that in mind, I’m excited to share the news that I’ve revised and republished my book, Preparation for a Sacred Psychedelic Journey. In it I’ve distilled some of the essential elements necessary to engage with plant or synthetic substances for sacred experiences. Based on my own experiences witnessing and participating with elder guides, it’s my hope it will be helpful to both experienced guides and those they work with.

It’s available on Amazon as a paperback or e-book for a low price making it easily available for teachers and students, guides and journeyers, beginners or the already very experienced. I’ve talked to many people who have used it prior to their experiential journeys and all have found it extremely helpful.

If you appreciate the book, I’d love it if you’d write a review on Amazon. That seems to be the way books get more visibility.

May those seeking a deeper connection with Spirit within themselves and in all the many dimensions of Reality find the careful and wise guidance they need on their journeys.

With blessings,

Alan Levin
www.CrossingTheBoundary.org

P.S. In the near future, I’ll be interviewing for my Crossing the Boundary YouTube/podcast series two folks who’ve been very involved in this field: Cathy Coleman, who was married for 30 years with the visionary, psychedelic pioneer, Ralph Metzner, and Jim Fadiman, founder of the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology and eminent researcher of micro-dosing psychedelics. Watch for them over the next couple of months.

Here are some of the endorsements I’ve received so far from people in the field:

“Impressive that here is exactly what you need to know if you are going to take a serious journey, and nothing else. It is clear, supportive, sensible, practical and sufficient.”
–Jim Fadiman, author, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide
founder Institute for Transpersonal Psychology

“Preparation for a Sacred Psychedelic Journey condenses a rich body of knowledge into clear and simple instruction for any potential explorer of consciousness. Alan Levin’s years of practice as a psychotherapist and healer are made available in an offering that grounds psychedelic experience into a practical yet profound framework for personal transformation.”
–Valeria McCarroll, PhD, LMFT
Faculty, California Institute of Integral Studies in the Integral and Transpersonal Department

“For those seeking a deeper engagement of their essential nature through the expanded awareness offered by psychedelic molecules, Alan Levin has captured in his small book, the essential elements to pay attention to.”
–Michael Ziegler,
Founder “Mastering The art of Psychedelic Care: The Guiding Presence”

“Alan has prepared a sacred text of simple and powerful practical guidance to prepare for and explore within expanded consciousness. Alan’s thoughtful, heartful voice comes through every page, especially in his reverence for his teacher Ralph Metzner. Walk with him, into the journey.”
–Rabbi Zac Kamenetz, Founder, Shefa, Jewish Psychedelic Support

“Alan’s book covers all the bases that need to be addressed and honored to create responsible, respectful right-relationship with the spirits of sacred psychedelic plants. Following the steps presented in this book helps open the doorway to receiving meaningful wisdom guidance and transformational healing for one’s life. It is about taking a sacred substance into a sacred container (you) to engage in a sacred dialogue cultivating the universe and letting the universe cultivate you.”
–Dr. Tom Pinkson,
author The Psychedelic Shaman: The Wisdom Warrior’s Path to Transformation
Shamanic Mentor, Ceremonial Leader, Spiritual Medicine Teacher

“Alan Levin’s concise guidelines for a sacred psychedelic journey give great aid for the rapidly increasing number of therapists training as psychedelic guides. Alan’s half-century association with my late husband Ralph Metzner as his teacher, mentor, friend, and colleague, coupled with Alan’s own training, experience, and knowledge enabled this offering of guidelines for preparation, practice, and integration of deep intentional transformative growth work. This small volume incorporates the poetic wisdom of numerous teachers along with practical suggestions for how to do the work and navigate your evolving consciousness.”
—Dr. Cathy Coleman, author, Ralph Metzner, Explorer of Consciousness: the Life and Legacy of a Psychedelic Pioneer

“Preparation for a Sacred Psychedelic Journey is an essential guide for anyone embarking on a journey of psychological and spiritual transformation through the use of entheogenic and empathogenic medicines. Levin’s extensive experience as a psychotherapist and spiritual practitioner shines through in his comprehensive approach to preparation, set and setting, intention-setting, and integration. This book is a practical resource for both novices and experienced voyagers, offering clear advice, actionable insights, and a compassionate understanding of the transformative potential of these sacred substances.

Levin delves deeply into the spiritual dimensions of psychedelic journeys, providing guidance on connecting with the divine, exploring one’s higher self, and communing with spiritual teachers and ancestors. Through detailed guidance on meditation, nature immersion, and creative expression, he skillfully equips readers to navigate their inner landscapes with wisdom and grace, facilitating spiritual awakening and growth. He also helps readers identify their connection to the natural world by enhancing the journeyer’s sense of belonging and inter-connectedness, grounding their experiences in the larger web of life.

Preparation for a Sacred Psychedelic Journey is a must-read for those seeking to deepen their journey, expand their consciousness, and cultivate a lasting change in their mind, heart, and way of living.”
–Tina Trujillo, Ph.D.
Faculty Director, Berkeley Psychedelic Facilitation Program
University of California, Berkeley

“Alan Levin’s knowledge of the psychedelic realms is both deep and wide. The depth comes from decades of time on the mat, doing his own inner work. The breadth comes from 40+ years of studying and teaching spiritual practices. This book is a trusted guide for those entering into their own psychedelic explorations. It is both a practical and spiritual guidebook providing deep insights and prompts to help expand your psychedelic experience. Alan is a trusted resource in the psychedelic field. I highly recommend this book as a place to start your inner journey.”
–Carla Detchon, Integration Coach
Host of “Psychedelic Divas Podcast“

Musician, Writer, Activist – John Malkin

My recent conversation with John Malkin opened my eyes to a genre of music which I’d previously kept at a great distance – Punk Rock music. John, a very accomplished and recognized pianist himself, has a wide range of interests: writing, photography, non-violent communication, activism, music of several genres, and interviewing and writing about people involved with music, social justice and spirituality. Regarding music, he’s given a good deal of focus to punk rock, especially the punk music that has radical and revolutionary social and political content.

John’s most recent book, Punk Revolution! – An Oral History of Punk Rock, Politics and Activism, came out of over 250 interviews with punk musicians. In it, he explores in-depth, the very powerful and provocative messages and influence of the punk music scene. Coming from an older, hippie, rock and roll generation, I had pretty much bought into the disparaging view of punk as simply violent ranting (John acknowledges it has that element). But I now see it in a different light, that it took on the early anti-authoritarian role of rock-and-roll which had become pretty commercial as punk came on the scene. And embedded in the intense beat and thrashing guitars are messages related to political and social issues. I learned just how much punk is international in scope and includes Buddhist, indigenous, Hindu, vegan, even Orthodox Jewish versions. In John’s forthcoming book, Punk Spirit, he plans to focus on the spiritual aspects of punk.

Malkin has been working through radio for over 25 years. Starting with a tiny “pirate radio” station in Santa Cruz, he now has a regular program, “Transformation Highway,” on KZSC 88.1 radio through UC Santa Cruz. John’s interviewed musicians of all genres, political activists, spiritual teachers as well as community and labor organizers. The list includes, Thich Nhat Hanh, spiritual guru Amma, Noam Chomsky, John Trudell, Amy Goodman, Yolanda King (MLK’s daughter).

Malkin considers himself a student of Thich Nhat Hanh and Gandhi, and is committed to non-violence with an anarchist bent towards authoritarian powers. Our conversation includes a good look into the political questions of our time, the upcoming election, and Israel’s war on Gaza as it relates to Jewish identity.

Malkin’s interviews and writings have been published internationally in Adbusters, Punk Planet, Razorcake, Spirituality & Health, Z Magazine, Ode, In These Times, Sojourners, The Sun, Film International, Shambhala Sun, Tricycle, Friends Journal, The Santa Cruz Sentinel, The Monterey Herald and other publications. As a pianist / percussionist he has collaborated with a variety of ensembles, dancers and choreographers for 30 years including Tandy Beal, Mel Wong, Connie Kreemer, Frey Faust, Nita Little, Joe Goode, Miranda Janeschild and Rita Rivera. He’s played solo piano concerts internationally and has performed with West African Kora master Foday Musa Suso, German vocalist Christian Kesten, cellist Elaine Kreston and blues guitarist Paul Sprawl. Malkin has traveled internationally and has lived in West Berlin and Australia. He is now writing his first novel about hitchhiking across the Sahara Desert.

A very interesting man! Please watch or listen to my conversation with him and check out the information at the links below for more about John and for some his recommendations of punk music.

Please feel free to share this and other blog posts from me and subscribe to my podcast and or YouTube series, Crossing the Boundary.

May we all be the peace that brings justice to the world,

Alan
www.CrossingTheBoundary.org

Here are some links to John’s work and also some links to punk music that he recommends.

Review of Punk Revolution!

John’s book of great musicians talking about peace and justice –Sounds of Freedom https://books.google.com/books/about/Sounds_of_Freedom.html?id=0QEXoy5ufDwC

“The Art of the Individual” – Interview with John Lyddon of the Sex Pistols

“Music Without Restraint” – Interview with Henry Rollins of Black Flag

Music, Prayer and Action: Klee Benally leads mutual aid projects to help Navajo Nation during pandemic

Film produced by John Malkin – “Peacemakers at The Nevada Test Site” was produced in 1990 during nonviolent direct actions to stop U.S. government nuclear weapons testing in Nevada, USA.

A few of John’s Punk Rock Music suggestions:

The Clash:
“Lose This Skin” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw6e1AB60fw

Empathy:
“Shelter” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUXfBRCWiYchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUXfBRCWiYc

Gang of Four:
“What We All Want” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmW6iLKmB3c

Psychedelic Diva – Carla Detchon

“There is a coming home. A home base. Psychedelics help you reconnect with home.”
— Ann Shulgin
“After centuries of patriarchal dominance, humanity has lost its innate balance. By invoking the divine feminine energies we restore equilibrium. That’s why we chose the word Divas — the Latin for goddesses or the feminine divine — to honor the highest aspect of the feminine.”
–from Psychedelic Divas website

“I want to unfold. Let no place in me hold itself closed, for where I am closed, I am false.“

–Rainer Maria Rilke

It’s been noted that the discovery of LSD in 1943 by the Swiss chemist, Albert Hoffman, occurred while scientists at the Manhattan Project were developing the first atom bomb, detonated in 1945. The most powerful agent of consciousness change and the most destructive weapon mankind had ever created came to us very close in time. Is it a coincidence, or synchronicity. A similar synchronicity seems apparent in the present moment, where a wide range of intersecting destructive trends, possibly crippling or fatal to humanity and other life on Earth – the mega, meta, or polycrisis – is happening at the same time as what has been called the psychedelic renaissance.

Can psychedelics help humanity develop a more eco-conscious mindset and find the motivation and wisdom to create a just and sustainable world? It seems clear that psychedelics alone do not accomplish that. But combined with appropriate intention, proper preparation, and mindful integration, there are signs that they do support and accelerate the transformation of people’s perception, thinking and activity towards more cooperation and empathy and greater appreciation and respect for nature.

One of the oldest and key features of the old paradigm is male domination, patriarchy. It’s fair to ask whether this way of being itself is a primary cause of our crises, subjugating the nurturing, holding and being qualities of the feminine and women, to the assertive, active, goal-oriented male energies, and men.

As we try to emerge from millennia of patriarchy, we can draw from the many wisdom and spiritual traditions of the world which contain teachings that can help free of us from the mindsets of male dominance. We can learn that giving attention to the Divine Feminine, the Goddess and Goddesses of old, and to Nature and Mother Earth is essential for both men and women. We can face the deeply ingrained destructive bias that places male attributes and energy, and men, above and more important than the feminine and women.

There are many ways to unlearn the conditioned patterns of male dominance and expand our consciousness to embrace the fuller realizations of the feminine. One way is the carefully guided, ceremonial use of plant medicines, entheogens, psychedelics. On such journeys, it’s possible to heal the wounded aspects of one’s inner woman (what Carl Jung called the anima) and open to the divine feminine available to both men and women. Carla Detchon has been exploring this for nearly forty years and recently launched “Psychedelic Divas”, a podcast devoted to this subject. I interviewed Carla for my Crossing the Boundary podcas t. I hope you can take the time to listen to our conversation.

Carla and I were in ceremonial spaces together many times with the masterful guide, Ralph Metzner. Metzner’s approach to psychedelic ceremonies included what he called “divinations,” purposeful inner journeys for opening to divine guidance and healing. He would take us through mythic realms and lead us through spiritual practices, some of which aimed to heal wounded parts of ourselves and explore our relationship to the physical, psychological and spiritual aspects of male and female consciousness.

Through her work as an integrative coach and through her podcast series, Carla supports people in the preparation and integration of psychedelic journeys. She is passing along the legacy of Metzner’s wisdom teachings. Her emphasis, as the podcast name makes clear, is on the feminine. While ultimately, we all need to balance the male/female within, the long suppression of the feminine in humanity calls for us to highlight that aspect of our nature. We need an affirmative action focus of our attention on HER for our personal benefit, and for the much needed transformation of the collective human consciousness.

As it says on the Psychedelic Divas website:

“We are calling on people of all genders to lean into their natural divine feminine traits—intuition, receptivity, creativity, compassion, healing, communal connection, softness, nurturing, and flow—in order to help bring balance back to our individual selves as well as the world.“

I invite you to listen or watch my conversation with Carla and check out her podcast series: https://psychedelicdivas.com/podcast/

At a very practical level, Carla offers a free guide on her website and podcast site called:
“PSYCHEDELIC SAFETY TIPS INCLUDING WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS GO WRONG”

You can learn more about Carla at Psychedelic Divas
Or learn about her integration coaching practice

And be sure to check out more Crossing the Boundary conversations at:
Youtube: tinyurl.com/msmmh6sn
Podcast: https://crossingboundarieswithalanlevin.buzzsprout.com

Palestinian Peace Activator – Eva Dalak

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Eva Dalak. You can view the video of our conversation here: https://youtu.be/jmHc-b3oC18?si=jddkFtv0uATJwYUn or just listen to the recording on my podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1827447/15086746.

Eva was born in Israel in a Muslim family and as a child, learned to think of herself as an Arab-Israeli. She moved to France to study and received a double Masters degree in International Relations and International Administration from the Sorbonne. Her skills, and the fact that she speaks five languages fluently, led her to Brussels to work with an NGO and also as a consultant to the European Union. Living there for 10 years, she took on Belgian nationality. Her work included extensive conflict resolution projects in Africa and later New York.

Eventually, she came to the U.S. and began looking more deeply into the psychological and spiritual roots of conflict and realized she needed to do the work within herself before she could help others. She now likes to use the term “peace activator” to describe what she does, rather than peace activist, noting that it is the peace within that needs to be activated and brought out into the world.

Her self exploration and truth seeking led her to embrace her identity as a Palestinian. Especially now, she devotes herself to working with both Jewish Israelis and Palestinians. In her work with them as individuals and in groups, people find the common humanity they share with the people they had come to see as “others.” She sees this as getting to the roots of the conflict and a necessary part of finding solutions that will bring about justice and peace.

I found the work she does through PeaceActivation of great interest. As well, her life journey, crossing boundaries of different national or ethnic identities, seems to give her a clear vision of the role identity plays in all of us. I have found that when we recognize and accept our personal and collective identifications, we can more genuinely transcend the separative aspects of those identities and experience ourselves as fundamentally spiritual beings living in a human family. Eva Dalak seems to me to be someone who has done the work and is helping others find the way.

Eva and her partner live in Costa Rica and have a healing retreat center where they have “PeaceActivation” workshops and trainings.

Please see the links below to find out more about her work and ways to take part:

Eva’s article on Medium – “Are You Ready..”

Peace Activation – To register for the weekly calls https://peaceactivation.org/weekly-zo……

For individual coaching with Eva – http://www.evadalak.me

Please feel free to share this and other blog posts from me and subscribe to my YouTube and or podcast series, Crossing the Boundary.

The Healer and the Warrior Face the Middle East and the Meta-Crisis

Facing the reality of our time, the mega-crisis or meta-crisis, many of us find ourselves asking, “What is my role in all this? What can I do or what am I called to do?” I’d like to reflect here at two aspects of myself that get my attention and move me in different ways. I think of these as distinct identities, two parts of myself that have their own sensibility and ways of being and acting. They come from different sources of my own development and ancestral inheritances. They sometimes collaborate and sometimes appear to conflict.

I’m especially drawn to examine how these two parts of myself, and I suspect many others, relate to the crises we are currently dealing with, the overlapping and intersecting issues of: climate change, militarism, poverty, mass migrations, authoritarian governments, patriarchy and racism, economic insecurity for the many and super-abundant wealth and power for a select few and paralyzing political polarization. Given the horrific events unfolding in Gaza right now, I want to pay specific attention there.

Where there is conflict, the healer in me will focus on the repairing of relationships, building bridges of understanding and empathy, and helping people move towards more cooperation and community. Where there is violence or war, the healer seeks to have the two sides dialogue and learn to empathize with each other. In the case of our ecological crises, the healer works towards repairing damaged areas of the Earth and restoring species in danger of extinction. In group conflicts and wars, the healer aims for diplomacy, seeing the other sides point of view and compromise to avoid violence. The healer may also work with people to awaken to a healthy relationship with non-human life, to care for and be respectful with the animal and plant realm, the rivers and oceans. In his book The Six Pathways of Destiny, Ralph Metzner says, “the core value of the healer, whether at the level of the individual, the family, community or society is wholeness and harmony.”

An alternate approach is that of the warrior. In the world, the warrior gets engaged in the struggle to protect and defend oppressed and abused human beings, animals, ecosystems and the whole of Mother Earth. The warrior will fight to change systems of injustice, challenge prejudice and combat authoritarianism. While the word warrior is often associated with violence, there is increasing awareness that it is an archetypal aspect of all humans. Warriors can function non-violently and with compassion even for those they oppose in the struggle. My Agni Yoga teacher, Russell Schofield, taught that the immune system of our body is a manifestation of the warrior energy and consciousness in that it defends and protects our physical organism at the cellular level.

In the present moment, many of us have turned our attention to the war raging in the Middle East, especially between Israel and the Palestinians. Several decades ago, I was involved in dialogue groups that included Israeli and American Jews, and Palestinian and other Muslim Arabs. Our time together helped all of us feel friendlier and understand each other with greater empathy. But it did nothing to change the ongoing drastic imbalance of power and the military Occupation of the West Bank and Gaza which we all agreed needed to be ended. Today, there are continued efforts at dialogue and interpersonal healing both in the U.S. and Israel/Palestine. (See Roots https://b8ofhope.org/roots/ for example). There are even communities of Jews and Palestinians living and working together in the hope of spreading the message that people do not need to fear or hate each other and can genuinely get along. (See Oasis of Peace: https://www.oasisofpeace.org/, for example).

I strongly support the healers working as individuals and groups committed to this work even through extremely challenging times. However, it seems to me that there is a need for the warrior spirit as well. As I write this and as you are reading this, I am quite certain more than one Palestinian has been killed by Israeli forces (currently approximately 100/day). The devastation in Gaza is almost beyond comprehension and the violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and the seizure of yet more land continues unabated. At times like this, it feels important to make a choice to defend and support those being overwhelmed by violent aggression. It’s for this reason that I support non-violent resistance to Israel’s armed invasion of Gaza and the decades-long Occupation. For me, this includes the support of the ceasefire movement and the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement: https://bdsmovement.net/.

It is important to say that the healer and warrior can work simultaneously and collaboratively. They can be embodied in one person. In many ways, both Ghandi and King were both healers and warriors. Another contemporary example is Dr. Gabor Maté, best known for his work with healing trauma, especially in treating addictions. He is a Holocaust survivor and was raised as a strong believer in Zionism. Yet he speaks out strongly against the Israeli Occupation and the role of Zionism. Here is an interview in which he speaks movingly of “Trauma and the Israel-Palestine Conflict.” https://scienceandnonduality.com/videos/a-call-for-healing/

When we look more deeply at the causes of abuse, domination and violence, we see that perpetrators are often themselves conditioned by experiences of abuse and trauma. They are themselves in need of healing. Compassionate dialogue with them can sometimes lead to changes in their orientation and behavior. At the same time, the warrior is needed to stand against the violence and injustice and challenge the belief systems that support destructive and abusive behaviors. The two kinds of activity working together bring hope that peace with justice can be achieved on Earth.

However horrible the events are in Israel/Palestine, there are dozens of other places and significant issues in the world that need attention. The healer and the warrior are necessary, but not the only paths or identities for people who want to help. Various authors have pointed to the role of the artist, scientist or organizer for addressing problem areas. I hope these reflections are helpful to you in finding your path to creatively and actively being part of making our world more healthy and just.

May peace with justice prevail.

Go In Peace, Sat Santokh

When I wrote Crossing the Boundary – Stories of Jewish Leaders of Other Spiritual Paths, I was introduced to fourteen different very wise and very kind teachers who volunteered to take part. One was Sat Santokh Singh Khalsa. Raised in the Bronx in a Jewish family who gave him the name Bertram Kanegson, Sat Santokh became an activist, the manager of the Grateful Dead, a leader of the Sikh community and Northern California Regional Director of Kundalini Yoga. He died on 2/21/2024.

He was a lifelong activist for peace and justice and sought to help people root out the sources of violence and causes of war in themselves.

I am grateful to have had a couple of hours with such a kind, generous, wise and thoughtful being at his home in California. Here are a few quotes of my interview with him from 2014 found on this blog site: http://www.crossingtheboundary.org/people-of-the-book/sat-santokh-singh-khalsa-sikh-leader/ You can learn more about him and his work at https://www.satsantokh.com/.

Copies of my book containing the full interview with Sat Santokh and thirteen other spiritual teachers of diverse spiritual paths (plus my story) can be obtained at my website below.

Blessings to all teachers and transmitters of wisdom, goodness and compassion. It’s impossible to imagine the world without them.

(From Crossing the Boundary – Stories of Jewish Leaders of Other Spiritual Paths).

Do you think that the world would be better off moving towards where people no longer hold to a particular collective identity?

Every religion has a beautiful and noble spiritual side. But most people are entangled with their pain and fear. For me, the different fundamentalists around the planet are all the same. There is no real difference between Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Islamic and Christian fundamentalists. They are all full of fear and anger, and they don’t understand at all what religion is really about.

I don’t think people need to give up being Jewish, or Hindu or Christian or any religion. But if they understood and really followed their practices, the world would be a better place.

What Am I? – Jeff Kitzes, AKA Zen Master Bon Soeng

What am I? How many of us take time to ask that question in a serious vein and take time, lots of time, to investigate what we experience when we ask that question of ourselves?

Zen practitioners will sit quietly for hours and days and weeks doing just that. According to Zen Master Bon Soeng, they do that to be ALIVE in the fullest sense of what that means, vibrantly awake to the present moment. “What am I?” is not the only question, but it is at the core of many questions that have no rational answer that foster deep shifts in consciousness through meditation.

Born into a Jewish family, Jeff Kitzes, found himself alienated from the culture in which he grew up and was drawn to meditation at an early age. On a journey in search of Don Juan (the hero of the fiction/non-fiction books of Carlos Castaneda), he found himself at a zen monastery in Mendocino, California and then at a retreat with Korean Zen Master, Seung Sahn of the Kwan Um school of Zen. He says that when he first saw Seung Sahn, he saw someone alive in a way he had never experienced; he became his student for life.

After years of practice, Jeff was initiated as a Zen Master and given the name Bon Soeng. He has been the leader and primary teacher of Empty Gate Zen Center. Empty Gate has a home in Berkeley, CA, a center in Boise, ID and offers teachings online. See https://www.emptygatezen.com/. Many of Bon Soeng’s dharma talks (Buddhist teachings) are posted on YouTube and can be found through Empty Gate website.

In my conversation with Bon Soeng, he reveals a very open attitude as to the activities of his students. Aware that many spiritual teachers have abused their power, he is very much committed to individuals having free choice over their own lives,. This includes the use of psychedelics and cannabis which he feels is an individual choice and, in fact, may be of benefit to their lives and Zen practice.

Bon Soeng says that his lineage is committed to the Bodhisattva path, committing ones life to the benefit of all sentient beings. His students find their own way of understanding that and taking actions as they find themselves directed from within through their practice.

I just posted my YouTube and Podcast conversation with Bon Soeng. Please check either out here to hear the inspiring journey to the Zen path of awakening.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/gj1VSpMT39w?si=WQ-_WFFFHkQo_WLa

Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1827447/14407863

You can watch many of his wide ranging Dharma Talks at https://www.emptygatezen.com

Addendum:

After our zoom conversation, it occurred to me that I hadn’t asked a very important question. Essentially it is “how does meditating, Zen or otherwise, develop a person who behaves ethically?” Do we just assume that “being more alive or awake” would lead people to behave with each other and the Earth in a healthy or “good” way?

I ran the question by Bon Soeng and this was his response. Being that we are friends, this will lead to many more conversations.

“Interesting questions.

Ethics have obviously changed over the Millenia. Zen arose in China between 500-700 AD. Indian meditation was practiced well before the Buddha ever appeared and Taoist meditation predates Buddhism in China. The ethics of those places in those times were very different than ours. One of Trump’s main nuclear arms advisors was a Buddhist chaplain. During WWII the Japanese Zen establishment sided with the government in their war effort. Many monks in Burma rose up to exile the Rohingya from their territory. And, many monks in Burma rose up to join the democracy movement.

So, I can’t really say that meditation and practice will lead to a particular standard of ethics. Rather, I think culture drives the particular standard of ethics for a society. In modern America it is mostly white left wing types who seem to be drawn to Buddhism and Zen. I suspect the “left-wing” values are more important in the creation of modern American Buddhist convert sanghas than the ethics espoused by Buddha more than 2500 years ago. We have found voice in Buddhism to values we hold dearly. Care for others, compassion, lovingkindness, equanimity, service, and non-materialism are parts of Buddhist teachings. They resonate for us, so we like it. Just like any pick and choose practitioner of religion, most of us ignore the parts of the teachings that we don’t relate to or agree with, like the confucian views of hierarchy and fidelity to family and country (which my teacher espoused).

My Zen tradition is based on the Bodhisattva way. That way is service to all beings. Zen Master Seung Sahn said: “For me, suffering appears. For all beings, no suffering.” To focus on the welfare of others is the practice of uprooting self-centeredness. Self-centeredness is the great mistake. When “I” becomes the most important thing, we all suffer. To live the Bodhisattva way is to practice. It is the playing field of our life. If we truly take up this vow, we dedicate our lives to the healing and growth of the whole in each and every moment of our life. A life lived from this vow can become a life which benefits all sentient and non-sentient things. This is meditation in action in our daily life.

One more point. When we practice a meditation which focuses on What am I? we learn about ourselves and become more aware of our actions and the conditions that lead to those actions. This awareness can grow into wisdom, which allows us to act in less unconscious and hurtful ways. We act out of our psychological blindness less and in that way bring healing to the world. So, our practice directly impacts the wellbeing of others. Whether that extends to systemic issues is less clear to me.

I hope these thoughts help. I am very interested in the questions that have arisen for you and look forward to the challenging conversation we could have in looking in to those questions.”

From Rage to Empathy – From the River to the Sea

I’ve compiled some resources here that I hope will be helpful to you regarding the raging horror taking place in Israel/Palestine. Please save this and explore them when you have time. Feel free to share.

Blessings for peace and justice,

Alan

“No problem can be solved from
the same level of consciousness that created it.”
–Albert Einstein

The recent events in Israel/Palestine tear at my heart and I struggle to find words that will not add to the pain. Fortunately, there are a good number of people who, even in the midst of the worst suffering, have found the wisdom and compassion to build bridges of understanding between the two sides. As I searched, I found many groups of Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs, who are working together for a real peace. Below are just a few. Please take some time to check them out. I hope that they will be helpful to you, as they have been for me, in facing the horror and being able to communicate with friends or family with whom you may disagree.

Following these few links I offer some of my own thoughts.

Combatants for Peace: These are folks who were Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who’ve laid down their arms and are working for a just peace. Their website: https://afcfp.org/
Also, Here is an 8 minute interview with two of their activist peacemakers: ‘We feel the pain of the other… Our lives are intertwined,’

For a more in-depth view, register for this free event on 12/8 (which will hopefully be recorded): Two of the speakers, Avi and Ahmed, will share how they have been intimately impacted by the violence. Avi is CEO of Rabbis for Human Rights and a survivor of the massacre at Kibbutz Nirim in the Negev. Ahmed is a former Hamas member, second generation refugee, and long-term CfP member. Ahmed has lost over 51 loved ones in Gaza.

Parents Circle Family Forum: Members of this group have all lost members of their family to violence from the other side. They have chosen to be with each other’s grief and share in developing solutions with goodwill and respect. https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/pcff-home-page-en/

Abrahamic Reunion: Composed of religious and spiritual leaders who are Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Druze who focus on the the common ground of their faiths seeking peace. Here is a good 5 minute video summarizing their work: https://www.abrahamicreunion.org/

Roots: Jews and Palestinians fostering a grassroots movement of understanding, non-violence, and understanding among Israelis and Palestinians. Roots/Shorashim/Judur has created and operates the only joint Israeli-Palestinian community center in the entire West Bank. This safe, holy space hosts social, religious, and educational activities, bringing together hundreds of Palestinians and Israelis who begin to realize that there are two truths, two stories – not one – in this land, and the only way forward is to cherish both.
7 minute video https://www.friendsofroots.net/

The Wall Between – Here is one of the best dialogues I’ve listened to on the conflict. Raja Khouri and Jeffrey Wilkinson, a Palestinian and a Jew, wrote the book The Wall Between – What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know About Each Other. Excellent insights and thoughtful sharing in their discussion:

My thoughts/feelings: While I have plenty of opinions about what is going on, the rights and the wrongs and possible solutions, this message is about the subjective aspects of the conflict and how we transform our fear and rage into understanding and empathy and the will to act for peace and justice.

Although I am Jewish, my life has been blessed to not feel very much of the sting of antisemitism. Yet I know it is very real and that it has taken some of the most horrid forms imaginable. I know the pain and fear that our people carry from across the centuries through the Holocaust. I understand the hope that Israel would provide, finally, a safe home for the Jewish people. I have watched as suicide bombers and knife wielding terrorists have killed brothers and sisters. I understand how fear makes building walls and shutting people out seem reasonable. And now, the horrific, brutal assault on October 7th has brought about boiling rage and crystalized the thought, “Jews cannot have peace with the people who want to destroy them and their nation.” It’s hard to resist the feeling of wanting to drive Palestinians further away or have them killed, to kill or be killed.

I have not experienced anything close to the suffering of the Palestinian people. I am merely a pained witness to the taking of their land and the presence of an occupying army on the little land left for them – an army watching and controlling all their movements, attempting to turn neighbors against each other by paying and pressuring them to spy on each other. The restrictions, the checkpoints, the raids and home demolitions seem endless. There are also the countless humiliations from aggressive Israeli settlers who continue to take more land, harass people and uproot olive groves with the support of armed soldiers. Many Palestinians have been killed or wounded in raids on their communities by the Israeli army or settlers. It is hard for me to imagine how all this, how all of these things and more, must tear at the heart and soul. It’s hard to imagine not sinking into despair or feeling a boiling hot rage and wanting to drive Israelis out or have them killed, to kill or be killed.

All of the darkest feelings any human can have are understandable in light of all this. Yet all wisdom and spiritual traditions tell us that we are not compelled to act from our emotional reactions no matter how seemingly natural or understandable. As humans, we have the ability to open to a higher vision, to find understanding and empathy for ourselves and those who have been our “enemies.”

Who am I to say what is possible for anyone else? I sit in the safety and comfort of my home in New York. But I am heartened to see that there are Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, who have felt the deepest wounds possible and are in the midst of it, who have passed through their own rage and hate, and yet now reach out and embrace those they have been taught to hate and fear. They are teachers for all of us in our personal and collective conflicts.

May we all find some peace in knowing they are here and give them our support.

Con Los Pobres de la Tierra….

“With the poor people of the earth …..I cast my fate.”
From the Cuban song, “Guantanemera”*

El bloqueo – “The Cuban Embargo, begun in 1960, prevents US businesses, and businesses organized under US law or majority-owned by US citizens, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history.[The United Nations General Assembly has passed a resolution every year since 1992 demanding the end of the US economic embargo on Cuba, with the US and Israel being the only nations to consistently vote against the resolutions.”
–Wikipedia

Part 1: PLEASE HELP END THE CUBAN EMBARGO. While the U.S. supports, militarily and financially, a host of authoritarian regimes around the world, it continues to justify this destructive, unjust and failed policy aiming to change the Cuban government. Please take a moment and call your congressperson and ask them to support actions to end the embargo. A short Google search brought up just a couple of groups that appear to be acting responsibly with that purpose. Please check out the Cuba Study Group, cubastudygroup.org or the Facebook group: End the Embargo on Cuba which is sponsored by the Latin America Working Group, https://www.lawg.org/about-us/.

Part 2:
I just returned from my second trip to Cuba. The first, in 1968, was when I was 24 years old and an avowed enemy of the Imperialistic adventures of my own government in Vietnam, Cuba, Africa or around the world. While I was in Havana, I telegraphed my draft board that I wouldn’t be appearing for my scheduled induction because I was busy learning more about revolution. You see, those of us who were in the far end of “the naiveté faction” of the anti-war, peace and justice movement tended to believe we would transform the U.S. to be a democratic, socialist nation, allied with the Cuban people and their revolution.

Lots has happened since then. The world has changed. I’ve changed. Yet I just can’t think of Cuba without tears coming to my eyes. Los pobres de la tierra, the poor people of the earth, are still there, as they are throughout Central and South America, Africa, Asia and the good old U.S.A. But Cuba promised something different. The Cuban revolution did bring free health care, universal free education and homes for the homeless. But there’s not enough food and medicine. In some ways worse, there’s little spirit of making a new world or even bettering this one. People I met, mostly just want to get by and leave for Miami when possible. Yes, it’s the embargo. But no, it’s also rigid government control, a lack of free press, and the attempt to impose an idealized version of human life on people not ready for it. But that’s revolution for you. The poor people of the earth just don’t cooperate.

It’s, of course, more complicated. I was there with my wife, Ginny, for just twelve days and talked to a few dozen people at best. So what do I know? We weren’t there as investigators or reporters, we were on vacation with visas that declared we were there “to support the Cuban people.” But you can’t go to Cuba, even on vacation and not think about these things. The ubiquitous billboards and posters, mostly fading, call out the revolutionary slogans with pictures of Che, Fidel and other heroes of the revolution.

“Hasta la victoria siempre!” “Solo la unidad now hace invencibles” (Only unity makes us invincible). At the same time, walking down the streets in Old Havana was walking through a gauntlet of hustlers trying to be your friend and get some pesos from you. Something to help feed their families. Splendorous Spanish architecture was everywhere, but for every one being refurbished, three are literally crumbling to the ground.

It seems the whole thrust of the Cuban policy makers is to build the tourist industry and bring the euros and dollars into the economy. A sizable part of the money from tourism goes to the government which owns the hotels and tourist stores. For that reason, Americans are told we must not shop at government establishments. If the government had more money, presumably they could pay higher salaries (professors and doctors earn as little as $20-30/month) and distribute more free or low-cost food to the people, rebuild infrastructure, etc.

Most people we talked to were bitter about this. They see glitzy hotels and stores with fancy goods that are out of their reach. They blame the government. With COVID and post-COVID realities, tourism is way down so the trickle down from tourism is just not happening. And perhaps more to the point, there is a lack of democratic process to decide on these policies and how to reform them.

People who went through Cuba’s excellent, free educational system to become professional doctors, teachers, lawyers, give up their careers to work and earn magnitudes more money as taxi drivers, tour guides, renting their apartments to tourists, or playing guitar at restaurants. Those who stay in their professions have family who hustle that free-enterprise world or receive money from relatives in Miami.

Cuba is changing, slowly. It’s possible to be hopeful from a distance. But I didn’t see much hope there. So many families are torn apart because the young are now in Miami, New York or somewhere else where there is more opportunity. Of course, most Latin American countries face similar circumstances. Maybe it’s that expectations are or were different for Cuba.

Bottom line, I encourage you to visit. It’s a beautiful country, beautiful people, music everywhere, and it’s inexpensive. It seems most Americans believe you can’t travel there. Not true. Most American airlines have regular flights to Havana. The visa process is very simple. You can go, enjoy, learn, and “support the Cuban people” by bringing some medicines, children’s toys, household goods, etc..

And finally, HELP END THE CUBAN EMBARGO!

Hasta la victoria siempre – Ever onward to victory. Here, there, everywhere.

~Alan Levin

WAIT!!

Not to leave you with a depressing message, check out these videos from Playing for Change:

Chan Chan (heard everwhere in Cuba)

Guantanamera

*The version of the song created by Jose Martí and Orbón was used by Pete Seeger as the basis of his reworked version, which he based on a performance of the song by Héctor Angulo. Seeger combined Martí’s verse with the tune with the intention that it be used by the peace movement at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. He urged that people sing the song as a symbol of unity between the American and Cuban peoples, and called for it to be sung in Spanish to “hasten the day [that] the USA … is some sort of bilingual country.” –Wikipedia

Part 3
Consciousness, spirituality and revolution.

It seems clear that whatever else moved them, Che and Fidel were idealists. Like other “isms,” idealism can lead to the sacrifice of our connection to our true nature which is beyond ideas and concepts. It can lead one to acts of violence that betray the sanctity of life and a failure to listen deeply to the divine source that is ultimately compassion and love. (see my post about “isms” http://www.crossingtheboundary.org/crossing-the-ism-boundary/)

A painting on the wall where we stayed in Havana really struck me. It takes the theme of Michelangelo’s “La Pieta” – of Mary holding Jesus – and has a more modern, Goddess figure holding a crumbling Havana. Art can be revolutionary.

May Her spirit lift the splintered ruins of the revolution to higher ground.
(The painting is by Cuban artist, Roniel Andrade)

Keeping the Sacred Fire Burning – Chief Dwaine Perry

I am writing this from what we commonly call the Lower Hudson Valley, north of New York City, which is the land of the Ramapough Lenape Munsee people.

It has become a practice for some folks while in public communications, zoom calls, etc., when asked where they are from, to say, “on the land of …” and then the name of the tribal people who inhabited that land prior to the arrival of Europeans and the forced removal or genocide of that people. It seems like a respectful thing to do.

When I was growing up in the 50’s, we played “cowboys and indians” and watched western movies where the indians were savages and the really evil villain was the medicine man. As time went on we began to see Native Americans portrayed with more nuance and then respect and even a kind of idealization. The medicine man we learned is a shaman with access to great wisdom and healing powers. Movies have changed. Lots of attitudes have changed. But the reality of many Native tribes is still quite dire.

The Ramapough are still here in New York and New Jersey and I live on what was their land. They are struggling to keep their language and customs alive and to preserve the sacredness of what remains of their land, much of which continues to be gobbled up by suburbia and mega-mansions. In recent years the tribe has fought numerous legal battles just to have the freedom to hold public ceremonies on the small patches of Mother Earth they can still call theirs. These ceremonies have been attended by Native people from all over the world and hundreds of non-Native people in the area (myself included).

The tribe was recognized by the State of New Jersey as the Ramapough Indians in 1980. Their effort to achieve federal recognition was thwarted largely by intense lobbying from, yes, Donald Trump. Trump claimed the Ramapough were not legitimate and would bring waves of crime. Of course, he also feared they would establish a casino that would compete with his own just miles away in Atlantic City. The story of this struggle is told in the film American Native (2013).

Over the years they have dealt with the classic definition of environmental racism. Portions of a toxic waste dump of the Ford Motor Company became the site for affordable housing for many of the Ramapough people. The contamination has been linked to nosebleeds, leukemia, and other ailments. They also have been at the forefront of the battle to stop the Pilgrim Pipeline from carrying gasoline, diesel, kerosene, aviation fluid and heating oil through their land. * At the center of these activities is the man who since 2007 has been the elected Chief of the Ramapough Munsee tribe, Dwaine Perry. It was an honor for me to record my recent conversation with Chief Perry for my podcast and YouTube channel, “Crossing the Boundary.”

Chief Perry has a long history of fighting for human rights, today focusing primarily on issues of concern to the Ramapough Munsee nation, decolonization, and the indigenous community at large. He has sat with Elders and indigenous leaders in the Himalayas, the Andes, and throughout North America. His journey to Standing Rock was instrumental in establishing the Split Rock Sweetwater Prayer Camp in northern New Jersey. He is also currently working to establish the first Embassy of Sovereign Indigenous Nations of the Western Hemisphere.**

While Chief Perry often speaks sardonically, he is a serious man who, against all odds, seeks to unify his people and bring together native and non-native peoples to work together for a kinder humanity, honoring the living Earth and all creatures as sacred. As I previously said, it was an honor (and a joy) to speak with him and learn more about the tribe and his life. See: podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1827447/13710848 or YouTube:

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramapough_Mountain_Indians
**https://www.riverkeeper.org/riverkeeper-mission/our-board/chief-dwaine-perry/

Please check out the amazing photos taken by Lisa Levart that have been made into an outdoor installation entitled, “Still Here – Women of the Ramapough Lenape Nation.”