Ideas and Suggestions?

[billcorcoran]

Dear John and Carla

Our meeting on Friday underscored how important it is for us to come up with new ideas on how the RiverGanga Foundation can gain continuing financial stability. Existing emergency to emergency is not going to work anymore, especially in light of the needs of the Just One Look experiment.

I think we all left the meeting aware of our need for increased funding and determined to seek out potential donors or experienced fundraisers. Do you think we should ask others in the Community to do the same thing?

In addition, I propose we ask members and forum contributors for ideas and suggestions. Even if they don't personally have the time to pursue those leads, their suggestions can guide and inspire us.

Let's start a dialogue so we can identify the resources necessary to solve this problem.

With love,

Bill Corcoran

[Jenny]

This may sound silly and very naive, but someone like Oprah could be just the ticket. I remember her 10-week webcast course with Eckhart Tolle a few years back. She's very interested in "spirituality," so maybe this would be just what she's been looking for. How to get the message to her?

[SJWHA]

Jenny,

Naivety is underrated.

I have wondered if the Looking cannot be framed as an interesting and surprisingly effective mental exercise. But then would it be abandoned when the effects become unpleasant or would the process take root? What if this exercise could be used by therapist as a part of their practice? But how to bring that about?

You know, it may be that the most effective way of spreading this procedure in the long run (I have no idea what to call it) is for enough people to become sane that Looking will spread in many, many ways more or less on its own.

I think it’s crucial when discussing this with another that it is made very clear that you are not suggesting a self analysis. That seems to be where some people get tripped up. They look at their thoughts instead of beyond them.

Steve

[Jenny]

Jenny,
I think it’s crucial when discussing this with another that it is made very clear that you are not suggesting a self analysis. That seems to be where some people get tripped up. They look at their thoughts instead of beyond them.

Well said, Steve. Yes, people commonly mistake their personality traits, thoughts, mind, emotions, body, sensations, perceptions, etc, etc, as themselves. The evidence of that is everywhere, and it's an understandable mistake. We are brought up to believe in being all these "things," in "becoming" something, rather than the "attention" or "consciousness" that is aware of these experiences.

Perhaps, as you say, the Looking is more likely to spread as people become sane through Looking. This reminds me of what the Na'vi people in the movie Avatar would do - they would greet each other as a sign of respect with the words "I see you." I thought it meant they were seeing each other's essence, not just their physical aspect. The "god" in me sees the "god" in you. I see myself, in your eyes. I think this is something the Looking brings us to naturally recognize.
Namaste,
Jenny

[Maureen I]

Hello,

In my work as a breath therapist I guided people to become more aware of their breathing... the relaxed inspiration and exhale help to release emotions,relax tension in the body. For many this simple act of realizing they are breathing was already difficult and we want quick results, relief of the suffering., and there is a lot of fear.

As John says all these skills are much more effective now as I make the main focus the looking at the feeling of being you, as I become more let's say stabilized in feeling of me... this becomes easier to share and people feel less manipulated; so I definitely see this as a way to introduce the looking, plus the client is already open to this simple suggestion. Im not sure talking about the looking with family, friends etc. has been useful, since their interest in inward looking is not there and my old habits of spiritual therapist know it all simply turn them off. Ha!

A few years ago I did write to Oprah about John's work (around time with Ekhart Tolle) however I received no response. Again her emphasis seems to on improving on the life, but I think there could be an opening.

Maureen

[david 1]

Hi everybody,

It seems that this practical suggestion of looking at yourself might be very useful to Eckhart Tolle and others who have found themselves in some way free of the neurotic fear of life but without any specific practical instruction to give to the seekers they are trying to help. For those "lookers" that come in contact with the many earnest teachers and helpers in this realm (spiritual, psychological) who are out there, it couldn't hurt to point them towards this effective work via the "fear of life" essay or any of the other resources that John and Carla have built for us.

When I heard about David Parrish encountering this work I laughed to myself at what a great tool he had stumbled across. Imagine that. Something that works! Think of how quickly the idea of the bow and arrow might have spread through early human hunting culture when people saw how effective and practical a set of tools they were.

The tendency of some who found there way here (to the looking) early on might have been to discuss these things in a spiritual, philosophical or religious context (if at all). These discussions and related practices were the only tools we had to try to hunt down this apparent problem with life. By comparison the act of looking is like an invisible smart bomb next to the bows and arrows of the old methods. The effort is made to "launch" this hypothetical weapon and the feedback received has nothing to do with the imaginary target but rather with its absence.

To get back on track with the practicalities, this thing that we have all stumbled across will likely be appealing to anyone who hears of it regardless of their background. If I ran into Oprah or Eckhart on the street I would be as likely to tell them about this "looking" as I am to tell it to all the other people I meet on my path. I have seen amazing results in my relationship with my own life and heard some equally exciting reports from friends that I have shared this with.

The channels of discussion that have already been established by others such as Conscious.tv and Buddha at the Gas Pump etc. are great places to share this incredible tool. I wonder if David Parrish would be available to travel to England sometime to do an interview with Conscious TV. From my own correspondence with them I know they are interested in John's work. It appears they have a large and interested audience and some distribution on TV as well.

Maybe after we figure out how to get the basics (operating costs) paid for regularly with less of an emergency approach we could collect some funds to cover expenses for David Parrish, or any others who are skilled at articulating the practical nature of this work so clearly, to meet with more people and do a little press. Word of a helpful thing has a way of getting around and I have never before found something so helpful as this looking.

I think about these practicalities often and I will be glad to share any ideas that come up. I too would like to see what happens if more people were to come in contact with this simple suggestion.

Love

David A

[trimpi]

We are all advocates of the looking and wouldn't be here if we weren't. I am happy to have found this teaching. One of its "drawbacks" -- if you can call it that (and I don't) -- is the reduced drive toward fame, recognition and even prosperity. Not that those life themes become less important; just that everything else occurring in front of you has a new shine and has gained in importance. Consequently, we are less compelled to attain fame, recognition or prosperity, which means that we may no longer possess the zealousness of good proselytizers. That suggests a slower spread of popularity for the teaching than we might desire. It also suggests that the teaching won't become cultish or -- god forbid -- religious.

So, I'm okay with bubbling along. I rejoice in the communication technology that facilitates transmission of the teaching across the planet -- so different than earlier word-of-mouth eras. Perhaps by us taking advantage of the technology (like writing to each other in the Forum), we are accomplishing what we no longer are compelled to accomplish.

A final thought about supporting the work. I suspect money is as much of a trigger for everyone as it has been for me. My suggestion is that you bring to the light of your consciousness whatever arises in the way of feelings and emotions -- guilt, self-loathing, anxiety, anger, self-righteousness -- as you make or fail to make any decison about supporting the work. The topic is just that -- a topic -- and an opportunity to bring your patterns and predispositons to light. They are as important as anything else and can be entertaining if you don't take them too seriously and make them into beliefs about yourself, only to be thrown out with all the other trash discovered in the looking. Trimpi

[felix]

As far as I can see, there's a short-term- and a long-term strategy needed. The long-term strategy is already set: getting enough people sane, so that the work can sustain itself by donations alone. Good enough. The time until this is the case however can be shortened by also pointing out the long-term positive effects the Looking has on health and relationships. Which body-mind is more likely to be healthy and in a loving relationship? A body-mind deeply afflicted by the fear of life/wound of alienation or one that isn't? There you go.

What's still missing is a short-term strategy, a cash-cow, if you will. I'd suggest cooperating with successful online businesses in a way that donations to RiverGanga come with orders to them. The antivirus company I'm using has been doing that for years. For every $15 annual antivirus fee they also charge a $5 donation to the foundation they're supporting ("help us make the offline world safer too"), so in the end one has to pay $20 per service renewal. Thereby, we can kill two birds with one stone: We get enough donations to support the work and the Just One Look experiment, preferably with recurring orders as happens with consumable goods, hosting fees and the like, and we make the work more known and available to those folks who couldn't yet be bothered to seek an internal solution to their problems, which is practically everyone. And what could be a better moment to support a worthy cause than the moment you have taken out your credit card anyway?

I hope this is of use in the process of finding a short-term solution.

[travis]

I feel confident that in this day and age a good number of people participating on this forum are users of social media sites.

Facebook, Twitter, Google+, MySpace, etc.

If you are then you have undoubtedly encountered things like - Follow Friday, News Tuesday, Share Sunday....

Well, what about OneLook Wednesday? Or, Sherman Saturday?

Once per week, on a day of your choosing (or if you're like me, chaotically on a random day each week), post about the looking. It does not have to be long, or pushy, just a mention that JustOneLook.Org is out there, and that you have benefited from the looking.

If everyone here who has actually benefited from the looking were to do that once a week, we would reach the goal of 700 million. Word of mouth is still the greatest form of advertising out there. Friends trust what friends recommend.

Do your friends a favor, talk about the looking.

Just an idea.

[Dparrish]

Hello David 1,

Since you mentioned me in your post I thought I would post a response with some ideas and suggestions in reference to the practicalities we are currently faced with as an evolving organization.

We are (the organizing group for this work) working consistently on what is wanted and needed to move forward with the Just One Look Project (the communication of this suggestion to look to the world). At some point in the not too distant future there will be a jump forward in terms of the number of people in this community out of our efforts to get more exposure via the internet and other means. When we get to this point the number of people in the community will be sufficient to provide financial support for us to continue to evolve toward the organization required to reach our goal of 700 million people. Until that time the existing community is the primary source of financial support. We are the start up community for this work to be brought to the world. The difference will be that people won't just be inspired by this as is the case with so many teachings and practices, people will be transformed, go sane, actually experience what they have heard is possible us as human beings. This is what will cause this work to become a revolution in human consciousness.

Until we make the next leap forward and gain momentum it is critical that we the community express our ownership of this work. It is not John's work, or Carla's work, or my work, it is "our work". Once you have done the looking and started to realize the results and efficacy of this method it is "natural" to recognize that the bills that need to be paid are "our" bills.

John is very adamant about this work being free and available to anyone who hears of it and I agree that this work, this method belongs to humankind as a birthright. Having said that I request that anyone who reads this generate a conversation for ownership of this work. The most practical and useful way to support this work is to make an automatic monthly donation. If each of us who knows the power and value of this work simply donated a dollar a day the on going financial concerns would come to an end.

Thank you for your participation in this community.

Love
David

Hi everybody,

It seems that this practical suggestion of looking at yourself might be very useful to Eckhart Tolle and others who have found themselves in some way free of the neurotic fear of life but without any specific practical instruction to give to the seekers they are trying to help. For those "lookers" that come in contact with the many earnest teachers and helpers in this realm (spiritual, psychological) who are out there, it couldn't hurt to point them towards this effective work via the "fear of life" essay or any of the other resources that John and Carla have built for us.

When I heard about David Parrish encountering this work I laughed to myself at what a great tool he had stumbled across. Imagine that. Something that works! Think of how quickly the idea of the bow and arrow might have spread through early human hunting culture when people saw how effective and practical a set of tools they were.

The tendency of some who found there way here (to the looking) early on might have been to discuss these things in a spiritual, philosophical or religious context (if at all). These discussions and related practices were the only tools we had to try to hunt down this apparent problem with life. By comparison the act of looking is like an invisible smart bomb next to the bows and arrows of the old methods. The effort is made to "launch" this hypothetical weapon and the feedback received has nothing to do with the imaginary target but rather with its absence.

To get back on track with the practicalities, this thing that we have all stumbled across will likely be appealing to anyone who hears of it regardless of their background. If I ran into Oprah or Eckhart on the street I would be as likely to tell them about this "looking" as I am to tell it to all the other people I meet on my path. I have seen amazing results in my relationship with my own life and heard some equally exciting reports from friends that I have shared this with.

The channels of discussion that have already been established by others such as Conscious.tv and Buddha at the Gas Pump etc. are great places to share this incredible tool. I wonder if David Parrish would be available to travel to England sometime to do an interview with Conscious TV. From my own correspondence with them I know they are interested in John's work. It appears they have a large and interested audience and some distribution on TV as well.

Maybe after we figure out how to get the basics (operating costs) paid for regularly with less of an emergency approach we could collect some funds to cover expenses for David Parrish, or any others who are skilled at articulating the practical nature of this work so clearly, to meet with more people and do a little press. Word of a helpful thing has a way of getting around and I have never before found something so helpful as this looking.

I think about these practicalities often and I will be glad to share any ideas that come up. I too would like to see what happens if more people were to come in contact with this simple suggestion.

Love

David A