roger ingraham

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

Acceptance is a pillar of wisdom. With acceptance, we’re given space: Be yourself. Wounds heal out loud ~ Announce your discoveries ~ Live in your differences ~ There’s no rehearsal for this life. The great rights of free speech and freedom of religion are a socially accepted basis for acceptance and tolerance. From here, from this open place, we can all share so much! What a gift it is to be able to give! Here in the United States, we can raise our hearts and voices for the rest of the world, which, in so many ways, still has so much less! ~ What will we do with our freedom today?

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

“Home” is a film about the human story, understood from the sky downward. There is a raw sincerity  to the voice of the film. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, to avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth’s climate. This places our generation with a great challenge. “Home” strikes a clear note in my heart, and after watching it, I immediately enacted serious shifts in my buying habits, energy habits, and approach to packaging & trash. I recommend others to watch it and spread the film. Click on the picture below to see the film on Youtube.

“Home” is a free film, a non-profit film, funded by generous corporate support.

Here is the film’s Youtube Channel page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=player_embedded
Here is a site you can go to after watching to learn more and get involved: http://www.goodplanet.org/en/

Dear friends,

The attack on 9-11 has become something of deep concern for me. I have thoroughly examined the given facts of the day, through over a dozen different well-made films on the subject. If you’re new to this, I encourage you to examine the professionally prepared films that feature World Trade Center structural engineers, demolition experts, architects, firemen and heroes of 9/11, family of the deceased, public figures, military, university professors, researchers from all over the world, and many more. There is enough available evidence for me to arrive at a deeply disturbing conclusion: factions of our own government had deep involvement in the crimes committed that day.

I believe it’s important for every American to explore this issue thoroughly and question the events that happened that day. A great starting place is to watch some of the professional films made on the topic. I recommend one below called “Zeitgeist part II”, as well as a website that features over 40 other video presentations of various length. We all have a role to play in this world, and this democracy. Every one of us makes a difference!

“Zeitgeist Part II”:
http://www.filmsforaction.com/film/?Film=18&Title=Zeit_Geist:_part_II

Over 40 other video presentations on 9-11:
http://www.911films.org/

Courage & Strength,
~ Roger