An Awakened, Undefended, And Intelligent Heart with Terry Patten

Despite our present polarization and alienation from one another, there are some underlying shifts taking place in the world that should force us to come together in mutual support and creativity. Terry Patten is our escort and guide to how we may become evolutionary activists in this era of exploding crises and intense transitions. He gives the following advice regarding the marriage of political action with spiritual practice. He says,”[We need] an ability to be in touch with a happiness that isn’t rooted in conditional reasons – a radical happiness and that’s consciousness itself . . . That’s the joy, goodness, beauty, and truth of existence that’s at the root of everything. A profound spiritual practice is necessary because only people who are rooted in that unreasonable happiness are going to be equal to the challenges that lie ahead.” He also describes heart intelligence as a capacity for cooperation and altruism but not idealism. He says heart intelligence is more powerful than anger and exhorts us to understand that “we are in this lifeboat together and the fiercest thing we can do is to say, I’m living in a new republic of the heart. I’m a revolutionary. You are not going to separate yourself from me. I refuse to be in separation from you. That’s the fierceness. That’s the voice of love.” And that’s the kind of power this moment in history requires. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

Bio

Terry Patten is a community organizer who has dedicated his efforts to the integral practice of evolving consciousness through the marriage of spirit and activism. He founded and leads Bay Area Integral, which gathers and supports an integral community practicing evolving consciousness in this way in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Terry Patten is the author of:

• Biocircuits: Amazing New Tools for Energy Health (co-author Leslie Patten) (H.J. Kramer 1988)
• Integral Life Practice: A 21^st Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual Awakening (co-author Ken Wilber) (Integral Books 2008)
• A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos for Revolutionaries (North Atlantic Books 2018)

To find out more about the work of Terry Patten go to www.terrypatten.com.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• What is the state of denial we are in regarding climate science and how far we’ve overshot our planetary carrying capacity
• How does spiritual practice intersect with political activism
• How nothing exists in isolation
• How the dilemma of these challenging times will take courage and integrity
• What are the many human intelligence systems: head, heart, gut
• What is integral intelligence
• How to find motivation beyond fear and anger
• What is the 10% tipping point
• Why we must pay attention to both good and bad polarities
• Why we must support both collective and individual needs
• What are the benefits of communities of practice
• How can we come together with those who subscribe to the opposite end of the political spectrum from us
• How does shared inquiry and evolutionary dialogue promote collective intelligence, wisdom, and awakening
• Why it is important to have the humility to know we don’t know everything

Host: Justine Willis Toms   Interview Date: 5/16/2018   Program Number: 3645

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