1. Interbeing.
“Interbeing” is the first-hand experience of one’s self as an integral part of a greater, interdependent, connected whole. It’s a kind of “grokking the fullness” of not just the ecology of the planet, but of every system and subsystem of the whole, including human society, community, and clan behaviors.
This practice proceeds by creating reminders for oneself to watch for and notice the connections and interactions around us. It begins with basic mindfulness practice while sitting on a cushion or a chair and continues when you stand and walk “out into the world.” It’s sometimes helpful to cultivate the intermediate step of walking meditation within a protected, contemplative space. Any space will do, where you feel safe from outside disturbances or collision with physical objects.
2. Values clarification.
Clarity of values leads to clarity of purpose or intention. Clear purpose or intention make it much easier to live a fulfilling life.
The practice of values clarification begins with choosing words and/or images that represent what you value and then watching for the real-world manifestation of these.
It proceeds with purposeful noticing of how you spend your time, the behaviors you actually end up doing, as opposed to those you espouse or think you value.
3. Speech control.
Some people think it is language which differentiates humans from other animals. Whether you buy that or not, a lot of our energy goes into verbal communication and it is a significant force in the binding or separating of people into groups.
Because the words we choose can have profound impacts on others, speech control becomes key to making “other power” work.
The practice of speech control focuses primarily on honesty, openness, and transparency in the words we use. It includes avoiding speech that causes harm and efforts to eliminate specifically:
- Gossip (“Have you heard about Joe’s latest mess? . . .”)
- Backbiting (“She’s such a bitch!”)
- Harsh or rude words (“F### you and the horse you rode in on!”)
- Insulting speech (“You’re such an idiot!”)
- Unnecessary speech (“Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah . . .”)
4. Temperance.
When in the company of others, everything we do has an impact on those around us. Temperance is the practice of moderation in action, thought, and feeling to avoid doing harm and to increase well being in our self and others.
Temperance is the restraint of actions, thoughts, or feelings that further the suffering of others or that result in the failure to care for their well being so far as we can.
In practicing moderation in action, thought, or feeling, we commit to doing our best to avoid a whole range of unwholesome behaviors, including such things as:
- Destroying the natural world
- Killing people or other living beings
- Taking things that belong to others without agreement or permission
- Sexual exploitation
- Sharing or selling objects or substances that can harm others
The practice of temperance includes avoidance of foods, drugs, or other substances that alter consciousness in such a way as to increase the possibility of doing harm to our self or others.
5. Sustainable living.
Sustainable living is about both how we live and how we “make our living”—both “simple living” and “right livelihood.”
“Simple living” means lowering our harmful impact on the world around us by reducing our level of unnecessary consumption.
“Right livelihood” means doing work that has a minimal negative impact on the world and other living beings.
Sustainable living incorporates what we learn from doing the other five “other power” practices. It includes:
- Honesty
- Openness
- Kindness
- Generosity (without demand, that is, we share proactively, before anyone can ask)
- Minimizing harm
- Maximizing well being
6. Impact awareness.
This practice focuses on the cultivation of awareness of the impacts of our actions, thoughts, or feelings and the promotion of behaviors that are wholesome in thought and action or that eliminate or reduce those that are unwholesome, including such common unwholesomeness as:
- Anger
- Delusions
- Harmful fantasies
- Gluttony
- Greed
- Hatred
This brief description of the top six “other power” practices you can master reveals a single important view: our place in the world, what we do when we are alone or with others, can have a profound impact on the happiness and well being of our self and others.
These practices can be a powerful aid in effectively building the “other power” half of our support platform for following the Path to Good Work.