How does technology and the Internet express Oneness? I was watching clips from the upcoming ONENESS: The Big Picture (premiering on May 9th) and Deepak said "The Internet is the emergence of something so powerful but we have not realized it's impact."

This feels very true and I think the proper respect is due. If I write an email or a blog from my heart, it seems to have much more of an impact...people respond in kind. It is like the actual energy of my intention comes through my writing, or more like it, this web of light that connects us. This is Oneness, is it not?

I recently went to a conference called Wisdom 2.0 Summit where they were exploring how we use technology to connect in ways that are beneficial to our well-being and useful to the world. I have to say that having lived and worked in both fields -- technology and spirituality (is this a field?...not sure what to call it, but I do work here...) I was prepared not to be impressed with the level of consciousness there, but I am happy to report that I was wrong. There are people at Google, Twitter, Facebook, Mashable and Zappos that seem to have a deep connection to their responsibility to the whole. I almost cried I was so relieved. I mean if you look at the Huffington Post, they have added a religion section and are dedicating themselves to supplying the world with great wisdom teachers and this is a mainstream political publication!  They recently posted a story called "The Internet as a Living Symbol of Global Oneness" by Sufi teacher Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee. In this article he said, "I believe that the Internet is a gift we have been given. It provides an image of how the energy of life can flow freely in a way that defies the barriers of nationality and geography. Yet sadly because we are so immersed in the surface activity of this technology, in its tools of commerce and communication, we do not realize its deeper, symbolic dimension. A symbol is a connection to the sacred ground of our being which alone gives real meaning to our daily life."

I would love to hear Deepak comment on this.... I would love to hear how he honors this connectedness in his communications with life and community. I hope to ask this question on Mother's Day, May 9th when we host a live chat with him. I am certain mothers care about this issue because it is part of a larger issue. How do we live a life that honors life....

I really keep coming back to this idea of embodiment. It seems to me that for hundreds of years the spiritual quest has been done in a cave, in the cloisters...in the forest away from humanity and the influences of secular life. Deep practitioners sat on a cushion. They sat on a cushion and went somewhere...to a place of Oneness, to an emptiness, to the simple watching of a chattering mind, but it was not really done IN life. This might just be my impression, but it seems to me that one was supposed to transcend this world in order to be with God. One had to deny the body and the mundane in order to be with God.

Maybe that is what we are missing at this time on planet earth. Maybe we are supposed to bring our connection to God into life and somehow live this connection. Maybe that is the richness and juice of life. My sense is that it is...and as I TRY (big sigh) to live this remembrance it seems impossible because of my worries, desires and complete fallibility. But of course this is the practice...when I remember I just bring myself back to trying to love what I am doing...trying to be present in my heart (again, another sigh), especially in traffic (I love to go fast). I am really curious if you think this is important? And how you live this remembrance in your life...what does it look like? How do you live it? Is it possible? Please tell me!!

I just read this book called Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd. Very moving and in my opinion relevant to the current ecological situation. She was raised Christian, but found that this tradition could not honor or help her connect to what she calls her “feminine soul” which she defines as a woman’s “deep resource, her natural instinct, guiding wisdom and power.”

For me it was really about the internal journey one takes that delivers you to a sacred place inside. Reintroduces you to you. This journey changes you fundamentally. It can take you closer to your natural way of being…to your essence.   You start to relate to others and yourself in a more unencumbered way…less shoulds, fears and ways to stop yourself.  It was so hopeful to read about a woman who allowed this journey to unfold inside her even though the thought of changing her life, losing what she had built and living in the moment terrified her. It takes terrific courage to let go of what we know and she writes about her vulnerability and personal challenges with such grace and elegance. This book is another example of what this series is about and it really shows me once again we are on to something… thanks to all of you who are taking these steps to find your real self and be a light shining in the world.

Two days ago Thomas Berry died. Many of you probably do not know him… I barely knew him.  I do know that two friends of mine, Drew Dellinger and Brian Swimme, had deep respect for and long term relationships with him.

I also know that he was a pioneer. He was a Catholic priest that understood that we cannot survive without each Being playing their part in the great symphony. In his own words -- "In reality there is a single integral community of the Earth... In this community every being has its own role to fulfill, its own dignity, its inner spontaneity. Every being has its own voice..."

I had a brief experience with him. He made me feel like I mattered. He was gentle and playful and full of humility.  Here is an excerpt from a poem about him by Drew Dellinger called Carolina Prophet. (www.drewdellinger.org)

To learn more about Thomas, you can visit his website.