SIP Jam :: 24.01.2012 | 21.00 GMT | Skype | 10

:: Summary of the call

21.00 :: Participants join. Asked to read a short narrative from J.Krishnamurti, Commentaries on Living - 2nd series

It was a calm evening, but many white sails were on the lake. In the far distance a snow-covered peak hung as though suspended from the skies. The evening breeze from the north-east was not yet blowing, but there were ripples on the water towards the north and more boats were putting out. The water was very blue and the skies were very clear. It was a wide lake, but on sunny days the towns could be seen on the other side. In this little bay, secluded and forgotten, it was very peaceful; there were no tourists, and the steamboat that went round the lake never came here. Nearby was a village of fishermen; and as the weather promised to be clear, there would be small boats, with lanterns, fishing late into the night. In the enchantment of evening they were preparing their nets and their boats. The valleys were in deep shadow, but the mountains still held the sun.

21.15 :: Simple ground rules for the call are set. Inclu. this session is first an opportunity to "...share a situation in the last 6 months where your head and heart have (continue to be) conflicted" and not simply to have a discussion. This requires the skill of active listening that all participants are requested to respect.

The 10 participants take 2-3 mins each to share their own story on the question.

21.40 :: It is presented that the conflict between head and heart falls into the wider area of emotional intelligence. The floor is opened to any thoughts that are within the broader theme and offer insights on any patterns they observed from the speakers.

"When you influenced by external thoughts and ideas you can lose touch with what your heart is telling you."
"Needs to be a balence of mind and common sense."
"How much does life experiences play with our judgment/decisions."
"Wavering in beliefs - sometimes creates doubt. No matter what one says."

21.45 :: Participants asked to deepen and broaden their understanding of 'head and heart' and read between the lines of what exactly Vivekananda was saying in his quote. We were offered insightful thoughts.

"Whats in your heart really matters. SV is giving a reason because the heart is truly pure, with less chance of external internal influences upon what it knows to be right."

21.55 :: Participants thanked for participating. Those that wanted to stay on for another 10 mins were asked to discuss the role of emotional intelligence in Sangh in UK

"Sangh is an outcome of people following their heart. If it had been a rational brain decision, maybe it wouldn't have kept going for as long as it has."

22.15 :: Call closed.

Other comments shared after the call by mail from participants

"I understand how I balance the decisions between my brain and my heart, and am going to take more active measures to ensure that I follow my heart more often."

"I learnt that I follow my brain and my brain is good at talking me into or out of things that instinct might tell me otherwise.

I learnt that expectations drive a lot of what my brain tells me to do, even if they are expectations that I think others might have rather than ones I know they have. And its a struggle for me to stop worrying about what others may think. But its important that I do.

Its reassuring to know that I'm not the only one."

:: Background to the call

In this quote Vivekanada makes a very clear statement.

Throughout our educational process and the general structure of the world in which we live, we condition ourselves to weigh more heavily on rational (evidence based) decisions. With the internet we rely increasingly on the enormous volumes of data to help us decide on what to do next. We look for linear patterns and often look for direct cause-effect relationships. We silence our instinct - our 'gut feeling.'

However, it can be argued that our heart is the seat of our desires. Our desires are our wants and our wants must be controlled.

During SIP Jam, we ask you to sincerely share a situation in the last 6 months where your head and heart have (continue to be) conflicted. Briefly describe the conflict and the (ongoing) process to overcome that conflict. We also will ask how this tension between head and heart applies within our context of Sangh in the UK It is important that you share a specific situation in your life. It is important that it is not a hypothetical situation.
You can choose to decide how deep and personal you wish you share.
Please be sensitive to how you present your situation - especially if it involves others who may not want their identity to be revealed.
It is important that you share rather than simply join the call to listen.

Depending on the number of people on the call, we may need to manage time. It is important everyone gets an opportunity to share.

Please respect every person on the call. Please allow them to speak.

If there is time we can go to a broader conversation.

We look forward to your participation on the call

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SIP Jam is an experiment. We hope the idea continues to evolve and grow as we run it each month. We welcome the opportunity to deepen the dialogue with you.