I'm in a profoundly dark place. Psychologically. Spiritually. I find....

I'm in a profoundly dark place. Psychologically. Spiritually. I find almost no Spirit of loving left here Standing Rock. Already I have found almost none in the world. Such incredibly Dark Times. Been through this sort of personal darkness before. Each time I have made it through. I suspect I will this time. I never know how it will happen. I certainly do not know this time. I suspect it will have to do with attempting to be good, anyway. To be loving, anyway.

We are completely unarmed here. In that sense we are completely peaceful. The extent of the weapons used, and I disapprove of this, the extent of the weapons used has been taunting.....

We are completely unarmed here. In that sense we are completely peaceful. The extent of the weapons used, and I disapprove of this, the extent of the weapons used has been taunting and snowballs, and destroying razor wire on disputed,  stolen, land which is protecting an immoral pipeline that is part of the war on all creation. There are strong Rumours that we will be attacked tonight by Cowboys. And if not tonight soon. The local police have pubically bemoaned the fact that there are locals that they cannot control. There are locals that they inflame and will not control. Think Bull Connor during the Civil Rights Movement. The threat of this and the actuality are hugely racist against natives. I am not inclined to run from this. I may have finally lost my hope of saving the world, end of the world being safe too, forever. But I suspect I will never lose my will to stand against Injustice.

When I try to check in with Creator, when, in my imagination, I try to understand what Creator is thinking, what I get is that Creator is through with us as a species. We've had seven.......

When I try to check in with Creator, when, in my imagination, I try to understand what Creator is thinking, what I get is that Creator is through with us as a species. We've had seven thousand years and all we do is torture each other. All we do is hate. The exceptions prove the rule. Creator is done with us. Creator will not exterminate us. Creator will simply let us do it. Creator takes no joy in that. But Creator is tired. The experiment has failed.

I have used all of what little abilities I have to try and facilitate a world-changing stand at Standing Rock. I see conclusive evidence......

I have used all of what little abilities I have to try and facilitate a world-changing stand at Standing Rock. I see conclusive evidence that I have totally failed. I came here perfectly willing to die in the hopes that my contribution joined with others could be a spark to ignite the world. I see not the tiniest hope of that. No one's fault. Our culture simply does not produce the people that can do that. I plan to leave this disputed land as early as possible although that is substantially limited by my fragile vehicle that has hardly any range in the cold. If I had a car I would likely be gone tomorrow. With my vehicle it likely will take as long as a week.

Am I hearing Creator say to me, "Let It Go?"

Am I hearing Creator say to me, "Let It Go?"

There is only one revolutionary Act. It is rarely executed, rarely attempted, by an individual let alone a group. It can......

There is only one revolutionary Act. It is rarely executed, rarely attempted, by an individual let alone a group.  It can have an infinite variety of forms. The only revolutionary Act is to spend one's breath being as good as one's imagination, conscience, Soul, heart... and as examples throughout history, show us that we can be. Everything that is not that is more of the same and again can take an infinite variety of forms. If I imagine that there is an all-wise, all loving, creator of us all, as I do imagine, when I have the presence of mind to keep myself in the Gaze of that creator it very much helps me behave in the direction I have just described. And so far in even very trying times it gives me the psychological peace described in the twenty-third psalm,  and the joy that can only be described as psychological heaven despite whatever material Horrors May in fact be the environment. I suspect that almost all of the great creative religious Geniuses such as Jesus, Buddha, and others, were trying to help us find this way. That is, I think there is nothing original or clever in what I'm saying.  "Thy kingdom comes, as thy will is done, on Earth, as we would do in heaven."

If Europe and the rest of the world does not launch all out non-violent war on the United States they are as f****** stupid as we are.

If Europe and the rest of the world does not launch all out non-violent war on the United States they are as f****** stupid as we are.

My prayer, this International Day of Prayer for our water, for standing Rock: Creater, it seems to be your way to reveal yourself on pure blank things. You.....

My prayer, this International Day of Prayer for our water, for standing Rock:

Creater, it seems to be your way to reveal yourself on pure blank things. You revealed yourself in a pure blank Universe now filled with multitude. On a clear blank Earth now filled with multitude but diminished by our two-legged mass destruction. Your great artists who reveal you on pure blank canvases. You reveal yourself each year emerging through pure white snow in the spring and summer time.

For us two Leggeds, though it seems cruel to us, you gift some of your two-legged with the infinitely joyful privilege of becoming pure, of becoming innocent, of becoming cleansed, such that they can be again your canvas, but this time painted, tormented, destroyed, with the savagery, cruelty, insanity of some of we, most of we, two-leggeds so that our savagery can show itself that all of us might choose a different path.

You at certain times in history  have cleansed souls and brought them together on a bridge in Selma. You cleansed such soles and brought them to a square, tahrir Square, in Egypt. To a salt works in India https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yrHNig2aIjQ .  You cleansed a soul Malala in Pakistan. You brought and cleansed Souls at Standing Rock and brought them into a river to let the horror of Empire clearly etch itself.

And it seems you so cleansed all these Souls that they understood themselves as Souls in a simple vessel and they were glad to offer their vessel as a canvas for the savagery of our society to paint itself that the perpetrators might see, that the billions of sleeping on Lookers might see in time to turn away from Armageddon for all future children.

Creator, if I am seeing clearly through your grace, then, if it is your will, make of each and every one of us that remain at Oceti, at sacred stone, at Rosebud, and each that you bring here, each and every one of us each and every breath, make of us that pure vessel for your spirit, that knows it is pure spirit, and that gladly offers its vessel, each and every one of us, every breath, to be used as that Canvas, even if painted with, prisoned, even if cruelly destroyed, gladly, that the next seven generations possibly have a planet that can provide a decent life, and that each and every child ever born on a broken planet or not, has the opportunity to see what You look like, because you are Love, you are Unarmed Truth, you are Unconditional Love, and each of us that fulfills this prayer becomes that prayer for a child in the first generation or the 7th generation or Beyond of being reminded of what you look like and are thereby given the opportunity to return to your loving Embrace, your infinitely joyful, infinitely peaceful Embrace,  here on Earth, regardless of what is materially in-store.

James, who lives only to be your servant, if even so poorly.

It seems to me that a bloody Civil War in the United States is almost inevitable and that Victory by those with the guns, the fascist hordes, my sisters.....

It seems to me that a bloody Civil War in the United States is almost inevitable and that Victory by those with the guns, the fascist hordes, my sisters and brothers all, is nearly inevitable. The only hope I see is if Creator sees fit to use some of us in the way discussed in the following prayer, at this link https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10210285521407351&id=1620551416. And unless that happens now and ignites what little Humanity is yet available in America to ignite, before it's scurries into self-protective caves, in the form of acquiescing to the machine as happened in Weimar Germany, unless that ignition, unless those people show themselves and are used as a blank pure canvas for the atrocities to begin to manifest, it will be too late, the one-sided Civil War will take place, and it best there will be hundreds or thousands of years of Darkness on Earth. At best.

Courage, kindness, or prudence? All three I'd say. And pragmatism and support of high output community members. Caught between threats from.....

Courage, kindness, or prudence? All three I'd say. And pragmatism and support of high output community members. Caught between threats from North Dakota oil Junkies and local Native Casino profit Junkies both eager to throw us in jail I have become concerned that I would be an extremely unpleasant cellmate without a shower in three months and laundry for my one change of clothes. Silly? Maybe. A tremendous expense but I've Justified it, being here at the local casino hotel for a night, by offering to 10 or so people the opportunity to come and take a shower and to an extremely high output, crucial, fellow Doer to spend the night. This individual is under tremendous stress, having sacrificed to the breaking point personally, and a third fellow will be sleeping here as well.

For 15 years or more I have devoted myself to, within my imagination, living each breath within the will of the creator. I believe that my next step......

For 15 years or more I have devoted myself to, within my imagination, living each breath within the will of the creator. I believe that my next step which I will attempt beginning now is to live not just within the will of creator, but, in my imagination, each moment, within the presence of creator. I don't know if this is possible. I don't know if it is productive. But I suspect that the answer to both is yes and will begin the attempt now.

Trump is an extraordinary gift to us, the gift that keeps on giving. Which.....

Trump is an extraordinary gift to us, the gift that keeps on giving. Which one now? He has given us the inarguable fact which has always existed, but he has given us the unvarnished fact, that the government cannot and will not save us. Only we as Breath by breath, generation after generation, fully active fully participating citizens can do that. No, we won't accept the gift. We don't love anything, including our children that much, but he gave us the gift none-the-less.

"If they want to shoot me that's totally fine with me." This I found myself saying as I sat for several.......

"If they want to shoot me that's totally fine with me."  This I found myself saying as I sat for several moments in the herbal tent receiving heat from a fire prior to heading into a different unheated kitchen to do my 22nd hour of dishes this last four days. It's 15 degrees Fahrenheit, and getting a bit chilly. Chiller still tomorrow and then it begins warming up into the twenties again. Several folks in the herbal tent were discussing the story that dapple fired three rounds of live ammunition last night, one of them shattering a car window. I don't know if this is true. It's fine with me if it is, and I would be delighted if they shot me as I stand right now. They are brutal. They are Savage. They are destroying everything, all future, for the Next Generation let alone the next seven generations. The only force that can stop them are tens of millions of cowardly sideline sitters that begin to see atrocities visited on bodies like mine in time for them to wake up. Yes, they probably will not wake up. But that's the only way it would happen and I would be delighted to be one of the First atrocities. I'm a good man. I do nothing but love all of humanity all of creation as do many of the people here in the camp. What I wish to happen to me is what those in tahrir square wished would happen to them if necessary, what those on the bridge in Selma wished would happen to them to protect their progeny, if necessary, what those at the darshana saltworks expected would happen to them to give a future to their progeny. Why the f*** would anyone not want to do this? I know why not in my head but I totally don't know why not in my heart. The heart can never know why. Only the mind can fabricate the ridiculous distractions and excuses. The infinite infinite infinite infinite infinite excuses. As per this massively important post below I want a darshana saltworks March. I want thousands of us to announce a week prior that we are Marching to the drill pad, that we are taking equipment to destroy the equipment at the drill pad, that we are taking ladders or whatever to get through the moats that have been dug around the drill pad otherwise making it inaccessible. that we expect not to succeed in reaching the drill pad. that we expect in exercising our human and legal right to protect the commons of our children and grandchildren that we will be executed, maimed, or at best put in prison as terrorists for the rest of our days. And that we are fine with that. That we know that only by exercising our rights, our duty, as dignified parents, brothers, sisters, Aunts, Uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, can we enable the full savagery of the corporate Frankenstein monster machine to become evident so that the f****** cowardly happily confused onlookers on the sidelines wake up and see the machine headed directly for them in time to stand up and stop it. There is no other way. I don't want there to be another way. I am simply grateful to see the way and will do whatever I can to bring about what I have just discussed above. I hope that you read and watch and Ponder the following post and share it. And if you don't you bear the responsibility. I'll continue to do my part but I can't do yours.  https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10210253054515699&id=1620551416

Until we liberals hold ourselves to a higher standard than the standards we hold our opposition to we are rightly going to fail, we are rightly going to keep going down in f****** flames.

Until we liberals hold ourselves to a higher standard than the standards we hold our opposition to we are rightly going to fail, we are rightly going to keep going down in f****** flames.

I implore you to watch this, and the other clip that I just posted on my Facebook page. I don't know that this exemplifies what we should do. I know.......

I implore you to watch this, and the other clip that I just posted on my Facebook page. I don't know that this exemplifies what we should do. I know that it keeps replaying in my soul and mind as the type of thing we must do. We must become the canvas on which the savagery of the empire can be seen by the hundreds of Millions of willingly confused onLookers that they come off of the sidelines on to the right side. Our side. Now. We must be the small canvas on which the awaiting atrocities are painted so that others can see in time and give the next Generations some tiny bit of future worth living. If not now, when? If not here, where? If not us, who?

https://youtu.be/yrHNig2aIjQ

https://youtu.be/WW3uk95VGes

Trumps executive order authorizing the pipeline is yet another godsend. Will we take the opportunity? What.......

Trumps executive order authorizing the pipeline is yet another godsend. Will we take the opportunity? What opportunity? The opportunity to immediately, prayedfully, deeply, imagine how we escalate our fight here at standing rock in ways that fully comply with prayerfulness, peacefulness, courage, and surrender to the needs of the next 7 generations over our own.

Courageous violent revolutionaries of today in Washington DC, Standing Rock, and elsewhere {black bloc, instigators, inciters, taunters, vandals, destroyers, compulsive violators....} : just a question, if you're so f****** courageous then........

Courageous violent revolutionaries of today in Washington DC, Standing Rock, and elsewhere {black bloc,  instigators,  inciters,  taunters,  vandals,  destroyers,  compulsive violators....} : just a question, if you're so f****** courageous then why are you parasites on nonviolent action? Why so regularly do you leech off,  embed disinvited in,  the protests and actions and protections of non-violent people? Why do you so rarely confront the police by yourself?  In my day it was called hiding behind apron-strings. Is it not only those you claim to oppose that you wish to destroy, but nonviolent action itself,  and the nonviolent Warriors? You arrogant f****** assholes. You don't want change. You don't want Revolution. You don't care about the next seven generations. You want to get your rocks off. You want an adrenaline rush. You want to feel like Heroes when you're nothing but infantile, lazy, dishonest cowards. People are supposed to grow out of Tantrums by the time they are three years old. You have unconditionally surrendered. You have unconditionally surrendered. Your violence hands the keys to an infinite Arsenal, Keys that Trump and his gargoyle hordes are just aching to use to vaporize and or enslave us all. You are infiltrators. You may not work for dapple or you may. You may not work for the state, or you may. Whether or not you get a paycheck there you absolutely work for them. You are dishonest intellictual cowards. You laughably distort the history of non-violence to fit your yearning to act out like spoiled children. Badly behaved, badly brought up children. Would that the armies of the world had your intellectual dishonesty and cowardice, they would have given up on the first tests of gunpowder let alone nuclear weapons and the world would be at peace. They would drop one bomb, see that they had not won the war, and give up on using bombs like you have given up on nonviolence which has barely ever been tried throughout history. But alas at least those in the Army have the some intellectual honesty. Some courage. Some decency. If you want to go out in a blaze of glory and unconditionally surrender the future of the next seven generations, for decency sake go do it by yourself. Stop leeching off of the people with real courage,  dignity, compassion, respect, self-control, empathy, Humanity, loving. Those of you that strongly disagree with what I've just written I wonder if you will have the decency, compassion, courage,  intellectual honesty to tell me why. If I am wrong I wish to know so and I will loudly proclaim it if I am helped to see.

Pbs: Affordable water may soon dry up, especially if you live here

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/affordable-water-may-soon-dry-especially-live/

***** Erica Chenoweth: The success of nonviolent resistance

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YJSehRlU34w

If there is a proper roll for prayer, and I think that there is, though almost never never never used, the proper role for prayer is to connect with one's soul, the......

If there is a proper roll for prayer, and I think that there is, though almost never never never used, the proper role for prayer is to connect with one's soul, the deepest wisest part of our nervous system that we cannot control but we can learn to listen to. This is the Seat of Wisdom. It is the only place in such dark times that we can reliably turn to for how to guide our own lives although the soul demands that we responsibly access all important available information.

Hello James how you doing today? I have been thinking about you after your last public post. I do worry that they may be more aggressive with the new president in office." My reply: <3 Please don't find me inconsiderate of your comment. I appreciate it. But.....

*Hello James how you doing today?  I have been thinking about you after your last public post.  I do worry that they may be more aggressive with the new president in office." My reply:  <3  Please don't find me inconsiderate of your comment. I appreciate it. But I suggest to us all in these desperate times we must finally learn that life happens only inside ourselves, the only life we will ever know is within our own psychology, and unless we learn to live there and embrace it, in constant Breath by breath communion with our souls, we will go crazy, we will find life a torture, and we will be worse than useless to the next seven generations. No credit to me I seem to have been taught this lesson and lived it for quite some years now, more intensely and certainly and joyfully every day. What is done to me physically is almost totally not a concern to me.  Except that unless I and others quickly become the atrocities that show my sleeping massive sisters and brothers the unthinkable savagery that awaits them if they don't stand up, what awaits their children if they don't stand up now, that frightens me. I was saying to a kind sister, my age, who I've only just met in camp several days ago, that in my opinion no one should be in this camp anymore that does not wish to become one of the atrocities that must mount quickly, clearly, and graphically if the mass of my criminally sleeping sisters and brothers are to awake in time. Please I hope no one worries about me. I pray that people learn from me to more intensely live their life in front of the next Center Seven Generations realizing there will not be seven more Generations unless we stand up now. By the way, as I've written this morning, I hear a sound  that I can only explain as renewed Drilling a mile or so away. But I don't know that for a fact. We have not been raided so far. I am certain that there are those in the corporate monster that are advocating actively for us to be made a brutal example so that no one else tries what we are trying. I do not know if those forces will prevail or not.

Miserable failures at life are the likes of Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela.... their failed, miserable, pitiful lives cut in half by deaths or prison. Paupers. Miserable failures. Unless.......

Miserable failures at life are the likes of Jesus, Martin Luther King Jr, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela.... their failed, miserable, pitiful lives cut in half by deaths or prison. Paupers. Miserable failures. Unless quality of life is more important than quantity of life in which case they are the most enviable creatures that have ever walked the earth. Jesus spoke of this. He who would hold onto his life shall lose it. He who would lose his life for the sake of those in need shall gain it. Many of us here remaining at Standing Rock are in this way among the most enviable people on earth, or that have ever walked the Earth. Many of us here are the exact equivalent of the resistance in Hunger Games, The Rebel Alliance, Neo in The Matrix and those who fought alongside of him. Spiritual Jedi. Note, all but one of the Jedi were exterminated,  as I recall. We are among the few that have ever walked the Earth on two legs in the last 7000 years that are alive and have the joy of being alive. Martin Luther King said, a person is not equipped to live unless they know what they would die for. Many of us here that remain at Standing Rock know what we would die for,  basically, a decent future for the next seven generations.. Prudence tells me to sleep in my clothes with my boots on tonight. The rumors are stronger than ever that we are about to be swept by the feds. I will live in the face of what Creator wants, not the fear that those forces of greed and darkness want. I will sleep in my normal sleep attire tonight. It is not my business what the feds, dapl, the corporations do. It is my business what I do. And paying attention to my business,  which is to do Creation's business, is where life is to be found. Same for you. If there is to be a decent future for any of the next seven generations many of us will have to endure many atrocities...fast, furious,  many. Nothing less has a prayer of waking up  the goddamn cowardly sleeping masses, my brothers and sisters all, in time. Let them begin.

I suggest to you that these days are so dark now that the only way to maintain your sanity is to learn to listen to your soul above everything else and to do what it tells you to do moment-by-moment Breath by breath.

I suggest to you that these days are so dark now that the only way to maintain your sanity is to learn to listen to your soul above everything else and to do what it tells you to do moment-by-moment Breath by breath.

To my young, brilliant, native brother here at Standing Rock: K., brother, James here. You may hate me for this. What kind of a brother would I be if......

To my young, brilliant, native brother here at Standing Rock: K., brother, James here. You may hate me for this. What kind of a brother would I be if I did not take such a risk with truth that I think is important to try and share? I may be many things but I am not a coward. Number one. By international law I recognise and support the right of an oppressed people, my native sisters and brothers are oppressed, I support international law which says that an oppressed people have the right to resist by any means available. 2. As a lifelong student and practitioner of nonviolent action I say that the actions on the bridge of the last several nights serve only one side, the opposition. Nonviolent resistance depends upon the armies of onlookers sitting safely on the sidelines finally seeing imagery, a picture, a truth, which is so black and white that they come on the side of those in the right. When this Camp was a prayerful Camp it provided that clear picture and they came onto our side in large numbers. The last two nights are at best totally unclear. Really,  it guarantees that such pictures will keep them on the sidelines if not joining the opposition. This is bad strategy. It is the right of my native sisters and brothers to do it. It is bad strategy. And it is not the stuff of a true Revolution for a better world. I believe that anyone that truly cares about the future and believes in the truth must watch at least this 15-minute video on the groundbreaking research never before attempted to compare of violent and nonviolent actions over the last hundred years, fifteen minute Ted talk. James

Powerful enough to defeat today's military, these weapons: dignity, extreme Humanity, selfless courage, unyielding.......

Powerful enough to defeat today's military, these weapons: dignity, extreme Humanity, selfless courage, unyielding kindness, Relentless decency , thoughtfulness, highest standards for the truth..... This is history. The same is true in the future. Almost all find these weapons far too costly to employ. That may be the Epitaph on the tombstone of creation. The most powerful weapons were too costly to employ. So thought the parents of future Generations.

If the fight is not entirely for human rights it is not a fight for human rights. It is a fight for something besides human rights.......

If the fight is not entirely for human rights it is not a fight for human rights. It is a fight for something besides human rights. It is not the revolution. It is too little too late. It is unconditional surrender. Time is on the side of final destruction. All they need to do is run out the clock. Loving, waging love, is the only Revolution. Everything else is waging tribal love, tribal referring to affiliation groups, not whether or not something is indigenous. A Great Soul and intellectual of the last century, Ashley Montague, said, we are dying not from the absence of love, but from the presence of tribal love. There was much love for all of creation, for ALL two-legged creatures, here at Standing Rock weeks ago. Is there any left here?

Standing Rock update. I stand with dignified Behavior. I stand with self-possessed Behavior. I stand.....

Standing Rock update. I stand with dignified Behavior. I stand with self-possessed Behavior. I stand with responsible thoughtful action and strategy. So I stand with 90% of the behavior that I see in this Camp day in and day out. Almost everyone I have met here from all walks of life came here prepared to die to protect Mother Earth, to protect future Generations, to protect human rights. That is pretty dignified. I do not stand with the behavior therefore that has been reported to me in the so-called actions today on the bridge and elsewhere. I do not deny the right of indigenous, Indian, people to do what they did. By international law the oppressed have a right to resist by any means available. But I do not stand with the behavior as it was reported to me today. Impulsive, acting out, self-indulgent, without strategy. It seems they do not understand the power of dignified, prayerful, Solmn, self-sacrificial, dignified Behavior which is what people do all day long in these incredibly harsh hostile conditions here. A media Bonanza was handed to Our Sick brothers and sisters in the fossil fuel owned government of North Dakota,  as near as I can tell. If I learn that today's actions were designed and authorized by the Indian leadership of this Camp I retract some of my opposition. Otherwise I can only think of my reading of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee which is story after Story of Indian tribes being slaughtered because of the unauthorized hot-headed behavior of a few infantile people..

I see not one in a million in today's America that cares about their children's future. Deeply, if I think deeply, I realize the question, then why should I care about their children?

I see not one in a million in today's America that cares about their children's future. Deeply, if I think deeply, I realize the question, then why should I care about their children?

"James, I like you the best because you have to humble yourself the most to fit in here." This from C. , a middle aged young person with a.......

"James, I like you the best because you have to humble yourself the most to fit in here." This from C. , a middle aged young person with a Charming little dog that always ignores me,  lol, with whom I've never really had a conversation but for many weeks we have enjoyed warmly saying hello to one another. I don't know what C. sees in me. I don't know what others see in me,  or what they think about me. I'm amazed when people make such statements. But they do rather regularly here.

"James, you are perfect." To this I erupted in an uncontrollable belly laugh. This to the young man......

"James, you are perfect." To this I erupted in an uncontrollable belly laugh. This to the young man who said this as he was sobbing in my arms this morning. He had just learned that within hours his sacred fire, and the other, would be extinguished and despite that this was for good reason from the Council of fires, the indigenous headsman, it was a devastating blow to this Godly good young man who for weeks had near single-handedly kept the fire going, an extraordinary heroic loving Act. I had a hunch and went to the fire and had the blessing of being there at the right time to help him deal with the grief. After moments of holding him and letting him grieve into my shoulder I shared some words that seemed to give him great comfort, especially my thought that despite how important the physical fire was, that he had given us a much more important fire that would never go out, it would always burn in my heart and others, the fire of his passionate dedication and loving contribution to the camp. "James, you are perfect," he said. I burst out in laughter. "I am nothing," I said. "I have simply learned to get out of the way of the heart. The Heart is what is perfect." A big hug he gave me at those words. What an incredible blessing, what an incredible privilege it is to be here right now.