October 2011

Deep Gassho to the Integral Heart Family

The Japanese term gassho refers to a ritual gesture formed by placing the hands - palms together,
in the prayer-position - in front of the mouth - the fingertips at a level just below the nose.
The bow / gassho implies recognition of the oneness of all beings.

When the Integral Foundation was born, Mick and I thought that we just had created a non-profit. But,
the more I look back the more I realize how naïve we were.

It’s hasn’t even been two years but what a trip it’s been so far. We came here, to Guatemala, knowing we wanted to help, to do something, to make a difference, but we had no idea how. We knew teaching was important and that we had many tools available, but we really had no idea about how to use them or even
where to begin?

When we first got here we visited several established non-profit organizations and we did field trips.
Some did not ask us what we wanted to do, others did not recognize our skills. But some were very open
to the perspective we were brining to the table.

Luke Armstrong, the director of the God’sChild project trusted Debora to teach his philosophy classes when
he was traveling. Mick began to do coaching with some of the project directors under the guidance of
CasaSito. Little by little we began to work and to fill up our agendas.

Then something amazing began to happen. People started to send us money so that we could keep doing our work and to support the resource-poor families we had also included in our scope. People trusted us, and to manage this flow of support the Integral Heart Foundation was born.

But money wasn’t the only thing. Great teachers began to participate in our program and to teach our kids. Renowned authors and actors began to spread our work and to give endorsements.

When I look at it today, what I can see is that we are one piece of a much bigger process. We are willing vehicles of the Integral Heart. Our karma is to simply be here, on the front line. And as in any other machine,
no matter how big or small the pieces are, if one fails the whole machine stops.

I have to say that I am very honored to be a part of this emergence made possible by such beautiful people. Every piece is precious and I cannot imagine myself doing anything but serving my karma and sharing it with such a wonderful group. We are all one.

This work is a part of a larger Holon, and a bigger and bigger one towards infinity, until no time and space,
until nothingness and then back to this incarnated manifestation in this very lifetime.

This is the bodhisattva vow manifesting through all of us, where no one is more important than the other, we just have different roles to play, that is all. So we cannot help but to make a deep Gassho to all of you, to all
of us, to I, for being willing vehicles in making this project possible. And I, as simply one more vehicle feel humbled and empowered simultaneously, for eons and eons and eons of timeless space-less manifesting
in this very moment.

Deep Gassho,

Debora Shijun Prieto Quinn
Mick Quinn

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The Integral Heart Foundation is a U.S. Registered 501(c)3 non-profit.