A New Social Model

A new social model

We must attempt the impossible. I am convinced that if we continue to follow a social model that is entirely conditioned by money and power, and that takes so little account of true values such as love and altruism, future generations may have to face far worse problems and endure even more terrible forms of suffering.

...Each one of us lacks one thing or another. I am not exactly sure what we lack, but I can feel we lack something. In the West, even if at the moment you are going through a crisis, you actually have everything, or at least you think you do; all kinds of material goods are there, and are no doubt distributed better than they were in the past. But it seems to me that you are living in a constant state of tension, in an atmosphere of never-ending competitiveness and fear. And those who are brought up in such an atmosphere will find themselves lacking all their lives: they will not know that wonderful quality of depth and intimacy that is the richness of life. They will stay on the surface of the troubled sea, without ever knowing the calm that lies beneath.

--from The Dalai Lama's Little Book of Inner Peace: The Essential Life and Teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

How To Expand Love

The general procedure of narrow-minded worldly life is summed up by what are called "the eight worldly concerns":

like/dislike
gain/loss
praise/blame
fame/disgrace

The worldly way of life is to be unhappy when the four unfavorable ones--dislike, loss, blame, and disgrace--happen to you or your friends, but to be pleased when these happen to your enemies. These results are all based on how people act, whereas true love and compassion are based not on actions but on the crucial fact that these sentient beings want happiness and do not want suffering, like you, and thus are all equal. Some actions are positive, and some are negative, but the agents of those actions are all sentient beings with aspirations to happiness. We always need to look from that angle. Actions are secondary, since they are sometimes positive and sometimes negative--always changing--whereas there is never any change in the fact that beings want happiness and do not want suffering.

When a shocking event happens, whether during the day or when dreaming, our immediate response is "I," not Tibetan, not American, or any other nationality; not Buddhist, not Hindu, or any other system, but just "I." This shows us the basic human level. On that important level all are the same. Little children do not bother about religion and nationality, rich or poor; they just want to play together. At a young age the sense of oneness of humanity is much more fresh. As we grow older, we make a lot of distinctions; a lot of artificial creations that are actually secondary become more important, and basic human concern diminishes. That is a problem.

Love thrown into bias by lust and hatred eventually must be stopped. Love influenced by afflictive desire necessarily brings with it hatred at what opposes it, and along with that comes jealousy and all sorts of problems. Though lust itself does not directly harm, it indirectly brings about all the forces that harm. This is why the process of expanding love begins with developing equanimity, after which the main point is not whether a particular person is good or bad to you but the fact that the person is the same as yourself in wanting happiness and not wanting suffering. Since this desire resides in all sentient beings, your awareness of it can apply to everyone, making the basis of your love very stable. Once you put the emphasis on their similarity to yourself, love has a solid foundation that does not vacillate depending on temporary circumstances.

--from How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships by H.H. the Dalai Lama, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins

Dalai Lama on Tibet Uprising Day 50th Anniversary!

Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet on 50th Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the Tibetan people's peaceful uprising against Communist China's repression in Tibet. Since last March, widespread peaceful protests have erupted across the whole of Tibet. Most of the participants were youths born and brought up after 1959, who have not seen or experienced a free Tibet. However, the fact that they were driven by a firm conviction to serve the cause of Tibet that has continued from generation to generation is indeed a matter of pride. It will serve as a source of inspiration for those in the international community who take keen interest in the issue of Tibet. We pay tribute and offer our prayers for all those who died, were tortured and suffered tremendous hardships including during the crisis last year, for the cause of Tibet since our struggle began.

Around 1949, Communist forces began to enter north-eastern and eastern Tibet (Kham and Amdo) and by 1950, more than 5000 Tibetan soldiers had been killed. Taking the prevailing situation into account, the Chinese government chose a policy of peaceful liberation, which in 1951 led to the signing of the 17-Point Agreement and its annexure. Since then, Tibet has come under the control of the People's Republic of China. However, the Agreement clearly mentions that Tibet's distinct religion, culture and traditional values would be protected.

Between 1954 and 1955, I met with most of the senior Chinese leaders in the Communist Party, government and military, led by Chairman Mao Zedong, in Beijing. When we discussed ways of achieving the social and economic development of Tibet, as well as maintaining Tibet's religious and cultural heritage, Mao Zedong and all the other leaders agreed to establish a preparatory committee to pave the way for the implementation of the autonomous region, as stipulated in the Agreement, rather than establishing a military administrative commission. From about 1956 onwards, however, the situation took a turn for the worse with the imposition of ultra-leftist policies in Tibet. Consequently, the assurances given by higher authorities were not implemented on the ground. The forceful implementation of the so-called “democratic reform” in the Kham and Amdo regions of Tibet, which did not accord with prevailing conditions, resulted in immense chaos and destruction. In Central Tibet, Chinese officials forcibly and deliberately violated the terms of the 17-Point Agreement, and their heavy-handed tactics increased day by day. These desperate developments left the Tibetan people with no alternative but to launch a peaceful uprising on 10 March 1959. The Chinese authorities responded with unprecedented force that led to the killing, arrests and imprisonment of tens of thousands of Tibetans in the following months. Consequently, accompanied by a small party of Tibetan government officials including some Kalons (Cabinet Ministers), I escaped into exile in India. Thereafter, nearly a hundred thousand Tibetans fled into exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan. During the escape and the months that followed they faced unimaginable hardship, which is still fresh in Tibetan memory.

Having occupied Tibet, the Chinese Communist government carried out a series of repressive and violent campaigns that have included “democratic reform”, class struggle, communes, the Cultural Revolution, the imposition of martial law, and more recently the patriotic re-education and the strike hard campaigns. These thrust Tibetans into such depths of suffering and hardship that they literally experienced hell on earth. The immediate result of these campaigns was the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Tibetans. The lineage of the Buddha Dharma was severed. Thousands of religious and cultural centres such as monasteries, nunneries and temples were razed to the ground. Historical buildings and monuments were demolished. Natural resources have been indiscriminately exploited. Today, Tibet's fragile environment has been polluted, massive deforestation has been carried out and wildlife, such as wild yaks and Tibetan antelopes, are being driven to extinction.

These 50 years have brought untold suffering and destruction to the land and people of Tibet. Even today, Tibetans in Tibet live in constant fear and the Chinese authorities remain constantly suspicious of them. Today, the religion, culture, language and identity, which successive generations of Tibetans have considered more precious than their lives, are nearing extinction; in short, the Tibetan people are regarded like criminals deserving to be put to death. The Tibetan people's tragedy was set out in the late Panchen Rinpoche's 70,000-character petition to the Chinese government in 1962. He raised it again in his speech in Shigatse in 1989 shortly before he died, when he said that what we have lost under Chinese communist rule far outweighs what we have gained. Many concerned and unbiased Tibetans have also spoken out about the hardships of the Tibetan people. Even Hu Yaobang, the Communist Party Secretary, when he arrived in Lhasa in 1980, clearly acknowledged these mistakes and asked the Tibetans for their forgiveness. Many infrastructural developments such as roads, airports, railways, and so forth, which seem to have brought progress to Tibetan areas, were really done with the political objective of sinicising Tibet at the huge cost of devastating the Tibetan environment and way of life.

As for the Tibetan refugees, although we initially faced many problems such as great differences of climate and language and difficulties earning our livelihood, we have been successful in re-establishing ourselves in exile. Due to the great generosity of our host countries, especially India, Tibetans have been able to live in freedom without fear. We have been able to earn a livelihood and uphold our religion and culture. We have been able to provide our children with both traditional and modern education, as well as engaging in efforts to resolve the Tibet issue. There have been other positive results too. Greater understanding of Tibetan Buddhism with its emphasis on compassion has made a positive contribution in many parts of the world.

Immediately after our arrival in exile I began to work on the promotion of democracy in the Tibetan community with the establishment of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile in 1960. Since then, we have taken gradual steps on the path to democracy and today our exile administration has evolved into a fully functioning democracy with a written charter of its own and a legislative body. This is indeed something we can all be proud of.

Since 2001, we have instituted a system by which the political leadership of Tibetan exiles is directly elected through procedures similar to those in other democratic systems. Currently, the directly-elected Kalon Tripa's (Cabinet Chairperson) second term is underway. Consequently, my daily administrative responsibilities have reduced and today I am in a state of semi-retirement. However, to work for the just cause of Tibet is the responsibility of every Tibetan, and as long as I live I will uphold this responsibility.

As a human being, my main commitment is in the promotion of human values; this is what I consider the key factor for a happy life at the individual, family and community level. As a religious practitioner, my second commitment is the promotion of inter-religious harmony. My third commitment is of course the issue of Tibet. This is firstly due to my being a Tibetan with the name of 'Dalai Lama'; more importantly, it is due to the trust that Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet have placed in me. These are the three important commitments, which I always keep in mind.

In addition to looking after the well being of the exiled Tibetan community, which they have done quite well, the principal task of the Central Tibetan Administration has been to work towards the resolution of the issue of Tibet. Having laid out the mutually beneficial Middle-Way policy in 1974, we were ready to respond to Deng Xiaoping when he proposed talks in 1979. Many talks were conducted and fact-finding delegations dispatched. These however, did not bear any concrete results and formal contacts eventually broke off in 1993.

Subsequently, in 1996-97, we conducted an opinion poll of the Tibetans in exile, and collected suggestions from Tibet wherever possible, on a proposed referendum, by which the Tibetan people were to determine the future course of our freedom struggle to their full satisfaction. Based on the outcome of the poll and the suggestions from Tibet, we decided to continue the policy of the Middle-Way.

Since the re-establishment of contacts in 2002, we have followed a policy of one official channel and one agenda and have held eight rounds of talks with the Chinese authorities. As a consequence, we presented a Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People, explaining how the conditions for national regional autonomy as set forth in the Chinese constitution would be met by the full implementation of its laws on autonomy. The Chinese insistence that we accept Tibet as having been a part of China since ancient times is not only inaccurate, but also unreasonable. We cannot change the past no matter whether it was good or bad. Distorting history for political purposes is incorrect.

We need to look to the future and work for our mutual benefit. We Tibetans are looking for a legitimate and meaningful autonomy, an arrangement that would enable Tibetans to live within the framework of the People's Republic of China. Fulfilling the aspirations of the Tibetan people will enable China to achieve stability and unity. From our side, we are not making any demands based on history. Looking back at history, there is no country in the world today, including China, whose territorial status has remained forever unchanged, nor can it remain unchanged.

Our aspiration that all Tibetans be brought under a single autonomous administration is in keeping with the very objective of the principle of national regional autonomy. It also fulfils the fundamental requirements of the Tibetan and Chinese peoples. The Chinese constitution and other related laws and regulations do not pose any obstacle to this and many leaders of the Chinese Central Government have accepted this genuine aspiration. When signing the 17-Point Agreement, Premier Zhou Enlai acknowledged it as a reasonable demand. In 1956, when establishing the Preparatory Committee for the “Tibet Autonomous Region”, Vice-Premier Chen Yi pointing at a map said, if Lhasa could be made the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, which included the Tibetan areas within the other provinces, it would contribute to the development of Tibet and friendship between the Tibetan and Chinese nationalities, a view shared by the Panchen Rinpoche and many Tibetan cadres and scholars. If Chinese leaders had any objections to our proposals, they could have provided reasons for them and suggested alternatives for our consideration, but they did not. I am disappointed that the Chinese authorities have not responded appropriately to our sincere efforts to implement the principle of meaningful national regional autonomy for all Tibetans, as set forth in the constitution of the People's Republic of China.

Quite apart from the current process of Sino-Tibetan dialogue having achieved no concrete results, there has been a brutal crackdown on the Tibetan protests that have shaken the whole of Tibet since March last year. Therefore, in order to solicit public opinion as to what future course of action we should take, the Special Meeting of Tibetan exiles was convened in November 2008. Efforts were made to collect suggestions, as far as possible, from the Tibetans in Tibet as well. The outcome of this whole process was that a majority of Tibetans strongly supported the continuation of the Middle-Way policy. Therefore, we are now pursuing this policy with greater confidence and will continue our efforts towards achieving a meaningful national regional autonomy for all Tibetans.

From time immemorial, the Tibetan and Chinese peoples have been neighbours. In future too, we will have to live together. Therefore, it is most important for us to co-exist in friendship with each other.

Since the occupation of Tibet, the Communist China has been publishing distorted propaganda about Tibet and its people. Consequently, there are, among the Chinese populace, very few people who have a true understanding about Tibet. It is, in fact, very difficult for them to find the truth. There are also ultra-leftist Chinese leaders who have, since last March, been undertaking a huge propaganda effort with the intention of setting the Tibetan and Chinese peoples apart and creating animosity between them. Sadly, as a result, a negative impression of Tibetans has arisen in the minds of some of our Chinese brothers and sisters. Therefore, as I have repeatedly appealed before, I would like once again to urge our Chinese brothers and sisters not to be swayed by such propaganda, but, instead, to try to discover the facts about Tibet impartially, so as to prevent divisions among us. Tibetans should also continue to work for friendship with the Chinese people.

Looking back on 50 years in exile, we have witnessed many ups and downs. However, the fact that the Tibet issue is alive and the international community is taking growing interest in it is indeed an achievement. Seen from this perspective, I have no doubt that the justice of Tibet's cause will prevail, if we continue to tread the path of truth and non-violence.

As we commemorate 50 years in exile, it is most important that we express our deep gratitude to the governments and peoples of the various host countries in which we live. Not only do we abide by the laws of these host countries, but we also conduct ourselves in a way that we become an asset to these countries. Similarly, in our efforts to realise the cause of Tibet and uphold its religion and culture, we should craft our future vision and strategy by learning from our past experience.

I always say that we should hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. Whether we look at it from the global perspective or in the context of events in China, there are reasons for us to hope for a quick resolution of the issue of Tibet. However, we must also prepare ourselves well in case the Tibetan struggle goes on for a long time. For this, we must focus primarily on the education of our children and the nurturing of professionals in various fields. We should also raise awareness about the environment and health, and improve understanding and practice of non-violent methods among the general Tibetan population.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the leaders and people of India, as well as its Central and State Governments, who despite whatever problems and obstacles they face, have provided invaluable support and assistance over the past 50 years to Tibetans in exile. Their kindness and generosity are immeasurable. I would also like to express my gratitude to the leaders, governments and people of the international community, as well as the various Tibet Support Groups, for their unstinting support.

May all sentient beings live in peace and happiness.

The Dalai Lama
10 March 2009

The Oneness Of Humanity!

I am deeply saddened by the extreme suffering of those who have been affected by the bush fires around the country. It is always in these times of adversity that communities bond together and people offer their generosity and compassion.

I think this quote from His Holiness puts into perspective how we can change our perspective on the interconnectedness we share, not just in these times of tragedy but also in our everyday lives. We have to consider that our actions and circumstances may affect others without our knowing and we should be considerate and mindful of our actions, this is "universal responsibility".

" As human beings, we are all the same. So there is no need to build some kind of artificial barrier between us. At least my own experience is that if you have this kind of attitude, there is no barrier. Whatever I feel, I can express; I can call you 'my old friend'. There is nothing to hide, and no need to say things in a way that is not straightforward. So this gives me a kind of space in my mind, with the result that I do not have to be suspicious of others all the time. And this really gives me inner satisfaction, and inner peace.

So I call this feeling a 'genuine realization of the oneness of the whole of humanity'. We are all members of one human family. I think that this understanding is very important, especially now that the world is becoming smaller and smaller. In ancient times, even in a small village, people were able to exist more or less independently. There was not so much need for others' co-operation. These days, the economic structure has completely changed, so that modern economies, relying on industry, are totally different. We are heavily dependent on one another, and also as a result of mass communication, the barriers of the past are greatly reduced. Today, because of the complexity of interdependence, every crisis on this planet is essentially related with every other, like a chain reaction. Consequently it is worthwhile taking every crisis as a global one. Here barriers such as 'this nation' or 'that nation', 'this continent', or 'that continent' are simply obstacles. Therefore today, for the future of the human race, it is more important than ever before that we develop a genuine sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. I usually call this a sense of 'universal responsibility'. "

--from Dzogchen: The Heart Essence of the Great Perfection by the Dalai Lama, translated by Thupten Jinpa and Richard Barron, Foreword by Sogyal Rinpoche, edited by Patrick Gaffney, published by Snow Lion Publications

Go Organic!

Not difficult to believe that a recent UN report said that organic communal farming could easily solve the current world food shortages.
It says, " Organic farming can often lead to polarised views, with some viewing it as a saviour and others as a niche product or something of a luxury... this report suggests it could make a serious contribution to tackling poverty and food insecurity. "

And what about the suggestion that in these times of "economic crisis" the alternative could be a system of community-based credit exchange which had its roots during the Great Depression.
" The medium of exchange could be anything, as long as everyone who uses it trusts that everyone else will recognise its value. "

If we could build organic communities based around communal farming and alternative monetary systems we'd probably be living a Marxist ideal or something near enough but surely the time is coming for a lifestyle revolution on a grand scale which makes living without corporate greed a workable reality, an organic process.

Should we need money for food and consumer items then let's trade!

Room For Change!

" There is often a big disparity between the way we perceive things and the way things really are.
For instance, when we see an object we think, 'Oh, this is the very same object which I saw two days ago.'
This is a very crude way of talking about reality. What is actually happening here is a kind of a conflation between an image or a concept of an entity and the actual reality of the moment. In reality, the object or entity that we are perceiving has already gone through a lot of stages.
It is dynamic, it is transient, it is momentary, so the object that we are perceiving now is not the same as the one we perceived a day ago or two days ago, but we have the impression that we are perceiving the very same thing because what we are doing is conflating our concept of that object and the actual object.
By grasping for permanence, we cause things to appear to us differently than how they actually exist. "

" It is vital to leave a lot of room for change in one's relations to another person. Change comes about in times of transition, allowing love actually to ripen and expand. Then one is able to really know the other one--to see that person with their faults and weaknesses and going through change, a human being like oneself. Only at this stage can there be true love. "

-The Dalai Lama

-from Impermanence: Embracing Change by David Hodge and Hi-Jin Kang Hodge, published by Snow Lion Publications

The Shoes Have It!

Can you believe that just as a statue is erected to that Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush, the Iraq government has ordered it taken down. Must be a payback for all the "good" that Bush perpetrated against the good people of Iraq.

Apparently the shoe guy has become a cult figure to these people who have suffered so much since their "liberation" and to those in the Arab world who have suffered through US foreign policy over the years.

Let's trust that Obama can embrace the spirit of the shoes and have a positive influence on the lives of people he doesn't know.

Being a student of history and the black leaders of the past he may already be following the words of his hero,

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking to his congregation in Montgomery, Alabama, who said:

" I think the first reason that we should love our enemies...is this: that hate for hate
only intensifies the existence of hate and evil in the universe. If I hit you and you hit
me and I hit you back and you hit me back and go on, you see, that goes on ad infinitum.
It just never ends. Somewhere somebody must have a little sense, and that's the strong
person. The strong person is the person who can cut off the chain of hate, the chain of
evil... Somebody must have religion enough and morality enough to cut it off, and inject
within the very structure of the universe that strong and powerful element of love. "

- "Loving Your Enemies" 17 November 1957

It Is Said!

" It is said that if you want to know what you were doing in the past,

Look at your body now;

If you want to know what will happen to you in the future,

Look at what your mind is doing now. "

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The Sense World!

" Superficial observation of the sense world might lead you to believe that people’s problems are different, but if you check more deeply, you will see that fundamentally, they are the same. What makes people’s problems appear unique is their different interpretation of their experiences. "

–Lama Thubten Yeshe.

What I really take from this quote of the great teacher Lama Yeshe is that we suffer more from our perception than from the reality of our experiences. Each person has a commonality in the nature of their suffering though individually they feel unique.

Being An Ox Myself!

Being an Ox myself it is with great anticipation that I approach this New Chinese Year with great anticipation of what's in store!

Armchair Of Emotions!

What an armchair of emotions it is that His Holiness rides in stating his case for the Middle Way approach to negotiating with China. It is true to his amazing compassion and honesty that he could deliver a sincere message such as this for the Chinese New Year.

“ On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, I extend my affectionate greetings to all our Chinese brothers and sisters across the globe, including those living in Mainland China.

The past year witnessed many developments throughout the world and particularly in China, at times worrying us while at other times filling our hearts with happiness. Besides having to bear the brunt of natural disasters and other problems that hit the country, China also had the proud moments like hosting the world’s greatest sporting event, the Olympic Games. The year that ended is, therefore, marked with great changes taking place everywhere.

These days, due to the global economic meltdown, the people of the world in general, and of the developing countries in particular, are plunged into an abyss of anxiety and suffering. To pray for the end of all sufferings of humanity, as well as for their happiness and well-being, is a responsibility that rests on all believers.

Besides having a long history of over 5000 years and a splendidly rich cultural heritage, China is also the most populous nation in the world. Moreover, it is emerging as a super power in terms of political, economic and military might. However, China cannot perform the responsibility of a super power in this modern and progressive world if there is no freedom, rule of law and transparency in the country.

President Hu Jintao’s policy of creating a harmonious society is indeed laudable. Such a policy is indispensable for China as well, if it were to make a mark globally. Harmonious society should, however, come about through mutual trust, friendship and justice. It cannot be brought about by brute force and autocracy.

Not only should the Chinese citizens have economic facilities, but they should also enjoy the freedom of conscience, education and to know what is actually happening around the world. These freedoms are indispensable for human societies. If - in this fast-changing modern world - one does not keep abreast of the daily happenings around the globe, then it goes without saying that one will be naturally left behind. In China today, popular news outlets such as television, radio and Internet - including the international news services like the BBC and CNN are blocked - thus preventing its people from knowing the true information about the world’s events. I am immensely disappointed by such negative actions of the Chinese government, which greatly hamper the fundamental rights as well as the short and long-term benefits of the Chinese people.

The 21st century is regarded as a century of information revolution. And yet some countries of the world, which includes China, impose restrictions on the free flow of information. Such actions are anachronistic and hence there is no way that these can be sustained in the long run. Therefore, I believe that China too will soon become more liberal in terms of disseminating and sharing information.

Last year, many Chinese intellectuals came out with a number of articles and other campaign activities, calling for freedom, democracy, justice, equality and human rights in China. Particularly in a recent development, we saw an increasing number of people from all walks of life signing up to an important document called the Charter ‘08. This is indicative of the fact that the Chinese people, including the intellectuals, are beginning to demonstrate their deep yearnings for more openness and freedom in their country. It is, therefore, a matter for all of us to take pride in.

While once again extending my warm greetings to the Chinese people, I hope and pray that in the coming year the People’s Republic of China will be able to create a meaningful harmonious society by ensuring equality, justice and friendship among all its nationalities. ”

The Dalai Lama
25 January 2009

Dispel Dualistic Thinking!

" Even though supreme awareness is the basic nature of reality, because we do not realize this, as sentient beings we develop dualistic thinking. We start making distinctions between subject and object, near and far, and so forth, and then we cling to those as real. The twelve links of interdependence arise, and, beginning with ignorance, we develop the notions of "me" and "mine," and all sorts of deluded thinking. The great master Chandrakirti taught that you begin by clinging to the ego, then you cling to "what is mine," then to "what is other," such that there is an ongoing state of delusion. Due to clinging, our habitual patterns become stronger and stronger, and all our conceptions become regimented and solid.

In order to dispel ignorance and dualistic thinking, Vajrakilaya arises in a wrathful form. The wrath of Vajrakilaya is not the wrath of anger or jealousy; it is the wrath that destroys anger and jealousy. It is not like being angry with enemies and being attached to friends. This wrath is totally based upon great compassion. Directed toward duality, ego-clinging, grasping, and ignorance, Vajrakilaya's anger demolishes the causes of delusion throughout the six realms. Since it is based on immeasurable loving-kindness and immeasurable compassion, it is known as the phurba of immeasurable compassion.

To apply this phurba in a practical way, rather than becoming angry toward external situations, we begin by feeling great compassion for sentient beings. Then we start working with our own emotions to demolish ignorance, attachment, anger, jealousy, pride, fear, and doubts. We remove these emotions according to the way we interact with the world. At the same time, we expand our compassion for all beings in the six realms. "

from The Dark Red Amulet: Oral Instructions on the Practice of Vajrakilaya by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche.

Heat and Politics!

“Genius is present in every age, but the men carrying it within them remain benumbed unless extraordinary events occur to heat up and melt the mass so that it flows forth.”
Denis Diderot quotes (French man of letters and philosopher, 1713-1784)

“In political discussion heat is in inverse proportion to knowledge.”

The concept of Heat and Politics is certainly topical, considering the critical decisions that get made in the heat of the moment, wars in the Middle East for example.
It seems on a world level that knowledge equates to diplomacy and heat fuels ignorance though having said that could ignorance and diplomacy be two sides of the same humanitarian coin!

We are truly living in an extraordinary age but is the tide of daily events too much even for those whose genius could stem this tide, after all the leaders of the world are only human.

Even if people are averse to the cut and thrust of politics and the heat that it generates, it is our collective duty to use what personal resources we have, be they intellectual or material, to change the society around us, we are "the mass that flows forth" and we can hold the decision makers to account.

The concept of "Global Warming" is an environmental reality but also intensifies on a human level as conflict continues in spite of the evidence that anger, hate, ignorance and violence are destructive forces which continue to test the human spirit beyond its capacity to endure.

Times of Change!

“In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” - Eric Hoffer

These are certainly times of change and let us all hope that new "Obama" revolution may be governed by the "learners" and not the so-called "learned", GW was no student of history but may the rhetoric be converted to meaningful change.

So much talk of "Interdependence", conceptually perfect and realistically a difficult challenge to achieve the understanding and ego-less state that goes with making it a reality.

The world that Obama has inherited already no longer exists, so we wait to see whether he is equipped to help us all create that future, a more peaceful and happy world in which to live and realise that by-word he has staked it all on "Freedom"!

A Mouse On Interdependance!

I was sent this moral tale and thought it captured wonderfully the Buddhist concept of Interdependence.
The mouse's story shows that whether we acknowledge it or not, our actions are inter-related and we should be mindful of the consequences of our body, speech and mind.

The link in the title is to an article on Tibetan Medicine referring to how the "Buddhist teachings tell us that we have interdependence with the whole environment, and that there is no enemy existing from its own side."


"A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

'What food might this contain?', the mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning :
There is a mousetrap in the house!
There is a mousetrap in the house!'

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said,
'Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.'

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, the pig sympathized, but said,
'I am so very sorry, Mr Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.'

The mouse turned to the cow, the cow said,
'Wow, Mr. Mouse, I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose.'

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap . . . alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey..

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.

In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.

The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.

To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember, when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk."

It appears that the mouse had some notion that the emergence of the mouse-trap would affect all the animals in the farmyard but the other animals couldn't get through their ignorance to see the truth.

What is Loneliness Doctor?

A report released recently, "identifies loneliness to be a potentially very serious and widespread problem with profound implications but it also highlights the most ‘at risk’ groups and the pattern of loneliness across the life course. It strongly suggests that loneliness has reached unprecedented levels and that it may have as much to do with reduced social connectivity and networks as the quality of the social bonds."

What seems to be at stake here is the ability of people to socialise in a world that values the individual's success over the formation and continuation of community spirit.

Research on the topic of loneliness makes for fairly grim reading, in 2007 34% of women and 33% of men aged 25-44 agreed with the statement ‘Loneliness has been a serious problem for me at times’, " Put another way, one third of both Australian men and women in the prime of life have experienced loneliness as a serious problem at times. "

Why can't we be more like Elephants I ask? A documentary on TV about the socialisation of Elephant groups said that their community bonds are strong and they openly celebrate coming together after a period of separation. It's amazing to see footage of Elephants openly expressing affection for one another.

It appears that the breakdown of communities is threatening the happiness of Australians in an unprecedented way and it may be the spiritual void that needs to be filled. Consumerism and sport may bring temporary relief from loneliness but they are so fleeting as to be inadequate in bringing about change in the way we live our lives and a way to find liberation from the sufferings of the mind.

" The great problem facing modern man is that the means by which we live have outdistanced
the spiritual ends for which we live. " -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Impermanence: Embracing Change!

Kisa Gotami has led a sheltered life, according to the Dhammapada. Married to the son of a rich merchant, she feels immune from death. But then her son dies before he can walk. Deep in shock and denial, she refuses to let the body be burnt. Slinging the tiny corpse on her hip, she rages through the neighborhood, asking if anyone knows where she might find medicine to bring him back to life. Most people think she's crazy, but a wise man recognizes a spiritual crisis when he sees it, and sends her to the Buddha.

The Buddha tells her he knows where to find the medicine she needs. To create it, he will require a pinch of white mustard seed from a household where no one has ever died. Kisa Gotami begins knocking on doors. The Dhammapada observes: "At every house she is told, 'The living are few, but the dead are many.'" We can imagine the heads shaking back and forth. Realization slowly penetrates her grief, and light dawns. Without so much as a single mustard seed in hand, she returns to the Buddha and tells him that she now knows that every living thing must die. Although the Dhammapada doesn't say it, we recognize the horizon that she now glimpses--the ring of light circling her suffering. Through the power of this teaching, she becomes a nun. One day she notices that the flickering of a lamp is like the life of all of us. She takes the leap of liberation and becomes an arhat - one who has "laid down the burden."

What did the Buddha offer her? Only awareness. Yet what a tool.

- from Impermanence: Embracing Change by David Hodge and Hi-Jin Kang Hodge

Abstract Procrastination!

Apparently procrastination happens to us all but now research says that concrete is better than abstract, when it comes to planning. The study suggests it's easier to handle a question of how than one of why.

"Merely thinking about the task in more concrete, specific terms makes it feel like it should be completed sooner," which reduces procrastination, the researchers write.

American writer Don Marquis said that “Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.”

I couldn't agree more, I often find myself writing yesterdays blog today.

How is it that in a world where everything is seemingly available now we can still embrace the maxim of the Spanish proverb, "Never put off today what you can put off tomorrow."

I'd like to believe that the art of procrastination is the personal rebellion of those who see the world getting in front of itself.
The abstract is so much more romantic than a block of concrete, though I have to admit that concrete is more practical.
My Pop made a small fortune pouring concrete around town but he also appreciated the abstract styling of a late 1970's Volvo which added to the concept of how to, rather than, why be safe?

What do you reckon the point of Salvador Dali's "Melting Clock" was?

Procrastination melts the clock but in a strange way it also acts as a statement on the timelessness of the abstract.

So there the post of the 16th, finished a touch after midnight on the 20th, and here's to siesta!

What About This Weather ... and other moments!

An undersea earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has occurred at 06:27 PM EDT on
Thursday 15 January 2009 near LOYALTY ISLANDS REGION.

THERE IS NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO THE AUSTRALIAN MAINLAND, ISLANDS OR TERRITORIES.

Now that's a relief, but surely the climate is changing!

The first Summer Heat strikes and everyone is out with, "what about this heat!", we certainly don't get the big southerlies we used to, that came to cool everything down and maybe bring a shower of rain.
I don't know about you, but I think the weatherman no longer has the same integrity that they used to, the Des Hart's and Alan Wilkie's of our formative years who appeared on the TV like the rock of our lives, predicting precisely how we'd experience the next week or two even. Now you watch them twitch as they lay all on the line, some aren't even trained meteorologists, open up the heavens and swallow them whole!

They called a cyclone after "Wilkie", how much more cred do you need.

So if there is a Tsunami, when do we get to hear about it?

I remember traveling in India in 2004 when the devastating Tsunami made it's way across the Indian Ocean from Sumatra. I was in the central South when it came and went on Boxing Day, but little did I know the devastation it had created all over South-East Asia. It was over in an instant but it changed lives forever, I'll never forget the newspaper headlines in the English dailies in India setting out in gruesome detail the destruction and tallying up the body count along the way.

It's surreal in a way that lives could lost in a breath but an ever-present reminder of the impermanence of this precious life.

Obama, Pig In A Poke, let's hope not!

" Pig-in-a-poke is an idiom that refers to a confidence trick originating in the Late Middle Ages, when meat was scarce but apparently rats and cats were not.

The scheme entailed the sale of a "suckling pig" in a "poke" (bag). The wriggling bag would actually contain a cat — not particularly prized as a source of meat — that was sold to the victim in an unopened bag. The French term acheter (un) chat en poche (to buy a cat in a bag) refers to the fact, as do many European equivalents, while the English expression refers to the appearance of the trick.

A common colloquial expression in the English language, to "buy a pig in a poke," is to make a risky purchase without inspecting the item beforehand. The phrase can also be applied to accepting an idea or plan without a full understanding of its basis. Similar expressions exist in other languages, most of them meaning to buy a cat in a bag, with some exceptions " - Answers.com

I read that the expression "let the cat out of the bag" came from the "pig-in-a-poke" expression as those who'd been ripped-off let the cat or rat out.

With all the hype surrounding Barack Obama's plan for reform of the USA, which invariably will affect us all, are we all like the pig-in-a-poke, as we wait to see his ideas and plans unfold. The feeling seems to be that the new "age of reason" is upon his shoulders but if a cat or a rat gets out of the bag ... What Then?

I read with interest an article entitled: "What Buddha Might Say To Barack Obama" ( Link in Heading) which expresses the wish that Buddha would advise him to remain mindful of serving the people as he promised during his campaign and remain calm when challenged with the harsh words and actions of the people who threaten his ability to do the job.

" There is a story of a Buddhist monk who meditated for many years on the quality of patience. He was immersed in everything to do with patience. One day someone walked past him and said, "Eat shit!" The meditating monk immediately replied, "You eat shit!"

This story goes to show just how tough it can be, even for monks and let alone Presidents, to keep balanced during challenging or difficult times, as there will always be those who disagree, criticize, or think they know better. They may even throw shoes at you! For Obama, his reaction to these dissenters will determine whether he is able to do his job successfully or not.
He may start with the most pure of intentions and his motivation and qualifications to do the job with integrity appear to be well-founded but what of all the cats that GW has already inflicted on the world of diplomacy and reason? "

May the "everyman" we've been given as the saviour of the free-world, with the motto "Yes We Can", lead with wisdom and compassion.

A Little Knowledge!

~ A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle. ~
Kahlil Gibran

In the lead up to the inauguration of Barack Obama and the sentiment of hope that follows him I decided to pull out the
"Yippie Manifesto" which summed up the radical feeling of the Youth International Party who were "a highly theatrical and anti-authoritarian political party established in the United States in 1967. An offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the 1960s, the Yippies presented a more radically youth-oriented and countercultural alternative to those movements. They employed theatrical gestures — such as advancing a pig ("Pigasus the Immortal") as a candidate for President in 1968 — to mock the social status quo. They have been described as a highly theatrical youth movement of “symbolic politics.”
Since they were better known for street theatre and politically-themed pranks, many of the "old school" political left either ignored or denounced them. "The group was known for street theater pranks and was once referred to as the 'Groucho Marxists'." - Wikipedia
At the 1968 Democrat Party Convention, the "Yippies", lead by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, protested and were jailed for inciting violence while promoting their ideas for an "alternative society". They also protested the inauguration of Richard Nixon in 1969. Is it possible that will be out again next week or has Obama got enough 'cred' for now.

The Yippies are still alive and well in the USA, protesting the current political climate, in a way that Gibran could possibly have been describing in the above quote. But has the age of mass community protest lost its sense of humour in the face of the current world climate and have activists adopted a more sedate and serious approach in seeking to change society now that 'a little knowledge' is now endless reams of information freely available to all but with how much time for discernment?


" Come into the streets on Nov. 5, election day, Vote with your feet. Rise up and
abandon the creeping meatball! Demand the bars be open. Make music and
dance at every red light. A festival of life in the streets and parks throughout
the world. The American election represents death, and we are alive.
Come all you rebels, youth spirits, rock minstrels, bomb throwers, bank
robbers, peacock freaks, toe worshippers, poets, street folk, liberated women,
professors and body snatchers: it is election day and we are everywhere.
Don't vote in a jackass‐elephant‐cracker circus. Let's vote for ourselves. Me for
President. We are the revolution. We will strike and boycott the election and
create our own reality.
Can you dig it: in every metropolis and hamlet of America boycotts, strikes, sitins,
pickets, lie‐ins, pray‐ins, feel‐ins, piss‐ins at the polling places.
Nobody goes to work. Nobody goes to school. Nobody votes. Everyone
becomes a life actor of the street doing his thing, making the revolution by
freeing himself and fucking up the system.
Ministers dragged away from polling places. Free chicken and ice cream in the
streets. Thousands of kazoos, drums, tambourines, triangles, pots and pans,
trumpets, street fairs, firecrackers–a symphony of life on a day of death. LSD in
the drinking water.
Let's parade in the thousands to the places where the votes are counted and let
murderous racists feel our power.
Force the National Guard to protect every polling place in the country. Brush
your teeth in the streets. Organize a sack race. Join the rifle club of your choice.
Freak out the pigs with exhibitions of snake dancing and karate at the nearest
pig pen.
Release a Black Panther in the Justice Department. Hold motorcycle races a
hundred yards from the polling places. Fly an American flag out of every house
so confused voters can't find the polling places. Wear costumes. Take a
burning draft card to Spiro Agnew.
Stall for hours in the polling places trying to decide between Nixon and
Humphrey and Wallace. Take your clothes off. Put wall posters up all over the
city. Hold block parties. Release hundreds of greased pigs in pig uniforms
downtown.
Check it out in Europe and throughout the world thousands of students will
march on the USA embassies demanding to vote in the election cause Uncle Pig
controls the world. No domination without representation.
Let's make 2‐300 Chicago's on election day.
(On election day let's pay tribute to rioters, anarchists, Commies, runaways,
draft dodgers, acid freaks, snipers, beatniks, deserters, Chinese spies. Let's
exorcise all politicians, generals, publishers, businessmen, Popes, American
Legion, AMA, FBI, narcos, informers.
And then on Inauguration Day Jan. 20 we will bring our revolutionary theater
to Washington to inaugurate Pigasus, our pig, the only honest candidate, and
turn the White House into a crash pad. They will have to put Nixon's hand on
the bible in a glass cage.
Begin now: resist oppression as you feel it. Organize and begin the word of
mouth communication that is the basis of all conspiracies ....
Every man a revolution! Every small group a revolutionary center! We will be
together on election day. Yippie!!! "

"Yippie Manifesto" - Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin (1968)

What Price Joy!

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan may not register immediately on the geo-political map but it's place in the world, wedged as it is between the powerhouses of China and India, may be increasingly significant given China's continues its occupation of Tibet.
Bhutan's observance of Gross National Happiness, a policy instituted by the Fourth King in 1972, is a measurement of happiness just as important as economic prosperity or gross national product.

“It’s derived from one of Buddhism’s teachings, and it’s a philosophy that creates an environment where our people’s happiness and contentment is of utmost importance,” explained Princess Kesang Choden. “It’s hard to quantify and measure happiness, but we do have the four pillars of Gross National Happiness, such as sustainable and equitable socio-economic development, good governance, and also more holistic views such as preservation and promotion of our cultural heritage as well as the preservation of our natural environment. It’s a well-rounded approach in taking care of the needs of Bhutan’s people in the area that counts – their happiness.” - The Buddhist Channel

The Dalai Lama continues, even after the long struggle to provide freedom and justice for his people, to portray an image of Happiness, indeed his book The Art of Happiness was a best seller which explained how it is possible to find happiness in spite of perceived difficulties, by learning to understand the mind.

Perhaps, if the world's leaders could embrace concepts such as Gross National Happiness, then the world would conceivably be a more joyful place as people sought to find a communal happiness rather than individual material prosperity.

After stumbling out of another festive season where the promise of joy is ever-present, could it be time to turn on the people who would have us believe that receiving is as important as giving, if people voted to give more of themselves, their wisdom and compassion, then the price of joy could be lowered considerably.
Because we have not, should we necessarily be happy not?

Having recently married, I can espouse the idea that occasions where the gift is love, can bring about a shared level of Joy that has the potential to change lives and relationships.

But it is the willingness of people to think primarily of others' happiness that is the bringer of Joy.

To invest in oneself is the key to changing our society. His Holiness says that, " Material progress alone is not sufficient to achieve an ideal society ... mental development, in harmony with material development, is very important. "

Hindsight Ain't Twenty20!

So I've just sat through this new fangled Twenty20 style cricket, bought to you by the barrel in the sky, and I don't know what to make of the hype! It's like the powers of the establishment have seen the writing on the wall and adopted an American fast food approach to the old bat and ball game. It takes me back to a song by a long since defunct Gold Coast ban called Thrust, whose defining moment was a song called, "Kentucky", I can hear that chorus, "No more, No more, Kentucky". The thrust here is that the amount of grease from the new "not fried in the name" chook could power a fleet of garbage trucks and possibly clog the arteries of any aspiring Twenty20 kiddie out there. And this is what the commentators predicted, accordingly no old foggies in the box either, just the newspeak converts who can find merit in "Idol Half Time" entertainment, they reckon that a new breed of cricketer is emerging who will only want to play an hour a day and will sell their slogging talents to the highest Indian bidder.

Take this kid who has come from obscurity, by the name of Warner, just the third Australian in 158 years to represent his country before making his first-class debut, who stole the show with his man-of-the-match performance. He was
"plucked from obscurity after several equally electrifying innings for New South Wales in limited overs cricket, Warner has suddenly become the cult hero of Australian cricket."
Could such performances be the new pyjama game standard and will these Y-gen sloggers of the video game age be considered amongst the greats with their feats of athletic roboticism?

I remember another trip to India where a game in the street felt like a Twenty20 encounter, you could turn up in a village, be the star for five minutes (or not) and then drift off into the sunset to count how fortunate you were not to live in relative poverty. How in a country of 900 million impoverished and a middle class about ten times the population of Australia, can it be justifiable to import players for buckets of grease-laden cash, to entertain the squalid masses, while leaving people without much hope of ever getting entry to the ground, let alone winning a thousand smackers from latching onto a catch from some hacker who hit a sixer (sorry they now refer to them as maximums) into the crowd?
Could cricket really be the bringer of so much hope? I don't know, perhaps caste reform is the big mover, but hindsight might just be the big shaker!

Anyway, what would Gandhi think, some say he was mad about cricket, from his London days you know, even though he devoted a large part of his life to the independence movement, Swaraj or "Home Rule" and cricket served as a reminder of how British colonialism had infected Indian society.
One of his more famous quotes was, "you have to be the change that you wish to see in the world", but whether that could extend to Twenty20 is certainly debatable.

Standby, there's more first-classless cricket to come this year, and with that amount of slogging don't be suprised if the Yanks send a squad to the world cup.

Impermanence and Harmony

" Impermanence is a principle of harmony. When we don't struggle against it, we are in harmony with reality. "

- Pema Chodron

One Minute Wonders!

I discovered a blog called The Worst Horse which calls itself a Buddhist sub & pop-culture site. They get stuck into the world of exploiting all things Buddhist, it's called the "Dharma Burger" culture and anything is allowed in the name of commerce. Take for example Dalai Lama statuette, (pictured) which was conceived by a German company in 2005 to celebrate His Holiness' 70th birthday, and sold for the not modest price of 165 euros, this was hot off the back of the pope doll. While the Catholic church has been selling out for years, it is hardly right to assume that the proceeds of the mini Dalai Lama were going into charities of his choosing or even finding there way into the homes of Tibetan people.

I found a video on the site (hit the title), which takes the viewer on a one-minute tour of the ancient Buddhist Temples at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, a Unesco-listed "Wonder of the World" which Keith was fortunate enough to visit in 2004 (see Keith with one of the friendly attendants).
It set him to thinking about the concept of the "One Minute Wonder' and how with the technology plague anyone can see the world in small bytes like this, but alas, it seems there could be something missing from the equation. In Keiths sweat and sun soaked trip to the temples over a week he had time to reflect on the footsteps of thousands of intrepid pilgrims weaving there way across the site. One thing he can say is that at least they smelt the earth and the history in the air which is more than could be gleaned from a minute on the "Tube" while suckin' down those electro-rays.

After two days spent hanging out in Ta Prohm, an overgrown temple away from the main complex, most famously captured in the film Tomb Raider, Keith had mixed emotions of profound calm and despair in equal measure. He refers to the site of punters turning up to the temple looking for "that old guy from the Lonely Planet cover" and revisiting there favourite scenes from that film and seeming blissfully unaware of the ancient stones beneath them. And then old mate turns up, he's been around for years doing the same thing, taking care of his precious temple, someone's grandfather, no probably great grandfather, and now he's become some sort of rock star (tongue firmly in cheek) and it just becomes a bit weird.
On second thought, perhaps we should keep the marauding tourists at bay by slipping a video into their morning coffee and let the temples rest.

Anyway, Keith recommends those big palm sugar pills you can pick up on the roadside to ward off the harmful affects of the sun, and if you get a chance, stay after dark, but don't forget about your waiting cabbie, 'cause he'll probably be worried and come looking for you.

Religious Objectivity!

" All the different religious faiths, despite their philosophical differences, have a similar objective. Every religion emphasizes human improvement, love, respect for others, sharing other people's suffering. On these lines every religion has more or less the same viewpoint and the same goal. "

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

What's Up Me Old China?

The shocking news has been revealed that the great ceramic glass conglomerate Wedgewood Waterford, also makers of Royal Doulton, is under the hands of receivers. Apparently around 2,700 jobs are risk if the whole box and dice goes under, but
"Politicians on both sides of the Irish Sea warned that the collapse of the company had severe implications for communities where china and glass have been manufactured for generations. The mayor of Waterford said it would be a "national disaster" for Ireland if production at the crystal factory ceased."
These Iconic brands and the centuries of fine artisanship can't be lost in a pile of debts and cheap glassware from the developing world can they?

Old Josiah Wedgewood (pictured) started knocking out pottery in 1759 and Waterford crystal kicked off in 1783, such history predates moments in time like The French Revolution, The First Irish Rebellion and the invasion of Australia by the British Fleet which not surprisingly was carrying Irish Rebels and other poor, wretched refuse they couldn't send to America since they got kicked out in the War of Independance, somewhere in there as well was the creation of the first batch of Guinness Ale, that surely ranks as one of THE defining points in the 18th century, actually some historians would tell you that in fact the Irish Rebellion was a Guinness fuelled pub fight that got a bit serious, hey don't quote me but Donnybrook is a suburb of Dublin, so the English Lords should have expected a fight one day.

Anyway, I didn't establish a great connection to Wedgewood until I met my wife, who "embraced the temporary madness" (her words), when she started buying Wedgewood dinner sets and canteens of cutlery (yes they make them as well) and I really got a taste of the finer things in life or at least I got what good plates and knives were all about.
Another memory from my childhood was my Nanna's collection of Royal Doulton figurines and her particular love of the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, who looked really profound sitting around as a 6-inch porcelain.

What might he have said about this great modern tragedy, perhaps something like,
"For in the Market-place, one Dusk of Day,
I watch'd the Potter thumping his wet Clay,
And with its all obliterated Tongue
It murmur'd, Gently, Brother, gently, pray!'

The Yanks have just pitched a Waterford Crystal ball — 12 feet in diameter, weighing nearly 12,000 pounds, and covered with 2,668 Waterford Crystal triangles, in Times Square, surely they couldn't let such an institution as this fall prey to market conditions that they themselves created, oh no, Omar forbid!

So stand by, and picture this, production of quality china going back to the Chinese ... who'd have thought that possible after the Opium Wars, not this student of history, but then "Top Gun" Tom has just released another woeful Nazi biopic, so anything is possible in this current climate.

SOS - the technology has me!

During another morning spent on the lounge watching cricket and cruising the net I stumbled upon the critical theory of 20th Century French social critic Jacques Ellul, who looks suspiciously like an ex-cricketer from Yorkshire in his photo.
I was getting swamped by the advertising for a new McCrap product on the telly featuring two young chaps exchanging disinterested glances and calling each other "dude", which given my love of the film The Big Lebowski I am not averse to, but incessant promotion of said generic product really got to me until Jacques jumped off the screen and explained a few things to me.

In arguing that advertising is a form of propaganda that is created to dull the senses of the individual and excite their need for living a collective ideal through some form of communion with technology, he says in his book The Technological Society, written in 1964, that;
"It is the emergence of mass media which makes possible the use of propaganda techniques on a societal scale. The orchestration of press, radio and television to create a continuous, lasting and total environment renders the influence of propaganda virtually unnoticed, precisely because it creates a constant environment. Mass media provides the link between the individual and the demands of the technological society."
As if he had somehow been subjected to Euro McCrap ads back in '64 penetrating my consciousness he goes on to say that,
"The primary purpose of advertising technique is the creation of a certain way of life. And here it is much less important to convince the individual rationally than to implant in him a certain conception of life. The object offered for sale by the advertiser is naturally indispensable to the realization of this way of life. Now, objects advertised are all the result of the same technical progress and are all of identical type from a cultural point of view. Therefore, advertisements seeking to prove that these objects are indispensable refer to the same conception of the world, man, progress, ideals - in short, life."
Touche my fine French friend!

I was taken back to a moment in time where I attacked a life-size Ronald on the Khao San Road in Bangkok for precisely the motives that Jacques details, though he was inanimate and obviously couldn't defend the honour of corporate greed machines like his employers, I none-the-less took great pleasure in working him over a bit with the help of a few locals.

The technology may have caught up with me but the likes of McCrap will never find me!

My mate Jack concludes with a precious piece of advice . . . "the human race is beginning confusedly to understand at last that it is living in a new and unfamiliar universe." Take it on home comrade!

World Series Ghats and Other Cricket Moments

Had some flashbacks today while indulging that great summer past-time of watching cricket, passed out on the lounge with the fan on full tilt. I remembered some cricket I played on my first trip to India 9 years ago and how it changed my view of the Indian people and the way I interacted with them, as a cricket playing Aussie, and it introduced me to the profound colonising affect of the game in the former British Empire. Mind you there was plenty of fun and laughs and some quite surreal moments where the game raised itself to the status of a universal language where words became obsolete.

Varanasi
"Got a good game of cricket today, mini-test between me and 11 Indians out for blood after being thrashed by the Aussies back home, I have christened it “World Series Cricket Ghats”. I even got the honour of bowling to a local hero who bats in the middle for Varanasi, he carted me but I have been cordially invited to attend a match at main ghat tomorrow where I’m sure my bowling will take some stick and every ball I face will be a throat ball, bring it on, who needs a head anyway."

McCleod Ganj
"Went up the mountain for a walk and ended up hooking up with a bunch of Tibetan kids playing cricket. My most enjoyable cricketing experience so far, they really could play some, another example of the colonising effect of cricket. Possibly the highest game of cricket in the world and then it started to snow, potentially the first time this has happened. Too bizarre and thoroughly invigorating."

Calcutta
"The co-existence of Indian people and cricket is incredible, if the people speak a second language it is not English, it is cricket.
Most asked question, 'Where are you from, sir' … “Australia”
Most common reply, 'Oh, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Shane Warne' blah blah blah”

Ramon - up on the border with Nepal
St Patricks Day high in the Himalaya drinking the local brew of fermented barley, " we settle back to watch the cricket on telly , it is an enthralling game with lots of action, a tight finish, which, as the cliché goes is “a good advertisement for the game”, but as if to make a mockery of this outcome the following program is a typical Indian attempt at encouraging serious life preserving, intellectual, thought-provoking analysis of the game of cricket. Kris Shrikanth and Jimmy Armanath, former greats of the game, front a program called “Straight Drive”, the show should be called “Hooked over the fence and caught out”, for its pitiful attempt to encourage public participation in analysis of the game, a bunch of disinterested and uninteresting , all-male, cricket fans who hardly get a word in edge-wise for the incessant rantings of Srikkanth and Armanath, who constantly switches between English and Hindi, as if this gives credibility to certain comments over others. The comical aspect of this program, apart from all the other farcical elements, is the ruminations and pseudo-incisive of a band of mid-range aficionados of the game, all live via satellite from the major Indian cities , a coach in Mumbai who misses the point of the questions and seems like he is talking in an echo chamber, two figures of anonymity in Madras who take an eternity to answer questions (as if imposing their own time delay) and are loath to look at the lens of the camera and finally an ex-state player in Calcutta who is afflicted by both a bad audio link and his preponderance toward waffling on with his own views which seems to incite contempt from the hosts. This show is not only unnecessary, it is pure and typical Indian nonsense, a show for a shows sake, but strangely it is entertaining for all its ridiculousness, but give it the flick anyway for showing wanton disregard for the civility of cricket."

What do I add to that analysis, I guess I'd still agree that cricket is a good waste of time presided over by ex-players trying to talk up the games importance in the scheme of things.