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.

The Difference Between Gazza & Gaza!

I've been following the situation in the Gaza Strip and lamenting the ability of either side to find a resolution to the their ongoing conflict.
I've also been browsing the perverse world of English Football where no news is bad news and so talk has turned again to former English player Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne who has admitted, not for the first time, that if he doesn't quit the bottle this time his life could be over.
Just what is the difference between Gazza and Gaza?
Well one is an over-inflated ego and wasted talent whose life has drifted out of control and become a source of great tragedy in the media, while Gaza is an ongoing conflict between two ideologically opposed groups of people who continue to waste the opportunity for peace because of their sheer bloody-mindedness and the egos of the leaders who continue to perpetrate one of the great ongoing tragedies, because like a recovering alcoholic they just keep "falling off the wagon".
Both have the ability to solve their issues but it seems their view is clouded by the habit of a lifetime, the "demon drink" in the case of Gazza and "murderous intent" in the case of Gaza.
I guess the media is responsible for the proliferation of such habits because they put these situations under the microscope for the sake of making news without serious consideration of the lives the impact on with their coverage of "Save Gazza" and "Save Gaza".
The media stooped so low recently as to quote Gazza's 12-year-old son Regan, in a television documentary called Saving Gazza , as saying that he thought his father would "die soon" and wished he would "go away" from the family.
"I don't think there's any point in helping him... I feel bad and sorry for him because he's in this kind of state but it's not our fault," the youngster said.
As Israel invades The Gaza Strip to possibly annihilate Hamas and the mostly non-violent and innocent Palestinian people, it is those people who are doing the most to let the truth be told on the ongoing situation, as one blogger wrote, "Whats sad is that we used to talk about the Arab failure, now we are talking about the Arab betrayal! The Arab countries are actually supporting Israel this time, and by the Arab countries I mean the governments not the people. Only if we would actually cooperate we can do so much, but our leaders are greedy and they will do anything to stay in power."
How is it that the muscles of the UN Security Council cannot be flexed to bring an end to the situation.
The press continues to report how Israel Bombs and provides Humanitarian Aid in equal measure.
What next, Gazza doing ads for lager and going on a bender in support of Alcoholics Anonymous!

Be Aware!

" To be aware of a single shortcoming within yourself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else "

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Zen and the art of drinking beer!

It occurred to me while reading a blog article in Ode Magazine called "Zen and the art of drinking beer", that in fact it can be an incredibly (in moderation of course) meditational experience.
It takes me back to many a traveling moment when the cares of the world seemed far away, the location was perfect and only the taste of the local brew was having its hypnotic effect.

As the writer says, "We can meditate on anything we choose. Some people meditate using their breath or on yoga poses. Anything can be used for the practice of meditation, for the practice of mindful living. So next time you lift up a frosty glass of beer, just tell everyone around you that this is part of your spiritual practice". Indeed many Buddhist masters would agree that you can use the experiences in your daily life as part of your meditation.
Lama Yeshe says, "Buddhist meditation doesn't necessarily mean sitting cross-legged with your eyes closed. Simply observing how your mind is responding to the sense world can be a really perfect meditation and bring a perfect result."

It gives great hope to beginner practitioners, like myself, to think that we can incorporate the everyday pleasure of experiences like sipping on a favourite brew into our practice. Of course the key is, Mindfulness, and using it to generate wisdom and compassion on the path to generating loving kindness (Bodhichitta).

The photos are from a few moments on the road, Mumbai (Bombay) in India, Trieste in Italy, Bingan in Bali.

A Peaceful and Happy New Year!

I woke to the news today that Tibetan exiles in India have avoided New Years Celebrations in favour of praying for their brothers and sisters who continue to suffer inside Tibet.
While I look forward to the privilege of another year free to write and think and enjoy my life in Australia, people such as the Tibetans continue to suffer in exile or under the occupation of the Chinese Government with a lack of basic human rights and with the ongoing destruction of their cultural heritage and natural environment. It is obvious that China's intent was always to get hold of Tibet's vast natural resources and the ongoing tragedy is that this comes at the cost of religious and social freedoms of its people.

As one blogger inside Tibet wrote, in relation to continued suffering of Tibetan and Chinese people at the hands of the government regime, "To respect life is to respect oneself, and to cherish the memory of the deceased is to rescue and redeem oneself ... 2009 is the year for us to cherish the memory of the deceased. And we have our own way to do so: make lamp offerings and light candles to commemorate the souls of the deceased, and recite the mantra of Avalokiteshvara: Om mani padme hum!"

May this year continue to highlight the need for the Chinese government and other oppressive regimes around the world to be held accountable for their "human rights" abuses and may leaders such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama continue to struggle for humanity and may they live long. Tibetan people recently voted unanimously to continue to support the "Middle Way" approach to seeking genuine autonomy for Tibet.

This year 2009 marks a number of anniversaries including 50 years of exile for His Holiness, 30 years since his first teachings in the West, 20 years since his Noble Peace Prize and 20 years since the infamous Newcastle earthquake.

I look forward to a productive and joyful year and more regular postings to this blog.

Dharamsala, Jan 1 (ANI): Exiled Tibetans avoided New Year celebrations in protest against China’’s occupation of their homeland. Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile Samdong Ripoche said, “We are doing only religious ceremonies. We are not doing much pomp to mark our solidarity with the people suffering inside Tibet.” The Tibetans claim that the “Chinese atrocities” have increased since the March 14, 2008 Tibetan uprising in Lhasa, which China blamed on the Dalai Lama and his “clique.”
The riots later spilled over to the rest of Tibet and neighboring Chinese provinces with Tibetan populations, drawing global attention.
Rights groups say hundreds remain in jail following the protests where they are subjected to harsh treatment and even torture.
India is home to about 150,000 Tibetan exiles, most of whom arrived after escaping from Chinese in Tibet, over the past few decades.
Chinese troops marched into Tibet in 1950 and the Dalai Lama, fled into exile in 1959 after a failed uprising against Beijing’’s rule.
Tibet was rocked by anti-Chinese protests earlier in 2008, which China blamed on the Dalai Lama, whom it brands a separatist. He has repeatedly denied the claims.