Hi Natalie, Your point about hierarchy is well taken. Rooted in sociology and political economy, I admit to taking baby steps in exploring the spiritual domain of Buddhism. Two things concern me. Dalai Lama seems to see society as a collectivity of individuals [which gives me some discomfort, in terms of social theory] and, secondly, the easy alliance that seems to be drawn between Buddhism and the medical profession, particularly psychiatry. When Hans Seleye [?] was doing his work on stress and developing the concept of 'the relaxation response', his reference point, as I recall, was the meditative practices of many Eastern Religions. The mediation of these practices, within various organizational power structures, is to pacify, rather than encourage acts of resistance against oppression. The image that is in my mind is of nurses in the 1980s being workshopped on 'imaging', in hospitals in Ontario, to deal with job stress, prior to the public sector pogroms of the neoconservative 1990s.
b. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Darryl and Natalia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Robert E. Bowd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Christoph Reuss" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 1:59 AM Subject: [Futurework] Re: [Futurework] Re: [Futurework] Re: "Spiritualität macht frei" ? > Hi Robert, > His Holiness (who is no more holy than you or I) speaks well. > I was not saying that meditation wills away the problems of this > world. I fully agree that without practical application of peaceful > and compassionate thought, little will get done. I was merely > agreeing that it should be introduced to enhance well-being, and > within the current system anything like this will help introduce the > individual to enjoy their own thoughts, help them to realize that > they have minds. Furthermore, I was not advocating Buddhism > as a spiritual path. Yet meditation itself is healthy, and is not > meant to take you away from life, rather into life. Using it as > escape is not the idea. > > Natalia > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Robert E. Bowd <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: Darryl and Natalia <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Christoph Reuss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 6:45 PM > Subject: Re: [Futurework] Re: [Futurework] Re: "Spiritualität macht frei" ? > > > > I picked up the following quote from "Daily Buddhist Wisdom"" > > > > 'It is easier to meditate than to actually do something for others. I > feel > > that merely to meditate on compassion is to take the passive option. Our > > meditation should form the basis for action, for seizing the opportunity > to > > do something.' > > > > - His Holiness the Dalai Lama > > > > The suggestion of a notion of social practice was enough for me to seek > out > > and currently be reading the Dalai Lama's book "The Art of Happiness at > > Work." The book, too, contains an activitst, educationist notion of human > > agency, in response to pain and suffering, that is appealing. > > > > bb > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Darryl and Natalia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Christoph Reuss" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2003 9:28 PM > > Subject: [Futurework] Re: [Futurework] Re: "Spiritualität macht frei" ? > > > > > > > Chris, see ***'s below. > > > Natalia > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: Christoph Reuss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 12:47 PM > > > Subject: Re: [Futurework] Re: "Spiritualität macht frei" ? > > > > > > > > > > Natalia wrote: > > > > > > Will the Buddhist also tell me that the CEO is > > > > > > just imagined within an illusory world anyway, so it's not > > > worker-lemmings > > > > [...] > > > > > Yes. However, you needn't despair. The CEO has been collectively > > > imagined > > > > > just like the rest of this physical world. > > > > > > > > At the latest when the Buddhist will be downsized and have to eat > > dogfood, > > > > the Buddhist will realize that the CEO is not just imagined but very > > real. > > > > No, wait, the Buddhist will claim that the dogfood is just imagined > > too -- > > > > that she's actually eating caviar. Spiritualität macht frei ! > > > > > > > > The CEO, OTOH, doesn't need Buddhism. He knows that his caviar is > very > > > real. > > > > > > > *** Hey Chris, > > > CEO thinks sh/e knows a lot about most things, yet in truth, CEO > > > knows > > > very little, and works to eat----caviar. > > > We all know that the "CEO" is a threat to freedom, justice, and > > our > > > sense of > > > humour. Glad yours hasn't been disrupted. > > > Are you mostly upset because the Dalai Lama has colaborated with > > > science-- > > > which may be suspect in itself, or the fact that Buddhism did not > provide > > > the answers > > > to political tradgedies in parts of the world where it was known to be > > > practiced and > > > therefore does not merit your respect? > > > The suggestion put forth was that meditation be practiced not as > a > > > suppressant, > > > though I understand your immediate concerns, but as an enhancement for > > > well-being > > > in general. Happy people are less prone to becoming irritable CEO's and > > > lemmings > > > at large. I don't dispute that corporate-sponsored meditation courses > are > > > limiting, and > > > most will be geared to inspire corporate loyalty rather than free > thought. > > > Yet, the idea > > > of genuine rather than cultist study of meditation can only be viewed, > > IMO, > > > as > > > liberating to a society that has unfortunately focused its educational > > > curriculum on > > > producing robots. True meditation opens you up to real strength. > > > Harry had sent out an excellent article by Gatto(SP?--have lost > > it > > > due to M$ > > > difficulties) which would stress my point. > > > I suspect, though am not altogether certain, that you are > > confusing > > > meditation > > > with cultists' brainwashing. > > > Do you feel as though you are one of few aware of the effects > and > > > affects of > > > corporate corporatism? Well, you are, however it does not mean that > those > > > who > > > meditate or are spiritual are unaware or accepting of it. Much like > > > yourself, people > > > duly enlightened are deeply upset by injustices because like you, they > can > > > see the > > > senselessness around the issues. Yet they will do what they can by > > example, > > > by > > > sharing ideas, and endeavoring to be responsible, I guess. The > Illuminati > > > may be a reality, > > > whether or not you indulge Icke's P.O.V. as to their scaly-ness, and so > I > > > ask you, > > > what do you propose we do about the world being owned by about some six > > > companies? > > > I look forward to your ideas. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Long ago, all of the CEOs were beautiful dinosaurs, [...] > > > > > I would suggest that you'll find a lot of support from the > Illuminati, > > > > > whose lizard form is becoming more difficult to maintain anyway, > > > > ^^^^^^^^^^^ > > > > Seems you read too much David Icke ?! > > > > > > > *** AhHa! That was a test to see if you got that far yourself! > > > > > > > > We're all insane or we wouldn't be here. Nothing should keep you > from > > > > > trying to enlighten the lemmings. Perhaps you'll come to see that > your > > > > > own enlightenment rests with them, for we learn what we teach. > > > > > > > > Indeed I have learned a lot about victimology from observing lemmings. > > > > Even on this list. ;-] > > > > > > *** They're no more victims than yourself, who believes the corporate > > > lie that humanity is doomed to be robotic. It reminds me of the > corporate > > > message that to quit smoking is impossible. People believe that, so they > > > buy into an addiction supported by physicians, and voila, brainwashed! > > > If said addicts meditated, they would realize that they are so much more > > > powerful than a bunch of dried up chemical laden leaves, that they give > > > power to the leaves, meaning to the coke or alchohol, but advertising > > > works on everyone it is unleashed upon until it's questioned by an open > > > mind. > > > > > > > > > (Whereas nations of early emancipation like Germany ended up with > > > "models > > > > > > of freedom and peace" like Hitler, mostly elected by women.) > > > > > > > > > > "Mostly" women can mean, and probably does, a majority of 3000. > > > > > We do outnumber men, so it's not all that surprising. At the > > > > > time of Hitler, women round the world had to be very much attached > to > > > > > their husbands' patriarchal ideas of what leadership was about. They > > > > > also had been exposed > > > > > > > > and more gullible ... > > > > > > ***Chris, men are the ones who are mostly gullible to believe that > > > power-over > > > is real power. Mostly men have believed violence to be the only solution > > to > > > every > > > problem. Mostly men are running the show, and most still think that they > > > will apply > > > the same power-over techniques to a different outcome. That is gullible > > and > > > usually > > > genocidal. > > > > > > > > > > > > to the same type of campaigning that today's politicians > > > > > use to influence the populous. Advertising works. > > > > > > > > Wouldn't advertising work in a matriarchal society too? Or would > there > > be > > > > no advertising at all? > > > > > > > > > > ***Advertising works. It's the manipulation surrounding it that needs > > > to be addressed. > > > > > > > > > > > If there were more women to vote for, men in politics would > > practically > > > > > be phased out. If women stopped voting in men, politics would > change. > > > > [...] > > > > > I believe that Dubya will have haplessly inspired > > > > > a pivotal point in the pattern of women's voting, world-wide. Let's > > > hope. > > > > > > > > How many female candidates for US presidency 2004 are running? > > > > It rather looks like there will be a smooth transition from a > > > > military junta to a newly-"Democratic" war criminal (W.Clark). "W2W"! > > > > Don't be surprised if women vote for the sexy general. (as in Israel) > > > > > > > > > > *** Clark's record as the architect of Wako, amongst other sick > slaughter > > > at the Russian border will not bode well. Barbara Walters may overcome > the > > > fact that he's a Democrat in favour of the uniform to promote him on her > > > all-patriotic The View. No matter, people are growing tired of war and > > > though 2004 is not the year for a female candidate for president, do not > > > doubt for a minute that there are real leaders who are women who could > > > do a far better job. Unfortunately, the current system would have any > such > > > elligible > > > shot at once, and so their life is best spent alive enlightening the > > little > > > men who would otherwise grow up to be snipers. Women are ready for > > > a woman in the White House. It's the men who tote most of the guns in > > > this world, who are not. Warring mens minds are what we try to change > > > with proposals of meditation at an early age. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Natalia > > > > Chris > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Futurework mailing list > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Futurework mailing list > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
