Essence of freedom and peace

George G Clark 04 January 2009

 

… Buddhism … is ultimately about letting go of all forms and concepts and becoming free. - John Snelling, Elements of Buddhism

This morning I had a slightly blue feeling. It was mind made. But there are options. And there is freedom to choose the option that is active. The trick is to 'accentuate the positive' and to 'eliminate the negative'.

The formula is as follows:

·         Continue existing good thought trains

·         Promote new good thought trains

·         Discontinue existing bad thought trains

·         Do not promote new bad thought trains

 

The Five Hindrances

·         Craving ·         Aversion ·         Restlessness and anxiety ·         Sloth and torpor ·         Doubt

This of course begs the question of good v bad. In essence it is good if it brings deep peace and ease and it is bad if it brings deep anxiety and dis-ease. There are the five hindrances that tend to lock people into bad states (see box).

The main 'practice' involves being mindful of what is going on.  Rather than responding automatically to your causes and conditions you can inhabit the space between stimulus and response and evoke a more considered reaction: a reaction that is based on a more insightful view of the context in its totality.

And with practice (ie sitting in meditation and being aware of what the mind gets up to) it becomes easier to avoid being totally caught up by automatic causes and conditions. And that is the essence of freedom (liberation) and thus of peace.

 

the talking stick

Whoever holds the talking stick has within his hands the sacred power of words. Only he can speak while he holds the stick; the other council members must remain silent.

The eagle feather tied to the talking stick gives him the courage and wisdom to speak truthfully and wisely. The rabbit fur on the end of the stick reminds him that his words must come from his heart and that they must be soft and warm. The blue stone will remind him that the Great Spirit hears the message of his heart as well as the words he speaks. The shell, iridescent and ever changing, reminds him that all creation changes -- the days, the seasons, the years -- and people and situations change, too. The four colors of beads -- yellow for the sunrise (east), red for the sunset (west), white for the snow (north) and green for the earth (south) -- are symbolic of the powers of the universe he has in his hands at the moment to speak what is in his heart. Attached to the stick are strands of hair from the great buffalo. He who speaks may do so with the power and strength of this great animal.

 
http://www.acaciart.com/stories/archive6.html

Padding the STEEPLeS

George Clark, 12 December 2008

 

The STEEPLeS acronym offers a checklist against which to rate the fit of a unit of development theory or practice. This presupposes an agency for change (individual or group) with a vision of a before and an after in at least one of the seven factors. The details will vary with time and place. The following table offers a very rough rule-of-thumb for a set of before and afters that correspond respectively with modern and post-modern[1] phases of development.

 

Type of change		Before	After
S	Social	Parochial  (xenophobic)	Global (pluralist)
T	Technological	Mechanical	Smart
E	Environmental	Exploitation	Stewardship
E	Economic	Inequality (profit)	Equality (wealth)
P	Political	Hierarchy (elites)	Democracy (participatory)
Le	Legislative	For the rich	For the greater good
S	Spiritual	Linked to 'religion'	Linked to 'psychology'

 

Each type of after demands its own agency of change and style of activism.  But the task ultimately is to change minds and this involves motivations, intentions and actions that are rooted in beliefs and values.

Beliefs and values are themselves deep rooted in the 'spiritual' domain. This might thus be viewed as the foundation upon which the others are built. There is thus a call not so much for minor 'norm cracking[2]' as for major 'paradigm shifting[3]'. There is need for epiphany[4] on a massive scale if we are to move from a situation of blind faith in a divisive ideology[5] towards a situation of widespread experience of the non-egoic state of peace, compassion and happiness.

Much work has been done to create effective change agents for social development[6]. Some of this can be coopted by change agents for spiritual development although they might want to find a less jarring label for their profession! There is the possibility of building on the various 'mindfulness-based' methodologies that are fast gaining ground in serious medical circles in the West[7].

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[1] We can think of a progression from pre-modern (traditional), modern, post-modern and now the post-post-modern. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernity

[2] http://www.srds.co.uk/winwin/heuristics.htm

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm_shift

[4] (1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something  (2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking  (3): an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

[5] religious or secular (eg scientism, communism, market fundamentalism etc)

[6] http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/change-management/roles/agent and, from high up the Google search, - http://www.caledonia.org.uk/change.htm . Also, with repeats, at http://www.srds.co.uk/cedtraining/bast/bast12.htm

[7] Follow links from Jon Kabat-Zinn and the offshoots of his Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme. See http://www.mbsr.co.uk/index.html

Building STEEPLeS

George Clark, 11 December 2008

Those who climb steeples get a bird's eye view. They see the big picture and take the grander perspective. Whether as analyst, policy-maker or planner at global, national, district, community or individual level it helps to be systematic and comprehensive in your way of thinking. Checklists can help.

The following table traces the growth of a seven point STEEPLeS checklist as a tool to ensure wide ranging and insightful thinking about the development process[1].

 

E	The single bottom line is the economic (financial) one. The only goal and measure of success is net income – by whatever means and at whatever external cost[2].
ESE	The triple bottom line[3] captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success: Economic, Social and Environmental[4]
STEP	This is an acronym for the Social, Technological, Economic and Political factors of the external environment. Realistic and feasible policies have to address all the factors. They are often listed less optimistically as PEST[5].
STEEP	This puts the environmental factor into the STEP collection and moves closer to being comprehensive. There is a STEEP learning curve for policy makers seeking integration, coordination and harmonisation.
STEEPLe	This adds 'legislation' to the STEEP collection of factors. This is in recognition of the fact that policies often have to be embedded in legal frameworks if they are to be effective.
STEEPLeS	This adds spirituality to the collection. It highlights the need for a deep change in value systems and beliefs as part of the development process. Policy is guided by the motivations and intentions of the policy makers.

 

"Since wars begin in the minds of men it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed."
From the preamble of UNESCO's Constitution

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[1]  From STEEP onwards the growth is due to my involvement as a plain language author with Hakikazi Catalyst – a Tanzanian CSO - see www.hakikazi.org

[2]  This is a very narrow minded approach that has now, arguably, been largely superseded - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom_line

[3]  For more on the TBL see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_bottom_line. Note that in the private sector, a commitment to corporate social responsibility implies a commitment to some form of TBL reporting

[4]  Also referred to as "People, Planet, Profit"

[5]  For more on PEST see http://www.netmba.com/strategy/pest/

Better ways to be human

George Clark, 10 December 2008

By comparison all things shine[1]. I had little to complain about from a childhood in small, coastal towns in the NE of Scotland in the 1950-60s. From upper working class roots I made it to University where I studied Biology. By the late 1960s I had committed to zero population growth and to finding better ways to be human. I then gravitated towards 'education' and lived and worked for many years in various parts of the tropics. Forty years later I am back in the NE of Scotland as a freelance consultant/ landlord/ recluse and I am still trying to figure better ways to be human.

I gave up the idea of an absolutely 'correct' way to be human. In any given socio-cultural situation there is the potential for ways of being human that are more or less positive. Judgment hangs on how you view the purpose in life for yourself in particular and for humanity in general. And, although we won't go there, this begs the question of how you view the purpose of the planet, solar system, and universe.

The theme can be dealt with in three parts "better" "ways" "to be human". We will look at the options for each of these in turn and then try for some kind of conclusion.

"to be human"

As humans we have animal roots. We are part of a lengthy evolutionary process that has cultural, biological and cosmic phases. Our bodies and brains have been designed to ensure the survival of ancestors living in ancient conditions. Recent findings from neuroscience and evolutionary psychology have highlighted the importance of these roots -- especially in terms of brain structures and functions. Our brains are hard wired in many subtle ways but usually in terms of generalities that are populated by immediate environmental specifics (eg we are hard wired for language in general (nature) but the particular language we end up using depends on our culture (nurture)).

As humans we are social animals. This idea can be plotted on an expanding horizon. Quantum entities give rise to atoms and molecules that form cells that form tissues and organs that form you -- the self. But a self does not stand alone. For better or for worse a self is a member of a family, community and tribe that between them provide all manner of social capital to ensure mutual survival. And tribes combine to form nations and welfare states that may be more or less functional. And, although we won't go there, nations combine to make up the global, human species that is a partner in the ecosystems that make up the planet that is part of the solar system and so on in the cosmic zoom[2].

"ways to be human"

STEEPLeS   ·         Social ·         Technological ·         Environmental ·         Economic ·         Political ·         Legal ·         Spiritual

There are as many ways to be human as there are people willing to make an inventory. I have found a shortlist of seven to be useful. It is captured in the acronym STEEPLeS (see box).

Because of their mental causes and conditions different people will be more interested in some of the ways than others. This is not a problem but hopefully awareness of the options will help to keep more people open minded more frequently and for longer.

"better ways to be human"

Better and worse involves value judgements. And they can be applied to each of the STEEPLeS topics -- and many of these interact. There are no easy and undisputable answers; particularly in this post-modern age of cultural relativism.

The number of letters in the STEEPLeS acronym has been growing over the years[3]. The S for Spiritual is the newest. I added it because it holds the promise of a foundation for judging the efficiency and effectiveness of the others[4]. The essence is highlighted in the following table:

"worst ways to be human"	"best ways to be human"
·         war ·         discontent ·         poverty ·         social injustice ·         environmental degradation	·         peace ·         happiness ·         prosperity ·         social justice ·         environmental stewardship

 

The spiritual dimension is the root of the others. There needs to be a massive change of hearts and minds and of motivations and intentions. This is possible but the ultimate arenas are (a) the individual consciousness and the causes and conditions that have shaped it in its present form and (b) the causes and conditions that might reshape it.

The spin doctors of the advertising and public relations industries (and their attendant academics[5]) have developed many techniques for changing minds. Their tools can be used to promote high or low ends.

The essential higher end is 'mindfulness' as that is now understood in the West in such practices as mindfulness based stress reduction[6] and mindfulness based cognitive therapy[7]. These lean heavily on a psychology of perception that has developed in eastern cultures over the last 2500 years[8]. The basic goal is to remove the clouds of illusion (particularly the illusion of an abiding ego) such that our birthright in the sunshine of universal compassion becomes an apparent and active motivating force. The basic technique for 'liberation' is to be aware of, and bear witness to, what your mind is doing from moment to moment.

This line of thought did not cross my mind in the NE of Scotland in the 1950-60s. It flashed in and out of focus in the years since but I did not begin to pay constant and systematic heed till about fifteen years ago when I was encouraged to write a series of 'words of faith' for a newspaper in Lesotho[9]. Since then I have been fairly regular in building time for stillness into my daily routine. So has the illusory ego disappeared and am I now more compassionate than of yore? I now live alone, work from home and lead a simple and frugal life: but what of my existential core? It remains turbulent but arguably less than it used to be.

So have I found a better way to be human?

How is such a thing to be judged?

See above!

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[1] http://www.srds.co.uk/begin/nothing_lasts.htm

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_Zoom

[3] it began after the Rio Summit ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Summit )  as ESE (Economic, Social and Environmental)

[4] You might find it constructive to consider the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights ) and the Millennium Development Goals (http://www.srds.co.uk/mdg/ ) in relation to the STEEPLeS categories.

[5] See Howard Gardner (2006) Changing Minds; ISBN 1422103293

[6] MBSR http://www.umassmed.edu/Content.aspx?id=41254

[7] MBCT http://www.mbct.co.uk/

[8] Essentially Vipassana meditation -- see http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english.php

[9] http://www.toonloon.bizland.com/whispers/

Karen Armstrong makes her TED Prize wish: the Charter for Compassion | Video on TED.com

Karen Armstrong makes her TED Prize wish: the Charter for Compassion | Video on TED.com: "People want to be religious, says scholar Karen Armstrong; we should act to help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help her build a Charter for Compassion -- to help restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious do"

What else?

George Clark, 04 December 2008

I live as I do. Other people live as they do. And we all have the option to change whether or not we realise or actualise it. Lifestyles could be categorised and labeled and then ranked in terms of being 'cool' or whatever. But that would be a hegemonic exercise.

I am inclined to argue the case for cultural relativism (anything goes) but there is the possibility of absolutes. Some modes of being (eg extreme poverty and destitution) call for action to change them: but it is perhaps useful to recognise that there are physical/material modes of being and there are psychological/existential modes: and both are manifested within more or less acceptable political/economic systems.

So what action should a concerned person take? It depends on context. No individual can solve all the world's problems; there has to be selection and focus. I cannot presently think of a decision rule other than the rather woolly 'go with the flow'; although this can be done safely only when the motivation for acting has been carefully examined in terms of its egoic conditioning. (Beware of blind emotion and thus of anger and belligerence.)

The golden rule is to 'be the peace that you seek'. This will involve insight meditation so that there is clear awareness of personal motivations and intentions. This will make it easier to approach conflict situations without predetermined viewpoints.

I am indebted to Thich Nhat Hahn for the above line of thought but I may not have totally understood it! Those who understand it better might care to comment.

The following quotation (from Goldstein and Kornfield) may be helpful for those who, in working for peace in the world, realise that there is no option other than to 'Let it begin with me'. (see www.srds.co.uk/begin )

"It is essential that our understanding be translated into practice, not with an idealistic vision that we suddenly will become totally loving and compassionate, but with a willingness to be just who we are and to start from there. Then our practice is grounded in the reality of our experience, rather than based on some expectation of how we should be. But we must begin.

We work with the precepts as guidelines for harmonizing our actions with the world; we live with contentment and simplicity that does not exploit other people or the planet; we work with restraint in the mind, seeing that it's possible to say no to certain conditioned impulses, or to expand when we feel bound by inhibitions and fear; we reflect on karma and the direction of our lives, where it is leading and what is being developed; we cultivate generosity and love, compassion and service.

All of this together becomes our path of practice."

Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield (1987) "Seeking the Heart of Wisdom"

What else? Why? Says who?

Dealing with distraction

Dealing with distraction

George Clark, 28 November 2008

 

Most people's attention dives about all over the place. Their focus does not stay the same for more than a few moments. They are easily distracted by sights, sounds, tastes, smells or touches from the outside and by all manner of thoughts, feelings and emotions that emerge in a constant stream from the inside. Such people experience a lot of mental chatter over which they do not feel they have any control.

Some people can focus their attention. Artists can be in flow, athletes can be in the zone and ordinary people can be absorbed in washing the dishes. The key to this state of one-pointed attention is to be non-egoic and outside of space and time - to be absent-minded. The experience is of a kind of effortless action – 'the poem wrote itself'. There is little mental chatter, and 'control' seems to rest with something deeper than the everyday 'self'.

At a deeper level everybody can, but few people do, experience the fearless peace that passes all understanding. There can be flashes of deeper understanding when faced with a glorious sunset. Such moments, for most people, are short-lived and relatively rare. But they can become a much more substantial and soul enhancing part of the living experience.

The undisciplined mind is easily distracted but the disciplined mind is not. The ultimate goal is to shut down conscious, egoic thinking and thus to allow the wisdom of the inner self to make its presence felt. Discipline involves making time for peaceful stillness, time to just sit, time to be still and know. With enough practice the mental mud settles and nothing remains but a mild awareness of 'stuff' on the margins of the attention centre. With even more practice even these faint traces pass away and there is a state of being awake and aware but without 'content'. This is your true home where you are fresh like a flower and solid like a mountain. To take up residence all that is required is dealing with distraction.

when I consider

When I consider …

 

John Milton, (1608 - 1674) Sonnet 19 (Sonnet XIX)

 

When I consider how my light is spent,

Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,

And that one talent which is death to hide

Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest He returning chide,

"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"

I fondly ask; But patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies "God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best

Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state

Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed

And post o'er land and ocean without rest;

They also serve who only stand and wait."

Note:
Many people refer to this poem as 'When I consider how my life is spent' however when Milton wrote this poem he was referring to his rapidly failing eyesight

http://www.poetry-online.org/milton_when_i_consider_how_my_light_is_spent.htm

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/sonnets/sonnet_19/index.shtml

 

William Shakespeare, (1564 – 1616) Sonnet XV.

 

When I consider every thing that grows

Holds in perfection but a little moment,

That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows

Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;

When I perceive that men as plants increase,

Cheered and cheque'd even by the self-same sky,

Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,

And wear their brave state out of memory;

Then the conceit of this inconstant stay

Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,

Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay,

To change your day of youth to sullied night;

  And all in war with Time for love of you,

  As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

http://www.cs.usyd.edu.au/~matty/Shakespeare/texts/poetry/sonnets

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/15detail.html (with paraphrase)

19 minutes of Goenka on vipassana

Pure distilled Goenka

http://web2.dhamma.org/video/Intro/reutersSngintroeng150k.ram