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#1675 - Monday, January 12, 2004 - Editor: Jerry    

The Dual Sensitivity, by Adi Da Samraj  

AudioVisual: A reading and gallery: http://adidam.org/adidam/mission/flash/dualsensitivity  

(Try to ignore the sales pitch at the very end. It's a good reading.)  

Inner Child Cards  

Inner Child Cards are a divination system that reawakens the child in all of us. Drawing on Universal children's fairytales, myths and fables, the cards open our hearts and minds to new revelations about the journey of self-discovery.

Business and spirituality -- an odd couple? Not to Russell Simmons, hip-hop mogul, master dealmaker, and yoga devotee. Simmons says practicing yoga and studying its teachings have had a profound influence on the way he approaches his work.  

Excerpts follow. It's an interesting article which may be read at http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jan2004/nf20040113_4406_db074.htm  

...  

The definitive textbook or "bible" of yoga is The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda. From this book and the daily practice of yoga, I started to think and to be more aware of the motivations of the human family and to focus more on the importance of people giving back to the world.

I became conscious of giving as a basis of business success. This reorientation of my priorities has made me become a better businessman. Overall, as explained in The Yoga Sutras, money and business are low-level priorities.   ...   The key business concepts from this book are that people must provide quality service, put their heads down and work hard, and not put their chests out -- get all puffed up with pride.

I read all the reports. I will fire people if they don't get these principles. The important thing is that people have to act on these principles as they do their work on a daily basis. People might say I am full of s***, but this philosophy works here. When I started out as a promoter and a manager for what is now Def Jam, it was about providing opportunities to people who had been denied access. I got them an outlet and a means for distribution.

...  

You need to look for people who are honest and have integrity and deal [with others on that basis]. You have to know who you're dealing with before you start talking. You must do your due diligence.

I surround myself with people that share the same spirituality that I believe in. People who are focused on living better and not just on being out for themselves. I want to be around people who aren't just money-oriented but are focused on how they can give back to the community.

You have to look at people's history as best you can [when you're considering a deal]. Look at their previous partners. Look at who they've done business with. Try to understand how well these partners did. From your research, you have to make a decision as to whether this person is trustworthy or not. You have to decide if you can live with this type of person as a partner.

I will turn away a deal...because people have dollar signs in their eyes. Making money is a pedestrian activity. The challenge is in creating a product or service that the world really needs.    

from The Bangkok Post Contributed by Mary Bianco
http://tinyurl.com/2plae (subscription required)    

During a recent retreat, the writings of J. Krishnamurti served as the
basis for reflection on what life is actually all about  

Stories by KARNJARIYA SUKRUNG  

"Krishnamurti offered no answers. He only pointed to questions to get
our minds moving. The answers we have to find for ourselves."  

Wake up early in the morning. Take a shower. Grab breakfast, sip
coffee. Drive to the office. Work. Lunch. Drive home. Exercise. Dinner.
Bath. Watch television. Go to bed.  

Get up the next day, and do the whole thing again. Day after day. Break
up the routine with a bit of hanging out, or nightlife, or a movie, or
travel, until that also becomes part of the routine.  

"Is that all there is? Eat, work, die? It's so meaningless," said
Warunee, a professional woman in her mid-30s who once tried to end her
life to escape feelings of emptiness and void.  

After years and years of this, Warunee said she began to feel that her
life had become mechanical and boring. "Success, money, the convenience
of modern life _ it didn't give me any peace of mind, a sense of
meaning. I was confused and isolated."  

In a bid to reclaim her life and to understand the meaning of her own
existence, Warunee tried several soul-searching workshops ranging from
alternative education to holistic health, as well as Buddhist
meditation retreats, before turning to the late Indian sage J.
Krishnamurti (1895-1986), whose thought-provoking, non-religious
teachings still attract questioning minds all over the world.  

In Thailand, a spiritual community called the Quest Foundation has been
formed to allow "questioning minds" the opportunity to study the late
philosopher's thoughts as well as to help each other explore more
deeply into their concerns about career, relationship, security, fear
and life itself.  

Their latest dialogue took place on a tranquil island far away from the
hustle and bustle of city life, and was attended by some 40 people from
20 to 60 years in age, both Thais and foreigners.  

"Krishnamurti offered no answers. He only pointed to questions to get
our minds moving. The answers we have to find for ourselves," said
Vikram Parchure, the foundation's administrator and one of the
facilitators.  

Krishnamurti, he said, asked us to examine our thoughts, beliefs and
traditions, and said that if we explored them to the very core, we
might become capable of dropping them altogether.  

"One has to turn the world upside down," Vikram said. "We live a
mediocre, habituated life and never challenge ourselves. This reflects
a lack of passion in life."  

Apart from direct observation of "what is", he said, Krishnamurti
offered a means of dialogue (see sidebar) as a way to help one
understand life's issues and to zero in on the truth. During his time,
he engaged in a series of impromptu dialogues with people. Many of his
writings are in the form of question-and-answer, covering various
issues.  

Participants at the island get-together were asked to pose and debate
questions among themselves. Through this sort of dialogue, they could
reflect on the some of the issues brought up in their discussions _ on
that day, they were issues like security, fear, freedom and questions
about right action.  

"What is security? What is it that makes me feel safe and why?" one
participant asked.  

"I feel free and I choose what I do, but sometimes my decisions are
influenced by friends, work, society. Can we really choose? Do we
really have a choice?  

Is this real freedom'?" asked another.  

"Why can't we do the things that we feel are right? What holds us
back?"  

"I wonder if what I am doing in life is the right thing. There are many
sets of thoughts that we can choose to apply to life in certain
situations _ how can we know which to choose? What is right action
anyway?"  

These questions, and more, brought forth no easy answers, and at times,
only produced more questions.  

Vikram said we could spend a lifetime thinking about these questions.
Even so, we should start asking them now so that we can become more
aware of life and make more conscious choices concerning it.  

"Don't be too hasty to give answers. Some questions are best left
hanging for awhile so that the mind is kept stimulated and alert," said
Raman Patel, a consultant for the foundation and coordinator of
Krishnamurti-inspired groups across the world.  

"Sadly, our mainstream education gives ready-made answers that block
imagination and discourage inquiring minds to search for real answers.
Questions, like paths, probe deeper and deeper into the mind. If you
pose the right questions, you will get to the core without having to
search for answers," Raman said. "Questions will challenge us to look
at our conditioned thoughts and preconception."  

Many find that Krishnamurti's teachings on self-observation _ "the
understanding of what is in oneself, aware of what is going on" _ are
quite harmonious with Buddhist teachings on mindfulness.  

Yet Chai, an executive in his mid-30s, said he felt more comfortable
with Krishnamurti's self-questioning methods.  

"Thai Buddhism today is so wrapped up in faith and rituals which have
strayed from the core of the Lord Buddha's teachings, which emphasise
the individual quest for truth and having an inquiring mind. Organised
Buddhism has become monolithic, out of touch with our daily lives. They
talk a lot about the sacred realms or otherworldly concerns like karma,
sin, hell or heaven, none of which is concerned with my daily living,
my problems and experiences," he said.  

Added a middle-aged housewife: "I like Krishnamurti's teachings. There
are no rules, no dress code, no methodical techniques. I feel more
relaxed. There are no strict rules or mandates that create a sense of
fear or guilt. He talked about daily life, the things that I encounter
each and every day."  

Perhaps it was his spirit of individuality and the non-authoritative
figure that he cut that made Krishnamurti so appealing to middle-class
urbanites.  

"You don't feel a sense of authority from him. He did not make himself
out as someone who knew better. That helped people to relax, and to
understand that the truth wasn't something they could get out of him,
but something that had to come from themselves," said Chamrass
Bamrungrath, a former Thervada Buddhist monk and one of the co-founders
of the foundation.  

Some participants said they also felt turned off by sermons loaded with
ancient words which they could not understand. "Reading Krisnamurti,
however, is like talking to a wise, understanding friend," said Chai.  

Most of Krishnamurti's teachings concern life, how to know oneself and
how to live with oneself in peace.  

"People are lost in organised religions, which stress doctrines. People
try to understand words and doctrines but they don't do the basic thing
_ understanding oneself," said Raman.  

Especially now as conventional religions are increasingly taken over by
bigotry _ making them sources of divisiveness and violence _
Krishnamurti's questioning of power in organised religions speaks more
to people who yearn for peace.  

That Krishnamurti defied the institutionalisation and sanctification of
thoughts or beliefs _ including his own _ has prevented his school of
thought from turning into a New Age cult. That his thoughts are open to
all, regardless of race or religion, makes the gathering of Krisnamurti
readers a melting pot of Buddhists, Muslims and Christians.  

Is it only a fad? One may assign the interest in Krishnamurti's
non-mainstream, philosophical thoughts as part of the New Age
phenomenon caused by the middle-class's struggles to make sense of the
modern lifestyle, which has failed to fulfil them. The emptiness of
modern life has led many young professionals to quit the rat race so
that they can search for real meaning in life.  

Take Jirayu as an example. A former advertising professional, she
retired from a well-paying job to be a full-time homemaker and to find
herself through spiritual workshops, yoga, spiritual walks, enneagram,
holistic health practices and more.  

"I used to be in the mainstream _ getting a job after graduation,
working in the system, like a machine in a factory society. But is that
all there is to life? Can I choose to live the way I want? So I quit my
job at 38. Life is about choice. I choose to do what I want," the
mother of two said.  

She said that, when she was young, she did not have the chance or the
guts to explore herself, her own likings and inspirations. "I was so
influenced by what people said, and by society's dictates. There was
neither choice nor freedom."  

Krishnamurti's messages and approach to life, she added, had given her
a fresh outlook.  

Mary, a 21-year-old Finnish woman, has been on two gap years, searching
for passion and meaning in life. Travelling through Asia, she has
learned about holistic health, massage, and Eastern philosophies,
Krishnamurti's included.  

"I don't want to go to college without knowing what I want to learn. I
don't like the idea of studying to pass exams and then go to work.
That's too robotic. I want to learn things that are practical, like
massage," she said.  

For Raman, however, Krishnamurti is more than a fad. "His messages
speak to people in all times. It so happens that it rings a bell with
people today because they are suffering. Technology, though it has
created wealth, has also created a deep sense of isolation."
 

a mary bianco contribution  

http://www.newyorker.com/shouts/content/?040119sh_shouts  

INSTRUCTIONS TO EVERYTHING by Gabriel Kuris

1. Welcome!

2. Spell out your full name, surname first. Fill in the circles completely with a No. 2 pencil. Make sure your marks are heavy and dark.

3. Enter your five-digit pin number. If you do not own a touch-tone phone, hold for operator assistance. If you do not hear an alarm within sixty seconds, force the door open. If the door won’t open, try closing it first.

4. Insert tab A into slot 6. Color in any space marked “3” with cornflower blue. Do not put all your eggs in one (1) basket. Do not pound square pegs into round holes. Guide them in gently. Think outside the box. Then fill in boxes 7a(a)-7a(c) with your age, address, and conception of the afterlife.

5. Think, write, revise. Lather, rinse, repeat. Before you begin assembly, locate the fissile isotope plutonium-239. Determine its expiration date, then predetermine your own.

6. Check at least once a month, perhaps in the shower. Search carefully for a hard, pea-size growth. Remove the hard drive with a flathead screwdriver. Phillips-head screwdrivers are awkward tools and untrustworthy lovers, like the Danish.

7. To avoid the appearance of sexist language in your writing, try to pluralize, stylize, or just tell lies. Always replace “he” with “he or she.” Also replace “she” with “he or she,” unless preceded by the phrase “he or.”

8. If you are travelling with a child under the age of twelve, strap your oxygen mask to your face first, then put your child’s oxygen mask on your face. If your oxygen supply runs low, photosynthesize. If you experience technical difficulties, weep softly, with prudence. When finished, configure the plutonium-239 into a small “pit” packed with explosives. This pit will compress symmetrically into a supercritical mass when detonated. Be careful not to apply this product, or yourself, in high humidity or at abnormal altitudes.

9. Just say “No!” If you speak Spanish, say “¡No!”

10. Take a deep breath. Think about slowly moving clouds that are white, like wedding dresses and Deborah’s legs in the rain. Don’t worry about shark attacks, terror attacks, or the inheritance tax.

11. Do not stare directly at the sun. Do not exceed the recommended dosage of anything, except Vitamin C and meaningful emotional contact.

12. In the rare event that a mature adult of the human species confronts you, stretch your arms above your head to make yourself as tall as possible. Shout strong commands with a strong, commanding shout. If you are assaulted, fall down and play dead. Do not play dead for more than seventy-two hours, or you will die.

13. Pause. Pause again.

14. Insert your card into the machine and determine if you are happy or sad. If you are unsure, ask a loved one, but the likely answer is a combination of four to six numerals. Make sure to refrigerate after opening. A sulfurous, or “rotten egg,” smell is a sign that something is wrong. Notify transit authorities.

15. Take a moment to ease your mind, stretch your legs, and exercise your Second Amendment rights. Review your work thus far. Is this the best you can do? Why won’t you settle down and grow up? Why must you constantly confuse ranch dressing and Russian dressing? Why did Deborah wait through twelve years of marriage before leaving to pursue her career as an office temp?

16. Seventeen syllables is a haiku. Eighteen syllables is an unauthorized withdrawal of company resources and will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

17. Studies show that Monday afternoons are optimal. Engage the employee in a room near his desk. Compliment his kinfolk and establish a light, collegial atmosphere with an icebreaker—perhaps a gender-sensitive joke about mulatto children. Use positive inflection and never say the words “you’re fired.” Talk about company cutbacks. Talk about hope, about faith, about weather cycles, about anything other than testicular cancer and corporate liability. Call the employee “a real trouper.” If he or she looks sad, talk about sports. Everybody likes sports. Except, of course, golf.

18. If the one who is “it” touches you, you are now “it.”

19. The addition of tritium will boost fissile power. Now that the plutonium is properly packed, the device is functional. Carefully consider other dieting options before starting a thermonuclear war or ending a thermonuclear peace. Remember, violence is not an alternative. Violence is not an answer. Unless the question is “What is an eight-letter word for something painful that is neither an alternative nor an answer?”

20. Be mindful that bees smell fear but not toxic chemical defoliants. Humans, like most life-forms (lobsters, lichen), can smell neither. God can smell both fear and defoliants, because God is all-smelling. If only Deborah’s orthodox Lutheran upbringing hadn’t closed her mind to this revelation, widening the schism between us. If only she could have diverted her energies from stapling and faxing to refreshing the stagnant adolescence of our marriage. If only she weren’t Danish.

21. No, no! Refrigerate after opening!

22. Put your left leg in.

23. Take your left leg out.

24. Put your left leg in—

a. Shake it all about. If you experience feelings of “warmth,” “uncontrollable laughter,” or “death,” the process is operating properly.

b. Bathe, floss, and move your bowels daily. Do not fall in love this often.

25. That’s what it’s all about!

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