Call it coincedence or purposeful synchronicity, but this crossed my e-mail desk shortly after I wrote the last blog entry....hmmmm..perhaps a message here, have a look and re-read my last entry and let me know your thoughts?
For 8/30/05
From Iconoculture's Research Analysts
It's grocery-getting day, and we're on a D.C. pantry restock mission. Coupons in tow, gay mecca / hip urban Whole Foods is the first retailer we hit. Four subway stops later we're alongside other persnickety shoppers scouting condo-piggybacked grocer Harris Teeter. Back through the tunnel, and the finish line looms as we check out local melting-pot, everyman Giant.
Six hours? A gallon of sweat? Ho-hum. We've got bargain-bought goodies! Not so with some African-American shoppers. They follow the advice of our Mature mom: "Don't go where you're not wanted." For many black shoppers, shopping is best done inside the comfort zone. Indeed, a Burrell Communications co-authored study found 56% of black consumers have felt store associates and security guards eyeing them (CommunityNewsDC 7.14.05). No denying shoddy service plays a role. But there's more. As Burrell's co-CEO notes, "Race consciousness is high on the screen of African-Americans."
For retailers, that's bad news - but with a potentially lucrative silver lining. Make blacks feel comfortable and they might spend some of their nearly $1 trillion in annual spending power in-store (USAToday.com 8.15.05). How? Staff training is a plus. Still, they're not perusing the wares if a welcome mat isn't rolled out first. Follow the path laid down by late Ebony publisher John Johnson: Use ads with positive black portrayals. And as radio host Tom Joyner says, target African-Americans unashamedly. Find out what they read, buy, like, and wear, and where they eat, vacation, pray, and live. Connect to blacks by expanding the comfort zone to their reading and listening media - and they might just expand their personal comfort zones to include your store. And throw in a 25-cent coupon for us, while you're at it.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
AN OPEN HEART
Along our spiritual journey in Buddhism, there are two aspects of our path that reflect two distinct kinds of practice we must engage in. Though the Buddha taught both, they were passed along over the centuries from teacher to student in two separate lineages. However, like the two wings of a bird, they are both necessary as we embark upon our journey of enlightenment, be it a state free of suffering for ourselves alone or the ultimate enlightened state of Buddhahood we seek in order to benefit all sentient beings.
Clearly the first of these is the opening of one's heart. The Dalai Lama describes the opening of one's heart; "What does it mean to open the heart? First of all, we understand that the idea of of the heart is a metaphorical one. The heart is perceived in most cultures to be the wellspring of compassion, love, sympathy, righteousness, and intuition rather than merely the muscle responsible for circulating blood through the body."
"In the Buddhist worldview, both aspects of the path, however, are understood to take place in the mind. Ironically, the Buddhist view is that the mind is located in the middle of the chest. An open heart is an open mind. A change of heart is a change of mind. Still, our conception of the heart provides a useful, if temporary, tool when trying to understand the distinction between the "vast" and "profound" aspects of the path."
In response to the tragedy and disaster in New Orleans Americans have "opened their hearts" to embrace the victims with offers of food, water, shelter, jobs, and education. Americans by nature are a generous lot, especially went it comes to a national calamity.
If we look at the Buddhist view of an open heart being an "open mind" The quetion is will this perceived generosity, change the mind of those who are helping.
The poverty level amongst blacks is self evident, as is the governments' view of poor blacks with no money, no jobs, no education being prime candidates to be recruited to fight America's wars abroad. This is an interesting turning point; Will it change the mind and perceptions of the broad stroke American populace that still views them as looters, gang members, drug addicts, pimps, and welfare bums. I would encourage you to see a movie called "Crash" which paints a true picture of America's "mind"set.
As you and I journey towards a new sense of enlightenment, I would hope that we begin to "open our mind by opening our hearts" to looking at things a little differently in our lives. Over this past weekend, I had many occasions to test my response to people and events. I failed miserably in one case, by allowiing anger to ruin my evening. I succeeded in another case , by opening my heart to my partner in life and by changing my mind as to how I would share my deepest fears with her. I had no problem "opening my heart" to my grandchild. We never have a problem being open minded with children.
Whether it's your wife, yur husband, your boss, your business partner, your clients, or your friends, the opportunity you have now is to "test" your "open mindeness". Can you view them in a different way that enriches your experience with them. Making that fundamental shift requires a new way of thinking. Be patient with yourself as I have had to be with myself. Are you making these subtle changes in your life?
Buddha says; "Train yourself in this way: from higher to higher, from strength to strength we will strive, and we will come to realize unsurpassed freedom."
Clearly the first of these is the opening of one's heart. The Dalai Lama describes the opening of one's heart; "What does it mean to open the heart? First of all, we understand that the idea of of the heart is a metaphorical one. The heart is perceived in most cultures to be the wellspring of compassion, love, sympathy, righteousness, and intuition rather than merely the muscle responsible for circulating blood through the body."
"In the Buddhist worldview, both aspects of the path, however, are understood to take place in the mind. Ironically, the Buddhist view is that the mind is located in the middle of the chest. An open heart is an open mind. A change of heart is a change of mind. Still, our conception of the heart provides a useful, if temporary, tool when trying to understand the distinction between the "vast" and "profound" aspects of the path."
In response to the tragedy and disaster in New Orleans Americans have "opened their hearts" to embrace the victims with offers of food, water, shelter, jobs, and education. Americans by nature are a generous lot, especially went it comes to a national calamity.
If we look at the Buddhist view of an open heart being an "open mind" The quetion is will this perceived generosity, change the mind of those who are helping.
The poverty level amongst blacks is self evident, as is the governments' view of poor blacks with no money, no jobs, no education being prime candidates to be recruited to fight America's wars abroad. This is an interesting turning point; Will it change the mind and perceptions of the broad stroke American populace that still views them as looters, gang members, drug addicts, pimps, and welfare bums. I would encourage you to see a movie called "Crash" which paints a true picture of America's "mind"set.
As you and I journey towards a new sense of enlightenment, I would hope that we begin to "open our mind by opening our hearts" to looking at things a little differently in our lives. Over this past weekend, I had many occasions to test my response to people and events. I failed miserably in one case, by allowiing anger to ruin my evening. I succeeded in another case , by opening my heart to my partner in life and by changing my mind as to how I would share my deepest fears with her. I had no problem "opening my heart" to my grandchild. We never have a problem being open minded with children.
Whether it's your wife, yur husband, your boss, your business partner, your clients, or your friends, the opportunity you have now is to "test" your "open mindeness". Can you view them in a different way that enriches your experience with them. Making that fundamental shift requires a new way of thinking. Be patient with yourself as I have had to be with myself. Are you making these subtle changes in your life?
Buddha says; "Train yourself in this way: from higher to higher, from strength to strength we will strive, and we will come to realize unsurpassed freedom."
Monday, September 05, 2005
RIGHT ACTION
This blog site was never intended to be anti- War, Bush Bashing or anti-American. However events of the last week have diverted all our attention and focus on what is going on in the US. If anything it has galvanized it's own citizens into questioning the direction George W and his gang are taking this once proud nation. I have always been a fan of Michale Moore, particularly because he tells the truth. As I have told many of you who are regular readers of this blog, I too am beginning my journey of enlightenment on the eight fold path of the Buddha. I feel obliged to tell the truth whenever I speak. Today, I came across this moving letter on Michael Moore's website, and I know it does not relate specifically to Buddha in the Board Room, it does relate to TRUTH and I truly hope someone listens and takes the Right Action. We shall return to our normal programming next entry.
Namaste,
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
"Am I a defender of freedom, or a pawn in a campaign of tyranny?"
From: John M. Duffy
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 3:05 PM
To: soldiers@michaelmoore.com
Subject: Am I a defender of freedom, or a pawn in a campaign of tyranny?
I am a 28yr old SSgt in the USAF with about 7 years of service currently serving in the Midwest USA. Watching our brothers and sisters come home horribly maimed, burned and mutilated fills me with rage. And some say they are the lucky ones as opposed to the hundreds killed in an unjust "war."
Having served in the Persian Gulf during the Enduring Freedom campaign and the onset of the current debacle...I have developed great distrust for my commander in chief and in fact, some in the chain of command who unquestionably support his intentions. This conflict (not a war, since Congress never declared so) has no logic or purpose. Joining military service didn't include a lobotomy -- I still retain the right and ability of thought. However, for the most part, I feel that many of those serving (that have not deployed and seen it first hand) have been convinced of this imaginary threat and resent any fellow serviceman who questions it. It is sad that the patriotism bandwagon that most Americans have hopped has perpetuated this notion that Iraq somehow posed a threat and was connected to 9/11 in some way. In fact, I feel that this idea has been imprinted into our psyche and many people would now be convinced that there were Iraqis aboard those planes. If you repeat something enough times, no matter how absurd, people someday will begin to believe it.
Another troubling pattern that has developed in America is in the overuse of the word "terrorist." It has been redefined to describe any person who would oppose the decisions or actions of the USA. If you invade someone's country- do they not have the right or duty to resist? The Iraqis resist our rule and the administration calls them terrorists. I call them patriots. If the situation were reversed and North Korea was attempting to indoctrinate communism into the American way of life, would there not be resistance by Americans? In America we have that right and duty. If you follow their definition of terrorist...it would include our ancestors who opposed British rule in the Revolutionary War- Including General and later President George Washington.
Personally, I am torn between my love for my country and desire to serve to DEFEND America, and my conscience. I try to tell myself that I am distanced from the actual fighting, but it does no good. My grandfather served in WWII and is a great man for what he did (some might say a hero). No matter how many typical Americans say that they are proud of us for defending their freedom...I don't feel that distinguished and I don't think I'm alone.
Namaste,
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
"Am I a defender of freedom, or a pawn in a campaign of tyranny?"
From: John M. Duffy
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 3:05 PM
To: soldiers@michaelmoore.com
Subject: Am I a defender of freedom, or a pawn in a campaign of tyranny?
I am a 28yr old SSgt in the USAF with about 7 years of service currently serving in the Midwest USA. Watching our brothers and sisters come home horribly maimed, burned and mutilated fills me with rage. And some say they are the lucky ones as opposed to the hundreds killed in an unjust "war."
Having served in the Persian Gulf during the Enduring Freedom campaign and the onset of the current debacle...I have developed great distrust for my commander in chief and in fact, some in the chain of command who unquestionably support his intentions. This conflict (not a war, since Congress never declared so) has no logic or purpose. Joining military service didn't include a lobotomy -- I still retain the right and ability of thought. However, for the most part, I feel that many of those serving (that have not deployed and seen it first hand) have been convinced of this imaginary threat and resent any fellow serviceman who questions it. It is sad that the patriotism bandwagon that most Americans have hopped has perpetuated this notion that Iraq somehow posed a threat and was connected to 9/11 in some way. In fact, I feel that this idea has been imprinted into our psyche and many people would now be convinced that there were Iraqis aboard those planes. If you repeat something enough times, no matter how absurd, people someday will begin to believe it.
Another troubling pattern that has developed in America is in the overuse of the word "terrorist." It has been redefined to describe any person who would oppose the decisions or actions of the USA. If you invade someone's country- do they not have the right or duty to resist? The Iraqis resist our rule and the administration calls them terrorists. I call them patriots. If the situation were reversed and North Korea was attempting to indoctrinate communism into the American way of life, would there not be resistance by Americans? In America we have that right and duty. If you follow their definition of terrorist...it would include our ancestors who opposed British rule in the Revolutionary War- Including General and later President George Washington.
Personally, I am torn between my love for my country and desire to serve to DEFEND America, and my conscience. I try to tell myself that I am distanced from the actual fighting, but it does no good. My grandfather served in WWII and is a great man for what he did (some might say a hero). No matter how many typical Americans say that they are proud of us for defending their freedom...I don't feel that distinguished and I don't think I'm alone.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
A LETTER TO GEORGE W
I realize that by publishing this letter I am shifting away from our usual musings, but it's time to interrupt our regular programming for this important announcement:
Friday, September 2nd, 2005
Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush
Friday, September 2nd, 2005
Dear Mr. Bush:
Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.
Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?
Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!
I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?
And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!
On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.
There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.
No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!
You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com
P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.
Friday, September 2nd, 2005
Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush
Friday, September 2nd, 2005
Dear Mr. Bush:
Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.
Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?
Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her!
I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?
And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ!
On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that.
There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland.
No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this!
You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.
Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.MichaelMoore.com
P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
For those loyal readers, I have been AWOL for a good reason this past week, as I have been putting the finishing touches on a presentation package for a potential publisher of my book. This is the first go around for me, not as a writer, but certainly in having something pubished. We are in the final stages of preparing for a meeting with a literary agent. My thanks to my good friend and colleague Bruce Stewart, who co-hosted a radio show with me, and has offered to edit my offerings. He has also kindly agreed to write the forward to the book.
The past week's events in New Orleans have allowed me to ponder and meditate on the current state of American society. As a free thinking writer one can expand on any subject you might have a passion for. Through the eyes of "Buddha in the Board Room", I am beginning to look at the bigger picture through a wide angle lense and the picture isn't very pretty. If one believes in karma and that is certainly the case for buddhist followers, then one has to beieve that America is paying for past life disgressions.
The disaster in New Orleans is being viewed as an Apocolypse or Armagedden. If one was to theorize that this indeed is America's Armageddon, then what does that say about it's leaders. Have they been coming from a place of trust, genuine intention, promoting peace and harmony, respecting the environment. Instead we have had the opposite, particulary with the Bush administation.
Let's do a report card on the Bush administration, and the US Government and see where they stand . It's always leadership by example, and if that's the case then the leaders of some American companies are also prone to acting in the same way as the leaders of the country. Here's the scorecard (1-10)and let's see how they stack up based on each of the eight fold paths of Buddha, and for the purpose of this blog entry I'll just stimulate your thinking by referring to a few of the noble paths below. I invite you to respond with your thoughts on the others:
Right Understanding
Right Thoughts
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
MORALITY involves speech, action and the way we gain our livelihood. Right Speech concerns the truth, holding the words of truth in mind, and speaking from that truth in a way that is true. These are the fundamental words of truth discovered in experience and spoken in a way that causes no harm. Words are all important. Our experience of the world is forged out of the ideas that we carry with us. If we avoid not only lying to others but also lying to ourselves, everything will not only be freed from the distortions we have imposed but will become purified and therefore more translucent and luminus. Buddha- 10 Bush/Cheny/Rumsfeld/Rice etc.-0
RIGHT ACTION is a direct result of refined ideas. If our words are of the nature of greed, hatred and delusion then must our action be likewise. How different are actions are that arise out of their opposites: generosity, compassion, and understanding. Buddha -10 Bush etc- 0
RIGHT LIVELIHOOD encourages us to seek a way of sustaining ourselves which minimizes the impact we have on others and the world in general. It encourages us to think differently, to appreciate the interconnectdness of all things and to tread lightly with due care and compassion, Buddha- 10 Bush etc- 0
RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
Bush often reminds me of a student at school who says he understands the question, but doesn't know the answer. Dose the United States in general truly understand the world around them, the answer quite simply is no. I have studied and lived in the US for the better part of 7 years, and have some wonderful friends there. I gratefully acknowledge the University of Montana for giving me an education. I can tell you that the major focus of the American people from childhood to adulthood is on what's happening within the US first and the world second.
From early childhood, the schools embark on a program of indocrination, that is very similar to what they accused Communist Russia of for so many years. They basically teach American history and government first and the world second. Very little if anything is even taught about their closest neighbour Canada. As a result this Imperialist and patriotic fervour is to convince Americans that they live in the only country in the world that is truly democratic and free.
The Bush administration has built wire fences around the cities and through the threat of terrorism, has convinced everyone that the only people they can trust are themselves. Given that white right wing fundametalists have re-elected Bush, one wonders if they are quickly ripping through the pages of the bible to find the section on Armagedden to prove their theory that those who are non-believers are to blame for what's happening in New Orleans. It is however an interesting paradox, that 80% of the survivors of the disaster in New Orleans are black christians or baptists who believe in the Lord.
RIGHT THOUGHTS
Right thoughts result in right action. Is the Bush administration, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rice pure of thought. I think not. Have they manipulated, coerced and bullyed the UN and decieved the American people about the legitimacy of the war in Iraq? The answer is YES! The great American tragedy is that THEY believe in some sociopathic way that their thoughts and actions are honourable.
Witness 25,ooo homeless Blacks below the poverty line suffering the worst of human indignities, and George's first response is to call Daddy and Bill Clinton to raise money. Here's another concept ...let's fly over the area...touch down for a pre-arranged photo op with two black survivors..stay away from the downtown trouble spots and then leave without walking amongst the people. Ghandi walked amongst the sick, the poor, the forgotten, Christ and Mother Theresa did the same thing, so did every other great caring leader.
Not George W...he stayed out of the target area and instead walked amongst the troops/national guard...congratulating them. Just as he has avoided Cindy Sheehan and instead walks amongst the troops, shaking their hands and telling them what a great job they are doing with the war in Iraq. Who does that remind you of, all the infamous military leaders who did the same; Hitler, Stalin,and Attila the Hun.
No apologies, no humbling for the bumbling of federal assistance. America the beautiful has suddenly become America the ugly. The mask is off and the true underbelly of America is now under the microscope for all to see. God has truly spoken to George W. and it's not a message in the ear whispered by Mommy in the church pew to "run again-it's what God wants", it's more like I HAVE COME TO SPEAK TO YOU GEORGE W ABOUT THE WAY YOU AND YOUR BOYS AND GIRLS HAVE BEEN ACTING!
Buddha says: "Palaces built of earth and stone and wood, wealthy men endowed with food and dress and finery, legions of retainers who throng round the mighty-these are like castles in the air, like rainbows in the sky, and how deluded those who think of this as truth."
The past week's events in New Orleans have allowed me to ponder and meditate on the current state of American society. As a free thinking writer one can expand on any subject you might have a passion for. Through the eyes of "Buddha in the Board Room", I am beginning to look at the bigger picture through a wide angle lense and the picture isn't very pretty. If one believes in karma and that is certainly the case for buddhist followers, then one has to beieve that America is paying for past life disgressions.
The disaster in New Orleans is being viewed as an Apocolypse or Armagedden. If one was to theorize that this indeed is America's Armageddon, then what does that say about it's leaders. Have they been coming from a place of trust, genuine intention, promoting peace and harmony, respecting the environment. Instead we have had the opposite, particulary with the Bush administation.
Let's do a report card on the Bush administration, and the US Government and see where they stand . It's always leadership by example, and if that's the case then the leaders of some American companies are also prone to acting in the same way as the leaders of the country. Here's the scorecard (1-10)and let's see how they stack up based on each of the eight fold paths of Buddha, and for the purpose of this blog entry I'll just stimulate your thinking by referring to a few of the noble paths below. I invite you to respond with your thoughts on the others:
Right Understanding
Right Thoughts
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
MORALITY involves speech, action and the way we gain our livelihood. Right Speech concerns the truth, holding the words of truth in mind, and speaking from that truth in a way that is true. These are the fundamental words of truth discovered in experience and spoken in a way that causes no harm. Words are all important. Our experience of the world is forged out of the ideas that we carry with us. If we avoid not only lying to others but also lying to ourselves, everything will not only be freed from the distortions we have imposed but will become purified and therefore more translucent and luminus. Buddha- 10 Bush/Cheny/Rumsfeld/Rice etc.-0
RIGHT ACTION is a direct result of refined ideas. If our words are of the nature of greed, hatred and delusion then must our action be likewise. How different are actions are that arise out of their opposites: generosity, compassion, and understanding. Buddha -10 Bush etc- 0
RIGHT LIVELIHOOD encourages us to seek a way of sustaining ourselves which minimizes the impact we have on others and the world in general. It encourages us to think differently, to appreciate the interconnectdness of all things and to tread lightly with due care and compassion, Buddha- 10 Bush etc- 0
RIGHT UNDERSTANDING
Bush often reminds me of a student at school who says he understands the question, but doesn't know the answer. Dose the United States in general truly understand the world around them, the answer quite simply is no. I have studied and lived in the US for the better part of 7 years, and have some wonderful friends there. I gratefully acknowledge the University of Montana for giving me an education. I can tell you that the major focus of the American people from childhood to adulthood is on what's happening within the US first and the world second.
From early childhood, the schools embark on a program of indocrination, that is very similar to what they accused Communist Russia of for so many years. They basically teach American history and government first and the world second. Very little if anything is even taught about their closest neighbour Canada. As a result this Imperialist and patriotic fervour is to convince Americans that they live in the only country in the world that is truly democratic and free.
The Bush administration has built wire fences around the cities and through the threat of terrorism, has convinced everyone that the only people they can trust are themselves. Given that white right wing fundametalists have re-elected Bush, one wonders if they are quickly ripping through the pages of the bible to find the section on Armagedden to prove their theory that those who are non-believers are to blame for what's happening in New Orleans. It is however an interesting paradox, that 80% of the survivors of the disaster in New Orleans are black christians or baptists who believe in the Lord.
RIGHT THOUGHTS
Right thoughts result in right action. Is the Bush administration, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rice pure of thought. I think not. Have they manipulated, coerced and bullyed the UN and decieved the American people about the legitimacy of the war in Iraq? The answer is YES! The great American tragedy is that THEY believe in some sociopathic way that their thoughts and actions are honourable.
Witness 25,ooo homeless Blacks below the poverty line suffering the worst of human indignities, and George's first response is to call Daddy and Bill Clinton to raise money. Here's another concept ...let's fly over the area...touch down for a pre-arranged photo op with two black survivors..stay away from the downtown trouble spots and then leave without walking amongst the people. Ghandi walked amongst the sick, the poor, the forgotten, Christ and Mother Theresa did the same thing, so did every other great caring leader.
Not George W...he stayed out of the target area and instead walked amongst the troops/national guard...congratulating them. Just as he has avoided Cindy Sheehan and instead walks amongst the troops, shaking their hands and telling them what a great job they are doing with the war in Iraq. Who does that remind you of, all the infamous military leaders who did the same; Hitler, Stalin,and Attila the Hun.
No apologies, no humbling for the bumbling of federal assistance. America the beautiful has suddenly become America the ugly. The mask is off and the true underbelly of America is now under the microscope for all to see. God has truly spoken to George W. and it's not a message in the ear whispered by Mommy in the church pew to "run again-it's what God wants", it's more like I HAVE COME TO SPEAK TO YOU GEORGE W ABOUT THE WAY YOU AND YOUR BOYS AND GIRLS HAVE BEEN ACTING!
Buddha says: "Palaces built of earth and stone and wood, wealthy men endowed with food and dress and finery, legions of retainers who throng round the mighty-these are like castles in the air, like rainbows in the sky, and how deluded those who think of this as truth."
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
ZEN AND BUSINESS
I came across this interesting interview with Marshall Goldsmith, who is incorporating Buddha principles in his consulting practise with a high degree of success. Enjoy!
Suffice it to say that Marshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, measurable change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. The American Management Association named Marshall as one of the 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years. He has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Business Strategy Review and the aforementioned New Yorker profile. The Wall Street Journal named him one of the top ten executive educators. Forbes calls him one of the five most respected executive coaches. The Economist states Marshall is one of the most credible consultants in the new era of business. The Business Times of Asia and Fast Company label Marshall as the preeminent executive coach. Dr. Goldsmith is on the faculty of executive education programs at Dartmouth, Michigan and Cambridge Universities. He is a founding director of A4SL - The Alliance for Strategic Leadership. He is a founder of the Russell Reynolds executive advisors network. He is a partner with Hewitt Associates in providing global executive coaching. He has also served as a member of the Board of the Peter Drucker Foundation for ten years.
We start the interview by asking Marshall Goldsmith about the title to this interview, "Life Is Good."
Zen and Business: I know you end your emails with "Life Is Good" and I know this is prominent on your website and such. Tell us why life is good?
Marshall Goldsmith: There are many schools of Buddhist thought. I would guess that the diversity in Buddhist beliefs is even greater than the diversity in Christian philosophies. My Buddhist philosophy can be summarized in three simple words, "Be happy now." In my mind, this is heaven, this is hell and this is Nirvana. It is not "out there." It is "in here." The great Western disease is "I'll be happy when..." This is fueled by our prevailing art form - the commercial. The commercial says, "You are unhappy. You spend money. You become happy!" I don't believe that anyone can become happy by having more. I also don't believe that anyone can become happy by having less. We can only find happiness and satisfaction with what we have. Life is good when we make it good. I also sign my emails this way to remind myself (and hopefully to help others).
Zen and Business: I want to ask you about your executive coaching and your thoughts on the integration of your practice and business, but, let's go back to the beginning here and let us know how you got involved with your Zen practice. Give us some background.
Marshall Goldsmith: I was a "hippie" in the late '60's and early '70's. During this period, I studied a variety of Eastern philosophies. During the early to mid-'70's, I decided that Buddhism was the right way for me. My favorite teacher is Thich Nhat Hanh. I have had the opportunity to spend a week at his center in France, Plum Village, and also some time in Escondido, California. I just had his painting done by a wonderful artist. It is now in my home. It is a great inspiration! We are going to donate the prints from this painting to his favorite charities.
Zen and Business: Can you tell us when and how you began to see some integration with your practice and your life's work in leadership, coaching and such?
Marshall Goldsmith: My coaching philosophy is based upon Buddhist principles. I believe that we have no "fixed identity" but instead we are ever changing. My coaching approach involves helping people let go of the past and focus on becoming what they want to become. I pioneered a concept called "feedforward" which is the essence of my coaching philosophy. My original article on Feedforward has been republished at least nine times. This concept has been taught to thousands of leaders around the world. As I have grown older, I have "come out of the closet" with my Buddhist beliefs. One event help me in this transition. I was working with a group of hard-charging investment bankers. One banker grunted, "Will this shit help us make any more money?" I thought about this question and replied, "I think so. This will help you lead in a manner that is consistent with your companies values. Your own top management believes that this will ultimately help your company become more successful." Then I decided to take a risk. I said, "But personally, I don't care so much whether your bank makes more money. My personal mission is to help you - and the people around you - have a happier life." I then asked, "Do you have any objection to this mission?" The banker thought for awhile and said he thought that this was a fine mission. I have since asked thousands of leaders if they had any objection to my mission. So far, not one person has objected!
Zen and Business: Can you talk about your approach to Zen and draw some parallels between this "Zen Leadership" and the "Business Leadership" in today's business world. Are there any parallels?
Marshall Goldsmith: My approach to Zen has a lot of applications in behavioral coaching (which is what I do). I not only work with my clients, I work with all of their key stakeholders. I try to help key stakeholders let go of preconceived notions and be open to the fact that everyone can change. I don't try to make anyone change. I only ask people to "do what works for them" in the way that Buddha suggested.
Zen and Business: Let's dig a little further here. In your coaching you do state you do not try to make anyone change. You only ask people to do what works for them in the way that Buddha suggested. Can you elaborate on this - what did Buddha suggest to the executive about doing what works for them?
Marshall Goldsmith: My understanding of Buddhism is that Buddha suggested that each of us test ideas and only use the ideas that work for us (including his ideas). In my coaching I ask executives to get ideas from many sources and use only the ideas that work for them. I don't try to "convince" or "make" my clients do anything. A key element to understand in coaching very successful people is that they have a very high need for self-determination. The more the motivation comes from them, the greater the probability of positive, long-term change.
Zen and Business: I want to follow-up on this idea that in your coaching you do not try to make anyone change. Why? Isn't change a good thing and is it not necessary for the coach to try and get the person to change?
Marshall Goldsmith: I agree that change can be a very good thing! That is what I do for a living. I help people make the changes that they want to make. I don't try to make or force people to change anything. I only work with people who care. My theory on coaching is "if they don't care - don't waste your time." I only get paid if I achieve results. I don't get paid for spending time. Therefore, I only work with clients who are motivated to change. I don't judge other people (who don't care to change) - I just don't choose to work with them. The people who choose to work with me are very clear about what they are "signing up for" and want to do it. I am sometimes asked if most executives are willing to admit to the need to change, ask for help and follow-up on a regular basis. My answer is, "I don't know. I only work with the ones who want to do this."
Zen and Business: Marshall, one more angle on this idea of "change" and "leading change." Can you tell us how you see change. What is it about change that makes it so important and discuss with us this concept of leading change in the business organization.
Marshall Goldsmith: My area of expertise is helping successful leaders achieve a positive, long-term change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. My practice is focused on micro-level behavioral change, not organizational change. I help leaders make the behavior changes that they believe will lead to increased effectiveness for themselves (which ultimately help the organization).
Zen and Business: You mention how you work with people to make long-term, positive changes in behavior. How does this sit with a business world that is so focused on quarterly results, this month's actuals versus goal and what seems to be a continued micro-management of company's results down to the daily ups and downs. How do you work to make this long term change in such a short term focused business world?
Marshall Goldsmith: I typically work with my clients for 15 to 24 months. The research on behavioral change is clear - change measured over a longer period of time is far more lasting than change measured over a short period of time. Instant "religious conversions" seldom last. "Motivational speeches" seldom have much long-term impact. If people are serious about making long-term change in behavior, they have to make a serious investment. If they don't want to do this, I don't judge them - I just don't work with them. My clients are extremely successful people. Their companies are willing to make a long-term investment in their development.
Zen and Business: I know the clients you work with are successful - you coach many of the top executives and CEO's in the business world today. Do you find an openness to your ideas concerning the integration of Buddha and business?
Marshall Goldsmith: Since I am so widely published, most people who hire me are well aware of what I do and how I do it. They don't have any problems with my approach or philosophy. I really can't say if this is true for the larger population of executives, since those that don't approve of my approach wouldn't call me. In general I believe that our society is more open to different ideas than in the past. I have not felt any negative reaction to me being a Buddhist. Since I have been listed in almost every major publication as one of the top professionals in my field, it doesn't seem to be hurting my career!
Buddha says; "The perfect way knows no difficulties except it refuses to make preferences"
Namaste,
Buddha Speaks Biz
Suffice it to say that Marshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, measurable change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. The American Management Association named Marshall as one of the 50 great thinkers and leaders who have influenced the field of management over the past 80 years. He has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Business Strategy Review and the aforementioned New Yorker profile. The Wall Street Journal named him one of the top ten executive educators. Forbes calls him one of the five most respected executive coaches. The Economist states Marshall is one of the most credible consultants in the new era of business. The Business Times of Asia and Fast Company label Marshall as the preeminent executive coach. Dr. Goldsmith is on the faculty of executive education programs at Dartmouth, Michigan and Cambridge Universities. He is a founding director of A4SL - The Alliance for Strategic Leadership. He is a founder of the Russell Reynolds executive advisors network. He is a partner with Hewitt Associates in providing global executive coaching. He has also served as a member of the Board of the Peter Drucker Foundation for ten years.
We start the interview by asking Marshall Goldsmith about the title to this interview, "Life Is Good."
Zen and Business: I know you end your emails with "Life Is Good" and I know this is prominent on your website and such. Tell us why life is good?
Marshall Goldsmith: There are many schools of Buddhist thought. I would guess that the diversity in Buddhist beliefs is even greater than the diversity in Christian philosophies. My Buddhist philosophy can be summarized in three simple words, "Be happy now." In my mind, this is heaven, this is hell and this is Nirvana. It is not "out there." It is "in here." The great Western disease is "I'll be happy when..." This is fueled by our prevailing art form - the commercial. The commercial says, "You are unhappy. You spend money. You become happy!" I don't believe that anyone can become happy by having more. I also don't believe that anyone can become happy by having less. We can only find happiness and satisfaction with what we have. Life is good when we make it good. I also sign my emails this way to remind myself (and hopefully to help others).
Zen and Business: I want to ask you about your executive coaching and your thoughts on the integration of your practice and business, but, let's go back to the beginning here and let us know how you got involved with your Zen practice. Give us some background.
Marshall Goldsmith: I was a "hippie" in the late '60's and early '70's. During this period, I studied a variety of Eastern philosophies. During the early to mid-'70's, I decided that Buddhism was the right way for me. My favorite teacher is Thich Nhat Hanh. I have had the opportunity to spend a week at his center in France, Plum Village, and also some time in Escondido, California. I just had his painting done by a wonderful artist. It is now in my home. It is a great inspiration! We are going to donate the prints from this painting to his favorite charities.
Zen and Business: Can you tell us when and how you began to see some integration with your practice and your life's work in leadership, coaching and such?
Marshall Goldsmith: My coaching philosophy is based upon Buddhist principles. I believe that we have no "fixed identity" but instead we are ever changing. My coaching approach involves helping people let go of the past and focus on becoming what they want to become. I pioneered a concept called "feedforward" which is the essence of my coaching philosophy. My original article on Feedforward has been republished at least nine times. This concept has been taught to thousands of leaders around the world. As I have grown older, I have "come out of the closet" with my Buddhist beliefs. One event help me in this transition. I was working with a group of hard-charging investment bankers. One banker grunted, "Will this shit help us make any more money?" I thought about this question and replied, "I think so. This will help you lead in a manner that is consistent with your companies values. Your own top management believes that this will ultimately help your company become more successful." Then I decided to take a risk. I said, "But personally, I don't care so much whether your bank makes more money. My personal mission is to help you - and the people around you - have a happier life." I then asked, "Do you have any objection to this mission?" The banker thought for awhile and said he thought that this was a fine mission. I have since asked thousands of leaders if they had any objection to my mission. So far, not one person has objected!
Zen and Business: Can you talk about your approach to Zen and draw some parallels between this "Zen Leadership" and the "Business Leadership" in today's business world. Are there any parallels?
Marshall Goldsmith: My approach to Zen has a lot of applications in behavioral coaching (which is what I do). I not only work with my clients, I work with all of their key stakeholders. I try to help key stakeholders let go of preconceived notions and be open to the fact that everyone can change. I don't try to make anyone change. I only ask people to "do what works for them" in the way that Buddha suggested.
Zen and Business: Let's dig a little further here. In your coaching you do state you do not try to make anyone change. You only ask people to do what works for them in the way that Buddha suggested. Can you elaborate on this - what did Buddha suggest to the executive about doing what works for them?
Marshall Goldsmith: My understanding of Buddhism is that Buddha suggested that each of us test ideas and only use the ideas that work for us (including his ideas). In my coaching I ask executives to get ideas from many sources and use only the ideas that work for them. I don't try to "convince" or "make" my clients do anything. A key element to understand in coaching very successful people is that they have a very high need for self-determination. The more the motivation comes from them, the greater the probability of positive, long-term change.
Zen and Business: I want to follow-up on this idea that in your coaching you do not try to make anyone change. Why? Isn't change a good thing and is it not necessary for the coach to try and get the person to change?
Marshall Goldsmith: I agree that change can be a very good thing! That is what I do for a living. I help people make the changes that they want to make. I don't try to make or force people to change anything. I only work with people who care. My theory on coaching is "if they don't care - don't waste your time." I only get paid if I achieve results. I don't get paid for spending time. Therefore, I only work with clients who are motivated to change. I don't judge other people (who don't care to change) - I just don't choose to work with them. The people who choose to work with me are very clear about what they are "signing up for" and want to do it. I am sometimes asked if most executives are willing to admit to the need to change, ask for help and follow-up on a regular basis. My answer is, "I don't know. I only work with the ones who want to do this."
Zen and Business: Marshall, one more angle on this idea of "change" and "leading change." Can you tell us how you see change. What is it about change that makes it so important and discuss with us this concept of leading change in the business organization.
Marshall Goldsmith: My area of expertise is helping successful leaders achieve a positive, long-term change in behavior: for themselves, their people and their teams. My practice is focused on micro-level behavioral change, not organizational change. I help leaders make the behavior changes that they believe will lead to increased effectiveness for themselves (which ultimately help the organization).
Zen and Business: You mention how you work with people to make long-term, positive changes in behavior. How does this sit with a business world that is so focused on quarterly results, this month's actuals versus goal and what seems to be a continued micro-management of company's results down to the daily ups and downs. How do you work to make this long term change in such a short term focused business world?
Marshall Goldsmith: I typically work with my clients for 15 to 24 months. The research on behavioral change is clear - change measured over a longer period of time is far more lasting than change measured over a short period of time. Instant "religious conversions" seldom last. "Motivational speeches" seldom have much long-term impact. If people are serious about making long-term change in behavior, they have to make a serious investment. If they don't want to do this, I don't judge them - I just don't work with them. My clients are extremely successful people. Their companies are willing to make a long-term investment in their development.
Zen and Business: I know the clients you work with are successful - you coach many of the top executives and CEO's in the business world today. Do you find an openness to your ideas concerning the integration of Buddha and business?
Marshall Goldsmith: Since I am so widely published, most people who hire me are well aware of what I do and how I do it. They don't have any problems with my approach or philosophy. I really can't say if this is true for the larger population of executives, since those that don't approve of my approach wouldn't call me. In general I believe that our society is more open to different ideas than in the past. I have not felt any negative reaction to me being a Buddhist. Since I have been listed in almost every major publication as one of the top professionals in my field, it doesn't seem to be hurting my career!
Buddha says; "The perfect way knows no difficulties except it refuses to make preferences"
Namaste,
Buddha Speaks Biz
Friday, August 19, 2005
THE CORPORATE CRIMINAL VS THE ENLIGHTENED CAPITALIST
In today's Vancouver Sun, two articles appeared side by side, that could not exemplify more the contrast between what is right and what is wrong with our current state of capitalism. One story was about deceit and fraud and the other was about philanthropy and good deeds. One story was about stealing money and the other about giving it away. So here they are for you to exlpore yourself, and we could aptly title this blog entry; The Corporate Criminal vs The Enlightened Capitalist:
Radler, Hollinger lawyer charged with $32m fraud
Wire fraud, mail fraud charges laid; Radler said to be cooperating with investigators
Peter Brieger and Theresa Tedesco
National Post, with files from the Ottawa Citizen and Bloomberg
August 19, 2005
In the first criminal charges laid in the scandal of Conrad Black's fallen newspaper empire, David Radler, the former president of Hollinger International Inc., was indicted on fraud charges Thursday along with the company's top lawyer and Black's private holding company.
At a news conference in Chicago Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice accused Radler and Mark Kipnis, former in-house lawyer at Hollinger International Inc., of siphoning $32 million US away from the U.S. newspaper company to holding companies controlled by Black and his top lieutenants, including Radler.
The announcement resulted from a two-year probe into business dealings at the media empire, which followed a scandal that began four years ago when an institutional investor started asking questions about management fees paid to Hollinger executives.
"This was a systematic fraud on shareholders," Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said Thursday.
Black himself wasn't named in the indictment, and Fitzgerald sidestepped questions about whether Black will face charges.
"I'm not going to comment on any individuals who haven't been named today," he said. "All I can tell you is the investigation continues and charges will be laid if they're warranted."
Fitzgerald said Radler is cooperating with an ongoing federal investigation. It's also expected, he said, that Radler, 63, will plead guilty at a later date -- a revelation that raises the speculation he will offer testimony against his longtime business ally and friend.
"If Radler is cooperating, it's very significant and is the worst possible news for Conrad Black," Richard Breeden, a former SEC chairman who advised Hollinger International on its civil suit, told Bloomberg News. "The evidence here is overwhelming, and in Radler they've got a very knowledgeable and articulate witness."
Along with Radler and Kipnis, Ravelston was also charged Thursday with seven counts of fraud after a federal grand jury recommended charges be laid, the Justice Department said.
Radler and Kipnis could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 US fine on each count.
Ravelston, which faces a $500,000 US fine for each count in the indictment, filed for bankruptcy protection in April -- a request granted by a Toronto judge who demanded that neither Black nor Radler play any role in running the company.
Last year, a special committee appointed by Hollinger International accused Black, Radler and other senior company executives of siphoning more than $400 million US from the newspaper giant, which has sued Black and his top associates for $542 million.
Hollinger International, based in Chicago, declined to comment on the charges.
In March, Hollinger Inc. launched its own $636-million lawsuit against Black and other past Hollinger executives.
The case against Radler and Kipnis centres on six separate sales of Hollinger International newspaper assets between January 1999 and May 2001 and payments made to the company so it wouldn't open rival publications, known as non-compete fees.
When Hollinger sold Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. for $472 million US in 1999, Radler and other Ravelston "agents" earmarked $50 million US of the proceeds as non-compete payments, $12 million US of which was "fraudulently" transferred to Hollinger Inc., the charges allege.
Four Hollinger International executives, including Radler and Kipnis, paid themselves a bonus in 2001 of $5.5 million US each, which they described as non-compete payments to win tax breaks, defrauding Canadian tax collectors, the charges allege.
In another case, the Hollinger executives paid themselves not to compete with a company that they owned.
"The fraud became more brazen and bold over time," Fitzgerald alleges. "They decided among themselves to pay themselves not to compete with themselves."
The charges come as Black, Radler and others face securities fraud probes in the United States and Canada.
Land records indicate that David Radler transferred ownership of his West Vancouver home to his wife, Rona Radler, last November.
The home has an assessed value of $2 million.
When Hollinger sold Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. for $472 million US in 1999, Radler and other Ravelston "agents" earmarked $50 million US of the proceeds as non-compete payments, $12 million US of which was "fraudulently" transferred to Hollinger Inc., the charges allege.
Four Hollinger International executives, including Radler and Kipnis, paid themselves a bonus in 2001 of $5.5 million US each, which they described as non-compete payments to win tax breaks, defrauding Canadian tax collectors, the charges allege.
In another case, the Hollinger executives paid themselves not to compete with a company that they owned.
"The fraud became more brazen and bold over time," Fitzgerald alleges. "They decided among themselves to pay themselves not to compete with themselves."
The charges come as Black, Radler and others face securities fraud probes in the United States and Canada.
Land records indicate that David Radler transferred ownership of his West Vancouver home to his wife, Rona Radler, last November.
The home has an assessed value of $2 million.
- - -
THE ACCUSER
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald
THE ACCUSED
David Radler
Vancouver-based former president of Hollinger International Inc.
ALSO ACCUSED
Mark Kipnis
Hollinger International's former in-house lawyer
Ravelston Corp. Ltd.
The private Toronto company that controlled Hollinger's global publishing empire.
THE ALLEGATIONS
It's alleged that Radler, Kipnis and Ravelston diverted $32 million US through a series of secret deals by disguising the money as noncompete fees connected to the sale of U.S. newspapers to other companies.
THE CHARGES
All three are charged with five counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Radler and Kipnis face five years in prison on each count.
WESTCOAST NEWS
Hidden philanthropist ready to help others follow her lead
Nicholas Read
Vancouver Sun
August 19, 2005
Carol Newell is coming clean.
She is, and has been for more than a decade, one of Vancouver's most influential citizens, funding environmentally forward-looking charities and businesses with her personal wealth.
It's just that few people knew it.
That is about to change.
Newell, 49, is getting ready to tell her story to anyone willing to listen in the hope that other people with fortunes comparable to hers will realize that money is only worth something if it is spent to improve the world.
As one of the family heirs of the small U.S. company that went on to become the Newell Rubbermaid Corporation, the New York-born Newell came into a personal windfall of more than $25 million 15 years ago, not long after she emigrated to Canada. But instead of spending the money on herself, or using it to amass an even bigger fortune, she has, she says, spent it on building a culture that is "simpler, sustainable for all, and linked to the land."
In other words, apart from a modest amount she has set aside to live on, all her money has gone into furthering environmental and social-justice concerns. In six years most of it will be gone.
Principally, she's done it in two ways. First, in 1992 she created the Endswell Foundation, which grants money to environmental and social justice charities.
And second, with her business partner Joel Solomon, himself a $5-million US heir to a Tennessee development fortune, she set up in 1994 the Renewal Partners Company which provides venture capital, through loans and/or equity investments, to fledgling companies with a vision for a better B.C.
Included among the 50 or so firms her seed money has helped nurture are Capers Community Markets, Happy Planet Foods, Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (SPUD), Communicopia Web Design, Hollyhock Retreat Centre and New Society Publishers. Eighteen of them have failed -- an unacceptably high percentage in the eyes of most financial institutions, but a risk Renewal is prepared to take for the sake of its ideals.
But she's done it without a breath of publicity. When Shauna Sylvester received funding from Endswell to start the Institute for Media Policy and Civil Societies, an organization that does communications work for charities, it was two years before she learned who Newell was -- even that she existed. "I didn't know Carol," Sylvester says. "She was an anonymous donor. In those days, she just wanted her money to be anonymous."
Not any more. Newell is now ready to come forward and, she hopes, set an example to other wealthy people interested in seeing their money make a difference. "I think those of us who have extraordinary wealth have an opportunity to leverage that wealth to stimulate a just and sustainable economy," she told The Vancouver Sun in her first-ever interview with a daily newspaper. "I know it goes against the grain, but I know it's possible. It's just about deciding what kind of choices we want to make."
She's kept her work so secret that neither the Vancouver Board of Trade, the B.C. Business Council nor the Canadian Venture Capital Association has heard of her.
But Vancity CEO Dave Mowat calls Newell's "a one-of-a-kind organization. There are probably individuals around with a similar mindset, but Renewal has staff. They have full-time people working on this. I would say they're unique in that regard for sure."
What also makes Renewal unique in B.C., Mowat says, is that when it is considering investing in a new business, the most important criterion on which it bases its decision is not whether the business will make money -- though that is important -- but how it will contribute to the greater good.
"We are about mission and purpose first," confirms Solomon. "And that is unusual."
Yes, Renewal wants to see the business plan, he says, but only if it includes a real vision for addressing environmental and social concerns, and if it is going to make a real contribution towards creating a more sustainable and just society.
"We first want to know what the purpose of the enterprise is in addition to creating a successful business," Solomon says.
Money can be provided either in the form of a loan, for which interest is eventually required, or as an equity investment. Terms are negotiated according to the entrepreneur and the type of deal suggested.
The point, says Solomon, is not to have a prescribed exit strategy. The point is to help these companies remain in business as long as possible. And 12 years into it, he and Newell are pretty much committed. No matter how many people may come knocking from now on, they're not in a position to hand out much more.
That's why Newell has also helped set up the Tides Canada Foundation, another giving arm that will, thanks to the help of other investors, operate in a more traditional way and give away only the money it earns.
However, like Endswell and because of Newell's involvement, most of Tides' gifts are made to environmental and social-justice causes, says executive director Tim Draimin. "[Newell] was the instigator of us being here," Draimin says. "She's the founder."
But Endswell was meant to be different, Solomon says. Newell wanted to see her money spent well in her lifetime, and had she tied it up in a traditional foundation, that wouldn't have happened.
David Van Seters, who, in the last seven years, has turned SPUD into a $7.5-million organic food delivery service, says Renewal's help was crucial to his company's survival and success.
"They helped in providing some much-needed funding for SPUD in its early days, and they've continued to support us as we've grown with additional funding," Van Seters says. "They have been a true strategic partner for us in every sense of the word."
And now SPUD is in a position to give to charitable organizations with complementary missions. Capers does the same.
Randal Ius, who helped establish Happy Planet Foods with recently elected NDP MLA Gregor Robertson, agrees that without Renewal's interest and help, Happy Planet wouldn't be what it is today, the largest fresh and organic juice and smoothie manufacturer in Canada.
Their influence financially was important, but their influence by bringing a lot of excellent sales consultants on board and introducing us to excellent business contacts both in the U.S. and Canada was every bit as important," Ius says.
Jason Mogus, CEO of Communicopia Internet Inc., an online strategy and design firm for sustainability companies and non-profit organizations, will do almost $1.5 million in business this year, and, as such, will be in a position for the first time in 12 years to repay some of Renewal's investment in him in hard cash.
No other venture-capital company would have been as patient, he says. "They helped us at a time before social and environmental responsibility was known," Mogus explains. "Their approach to supporting me as an entrepreneur with business values was unprecedented and incredible. They are absolutely critical to my success and our company's success. But they would never say that they did that."
For her part, Newell says none of her clients has disappointed her. "That's remarkable," she admits. "And as I say that, it almost brings tears to my eyes. But in one way or another I feel so good about the investments and the philanthropic contributions I've made. I'm so happy that that money is out there working."
nread@png.canwest.com
Buddha says; "There are four bases of sympathy: charity, kind speech, doing a good turn and treating all alike. Happy indeed are the men-of-worth, in them no craving'seen. The "I" conceit is rooted up; delusion's net is burst."
Radler, Hollinger lawyer charged with $32m fraud
Wire fraud, mail fraud charges laid; Radler said to be cooperating with investigators
Peter Brieger and Theresa Tedesco
National Post, with files from the Ottawa Citizen and Bloomberg
August 19, 2005
In the first criminal charges laid in the scandal of Conrad Black's fallen newspaper empire, David Radler, the former president of Hollinger International Inc., was indicted on fraud charges Thursday along with the company's top lawyer and Black's private holding company.
At a news conference in Chicago Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice accused Radler and Mark Kipnis, former in-house lawyer at Hollinger International Inc., of siphoning $32 million US away from the U.S. newspaper company to holding companies controlled by Black and his top lieutenants, including Radler.
The announcement resulted from a two-year probe into business dealings at the media empire, which followed a scandal that began four years ago when an institutional investor started asking questions about management fees paid to Hollinger executives.
"This was a systematic fraud on shareholders," Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said Thursday.
Black himself wasn't named in the indictment, and Fitzgerald sidestepped questions about whether Black will face charges.
"I'm not going to comment on any individuals who haven't been named today," he said. "All I can tell you is the investigation continues and charges will be laid if they're warranted."
Fitzgerald said Radler is cooperating with an ongoing federal investigation. It's also expected, he said, that Radler, 63, will plead guilty at a later date -- a revelation that raises the speculation he will offer testimony against his longtime business ally and friend.
"If Radler is cooperating, it's very significant and is the worst possible news for Conrad Black," Richard Breeden, a former SEC chairman who advised Hollinger International on its civil suit, told Bloomberg News. "The evidence here is overwhelming, and in Radler they've got a very knowledgeable and articulate witness."
Along with Radler and Kipnis, Ravelston was also charged Thursday with seven counts of fraud after a federal grand jury recommended charges be laid, the Justice Department said.
Radler and Kipnis could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 US fine on each count.
Ravelston, which faces a $500,000 US fine for each count in the indictment, filed for bankruptcy protection in April -- a request granted by a Toronto judge who demanded that neither Black nor Radler play any role in running the company.
Last year, a special committee appointed by Hollinger International accused Black, Radler and other senior company executives of siphoning more than $400 million US from the newspaper giant, which has sued Black and his top associates for $542 million.
Hollinger International, based in Chicago, declined to comment on the charges.
In March, Hollinger Inc. launched its own $636-million lawsuit against Black and other past Hollinger executives.
The case against Radler and Kipnis centres on six separate sales of Hollinger International newspaper assets between January 1999 and May 2001 and payments made to the company so it wouldn't open rival publications, known as non-compete fees.
When Hollinger sold Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. for $472 million US in 1999, Radler and other Ravelston "agents" earmarked $50 million US of the proceeds as non-compete payments, $12 million US of which was "fraudulently" transferred to Hollinger Inc., the charges allege.
Four Hollinger International executives, including Radler and Kipnis, paid themselves a bonus in 2001 of $5.5 million US each, which they described as non-compete payments to win tax breaks, defrauding Canadian tax collectors, the charges allege.
In another case, the Hollinger executives paid themselves not to compete with a company that they owned.
"The fraud became more brazen and bold over time," Fitzgerald alleges. "They decided among themselves to pay themselves not to compete with themselves."
The charges come as Black, Radler and others face securities fraud probes in the United States and Canada.
Land records indicate that David Radler transferred ownership of his West Vancouver home to his wife, Rona Radler, last November.
The home has an assessed value of $2 million.
When Hollinger sold Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. for $472 million US in 1999, Radler and other Ravelston "agents" earmarked $50 million US of the proceeds as non-compete payments, $12 million US of which was "fraudulently" transferred to Hollinger Inc., the charges allege.
Four Hollinger International executives, including Radler and Kipnis, paid themselves a bonus in 2001 of $5.5 million US each, which they described as non-compete payments to win tax breaks, defrauding Canadian tax collectors, the charges allege.
In another case, the Hollinger executives paid themselves not to compete with a company that they owned.
"The fraud became more brazen and bold over time," Fitzgerald alleges. "They decided among themselves to pay themselves not to compete with themselves."
The charges come as Black, Radler and others face securities fraud probes in the United States and Canada.
Land records indicate that David Radler transferred ownership of his West Vancouver home to his wife, Rona Radler, last November.
The home has an assessed value of $2 million.
- - -
THE ACCUSER
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald
THE ACCUSED
David Radler
Vancouver-based former president of Hollinger International Inc.
ALSO ACCUSED
Mark Kipnis
Hollinger International's former in-house lawyer
Ravelston Corp. Ltd.
The private Toronto company that controlled Hollinger's global publishing empire.
THE ALLEGATIONS
It's alleged that Radler, Kipnis and Ravelston diverted $32 million US through a series of secret deals by disguising the money as noncompete fees connected to the sale of U.S. newspapers to other companies.
THE CHARGES
All three are charged with five counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Radler and Kipnis face five years in prison on each count.
WESTCOAST NEWS
Hidden philanthropist ready to help others follow her lead
Nicholas Read
Vancouver Sun
August 19, 2005
Carol Newell is coming clean.
She is, and has been for more than a decade, one of Vancouver's most influential citizens, funding environmentally forward-looking charities and businesses with her personal wealth.
It's just that few people knew it.
That is about to change.
Newell, 49, is getting ready to tell her story to anyone willing to listen in the hope that other people with fortunes comparable to hers will realize that money is only worth something if it is spent to improve the world.
As one of the family heirs of the small U.S. company that went on to become the Newell Rubbermaid Corporation, the New York-born Newell came into a personal windfall of more than $25 million 15 years ago, not long after she emigrated to Canada. But instead of spending the money on herself, or using it to amass an even bigger fortune, she has, she says, spent it on building a culture that is "simpler, sustainable for all, and linked to the land."
In other words, apart from a modest amount she has set aside to live on, all her money has gone into furthering environmental and social-justice concerns. In six years most of it will be gone.
Principally, she's done it in two ways. First, in 1992 she created the Endswell Foundation, which grants money to environmental and social justice charities.
And second, with her business partner Joel Solomon, himself a $5-million US heir to a Tennessee development fortune, she set up in 1994 the Renewal Partners Company which provides venture capital, through loans and/or equity investments, to fledgling companies with a vision for a better B.C.
Included among the 50 or so firms her seed money has helped nurture are Capers Community Markets, Happy Planet Foods, Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (SPUD), Communicopia Web Design, Hollyhock Retreat Centre and New Society Publishers. Eighteen of them have failed -- an unacceptably high percentage in the eyes of most financial institutions, but a risk Renewal is prepared to take for the sake of its ideals.
But she's done it without a breath of publicity. When Shauna Sylvester received funding from Endswell to start the Institute for Media Policy and Civil Societies, an organization that does communications work for charities, it was two years before she learned who Newell was -- even that she existed. "I didn't know Carol," Sylvester says. "She was an anonymous donor. In those days, she just wanted her money to be anonymous."
Not any more. Newell is now ready to come forward and, she hopes, set an example to other wealthy people interested in seeing their money make a difference. "I think those of us who have extraordinary wealth have an opportunity to leverage that wealth to stimulate a just and sustainable economy," she told The Vancouver Sun in her first-ever interview with a daily newspaper. "I know it goes against the grain, but I know it's possible. It's just about deciding what kind of choices we want to make."
She's kept her work so secret that neither the Vancouver Board of Trade, the B.C. Business Council nor the Canadian Venture Capital Association has heard of her.
But Vancity CEO Dave Mowat calls Newell's "a one-of-a-kind organization. There are probably individuals around with a similar mindset, but Renewal has staff. They have full-time people working on this. I would say they're unique in that regard for sure."
What also makes Renewal unique in B.C., Mowat says, is that when it is considering investing in a new business, the most important criterion on which it bases its decision is not whether the business will make money -- though that is important -- but how it will contribute to the greater good.
"We are about mission and purpose first," confirms Solomon. "And that is unusual."
Yes, Renewal wants to see the business plan, he says, but only if it includes a real vision for addressing environmental and social concerns, and if it is going to make a real contribution towards creating a more sustainable and just society.
"We first want to know what the purpose of the enterprise is in addition to creating a successful business," Solomon says.
Money can be provided either in the form of a loan, for which interest is eventually required, or as an equity investment. Terms are negotiated according to the entrepreneur and the type of deal suggested.
The point, says Solomon, is not to have a prescribed exit strategy. The point is to help these companies remain in business as long as possible. And 12 years into it, he and Newell are pretty much committed. No matter how many people may come knocking from now on, they're not in a position to hand out much more.
That's why Newell has also helped set up the Tides Canada Foundation, another giving arm that will, thanks to the help of other investors, operate in a more traditional way and give away only the money it earns.
However, like Endswell and because of Newell's involvement, most of Tides' gifts are made to environmental and social-justice causes, says executive director Tim Draimin. "[Newell] was the instigator of us being here," Draimin says. "She's the founder."
But Endswell was meant to be different, Solomon says. Newell wanted to see her money spent well in her lifetime, and had she tied it up in a traditional foundation, that wouldn't have happened.
David Van Seters, who, in the last seven years, has turned SPUD into a $7.5-million organic food delivery service, says Renewal's help was crucial to his company's survival and success.
"They helped in providing some much-needed funding for SPUD in its early days, and they've continued to support us as we've grown with additional funding," Van Seters says. "They have been a true strategic partner for us in every sense of the word."
And now SPUD is in a position to give to charitable organizations with complementary missions. Capers does the same.
Randal Ius, who helped establish Happy Planet Foods with recently elected NDP MLA Gregor Robertson, agrees that without Renewal's interest and help, Happy Planet wouldn't be what it is today, the largest fresh and organic juice and smoothie manufacturer in Canada.
Their influence financially was important, but their influence by bringing a lot of excellent sales consultants on board and introducing us to excellent business contacts both in the U.S. and Canada was every bit as important," Ius says.
Jason Mogus, CEO of Communicopia Internet Inc., an online strategy and design firm for sustainability companies and non-profit organizations, will do almost $1.5 million in business this year, and, as such, will be in a position for the first time in 12 years to repay some of Renewal's investment in him in hard cash.
No other venture-capital company would have been as patient, he says. "They helped us at a time before social and environmental responsibility was known," Mogus explains. "Their approach to supporting me as an entrepreneur with business values was unprecedented and incredible. They are absolutely critical to my success and our company's success. But they would never say that they did that."
For her part, Newell says none of her clients has disappointed her. "That's remarkable," she admits. "And as I say that, it almost brings tears to my eyes. But in one way or another I feel so good about the investments and the philanthropic contributions I've made. I'm so happy that that money is out there working."
nread@png.canwest.com
Buddha says; "There are four bases of sympathy: charity, kind speech, doing a good turn and treating all alike. Happy indeed are the men-of-worth, in them no craving'seen. The "I" conceit is rooted up; delusion's net is burst."
Thursday, August 18, 2005
NAMASTE & SUCCESS---THE JOURNEY
First of all I want to acknowledge those of you who have sent in comments to this blog site. Muniandy from Malaysia I appreciate your positive feedback and PT your constructive critique.
I have learned some huge lessons as this blog unfolds, and the most important is to be patient with your journey. I am learning as you are to be on a better path in my life and my life's work. To do this in your 20,s , 30,s 40,s or even 50's is an uphill climb given our childhood training and early adulthood programming, but to start at my age of 63 is even more of a challenge.
Some of you have questioned the motivation for the blog. Is it simply a marketing tool for writing my book? That's a fair question and requires a truthful answer. "Buddha in the Board Room" was conceived long before the blog. About two years ago I came up with the title but never really did anything with it. I was also not in the right space to begin any journey, I was caught up in the daily spin that we are all engaged in until we realize that something is missing, we are chasing that ever elusive state of nirvana that never comes. Money comes and goes...happiness is merely an interruption of sadness.....anxiety is motivated by fear......we do business to get business to make money....we create relationships to make us happy....we are never alone we are just in between relationships, it's too painful to be alone..we meet and network with people to get businesss..we make money to buy things to be happy...and when we're done buying the house, the car, the big screen t.v., the Australian trip, the winter condo, the summer cottage, the ski trip, etc etc...it's always NEXT!!!
I decided six months ago I had had enough. That didn't mean I had to drop out and retreat to a monastery in the himalayans, although I was tempted. I decided to do something different with my life and after connecting with a few people at a deeper level and hearing their story, observing how effortlesly they conducted their business and personal life and seeing how truly happy and content they were I looked at how I could begin a similar journey.
This blog and the writings herein are the beginning of that journey. And I emphasize again this is very much the beginning of the journey. I have truthfully admitted that I am not a Buddhist and I am not a deeply religious man. I am however deeply spiritual and have had many life altering experiences that have come through divine intervention and a source that goes beyond the infrastructure of a religious institution. I don't meditate regularly, do yoga or burn candles...only when I take a bath....so you see I'm probably just like you....beginning the journey. And if by some chance I can inspire you to begin the journey with me as a fellow traveller, maybe we can learn a lot from each other.
I became intrigued by the eight fold path of the teachings of the Buddha and thought that if we conducted our lives with these fundamental principles, not only would we be in RIGHT alignment, our life's work would be of personal choice and fulfillment, businesses would grow and prosper for the right reasons , our relationships would be of pure intention and the view of our world would change.
As I have been led to believe, weblogs have been created to allow everyone to express themselves in a free and unshackled way. The opinions I express and yours are not monitored by some news director, surveilence camera, Home Land Security. the FBI, CIA or RCMP..Big Brother is not watching. So I encourage you to not just drop by this blog site for a visit, but to use it as a forum to write your own personal stories about your journey, whether you are at the beginning, middle, or end.
<strong>Buddha says: "The moment we are enlightened within, we go beyond the voidness of a world confronting us".
Namaste
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Ed note: Many of you have asked why I use the term Namaste when I sign off the blog entry...there is a reason and here it is:
NAMASTE & SUCCESS
Meaning and Definition
Namaste, appreciation, and success all go hand in hand when you understand the true meaning.
The meaning of success is the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals by honoring others.
Success is a life filled with appreciation and gratitude. You could say the real meaning of Success is the ability to fulfill your desires effortlessly and with ease.
Yet success- all by itself, success, including the creation of wealth, has been considered by some to be a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered by some to be at the expense of others.
What's needed is a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence; which is the abundant flow of all good things to you.
These 7 spiritual laws have helped many people live in harmony with nature and create with carefree-ness, joy, and love once they have realized it's true meaning.
7 Spiritual Laws of Success
Meaning and Definition.
1. The Law of Pure Potentiality
The source of all creation is pure consciousness... pure potentiality seeking expression from the un-manifest to the manifest. When we realize that our true self is one of pure potentiality, we align with the power that manifests everything in the universe.
2. The Law of Giving
The universe operates through dynamic exchange.... giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.
3. The Law of Cause and Effect
Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind.... what we sow is what we reap. And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our action is happiness and success.
4. The law of Least Effort
Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease.... with care-freeness, harmony, and love. When we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.
5. The Law of Intention and Desire
Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment... intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite power. When we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.
6. The Law of Detachment
In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty..... in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning. in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe.
7. The Law of Purpose in Life
Everyone has a purpose in life... a unique gift or special talent to give to others. When we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.
I have learned some huge lessons as this blog unfolds, and the most important is to be patient with your journey. I am learning as you are to be on a better path in my life and my life's work. To do this in your 20,s , 30,s 40,s or even 50's is an uphill climb given our childhood training and early adulthood programming, but to start at my age of 63 is even more of a challenge.
Some of you have questioned the motivation for the blog. Is it simply a marketing tool for writing my book? That's a fair question and requires a truthful answer. "Buddha in the Board Room" was conceived long before the blog. About two years ago I came up with the title but never really did anything with it. I was also not in the right space to begin any journey, I was caught up in the daily spin that we are all engaged in until we realize that something is missing, we are chasing that ever elusive state of nirvana that never comes. Money comes and goes...happiness is merely an interruption of sadness.....anxiety is motivated by fear......we do business to get business to make money....we create relationships to make us happy....we are never alone we are just in between relationships, it's too painful to be alone..we meet and network with people to get businesss..we make money to buy things to be happy...and when we're done buying the house, the car, the big screen t.v., the Australian trip, the winter condo, the summer cottage, the ski trip, etc etc...it's always NEXT!!!
I decided six months ago I had had enough. That didn't mean I had to drop out and retreat to a monastery in the himalayans, although I was tempted. I decided to do something different with my life and after connecting with a few people at a deeper level and hearing their story, observing how effortlesly they conducted their business and personal life and seeing how truly happy and content they were I looked at how I could begin a similar journey.
This blog and the writings herein are the beginning of that journey. And I emphasize again this is very much the beginning of the journey. I have truthfully admitted that I am not a Buddhist and I am not a deeply religious man. I am however deeply spiritual and have had many life altering experiences that have come through divine intervention and a source that goes beyond the infrastructure of a religious institution. I don't meditate regularly, do yoga or burn candles...only when I take a bath....so you see I'm probably just like you....beginning the journey. And if by some chance I can inspire you to begin the journey with me as a fellow traveller, maybe we can learn a lot from each other.
I became intrigued by the eight fold path of the teachings of the Buddha and thought that if we conducted our lives with these fundamental principles, not only would we be in RIGHT alignment, our life's work would be of personal choice and fulfillment, businesses would grow and prosper for the right reasons , our relationships would be of pure intention and the view of our world would change.
As I have been led to believe, weblogs have been created to allow everyone to express themselves in a free and unshackled way. The opinions I express and yours are not monitored by some news director, surveilence camera, Home Land Security. the FBI, CIA or RCMP..Big Brother is not watching. So I encourage you to not just drop by this blog site for a visit, but to use it as a forum to write your own personal stories about your journey, whether you are at the beginning, middle, or end.
<strong>Buddha says: "The moment we are enlightened within, we go beyond the voidness of a world confronting us".
Namaste
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Ed note: Many of you have asked why I use the term Namaste when I sign off the blog entry...there is a reason and here it is:
NAMASTE & SUCCESS
Meaning and Definition
Namaste, appreciation, and success all go hand in hand when you understand the true meaning.
The meaning of success is the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals by honoring others.
Success is a life filled with appreciation and gratitude. You could say the real meaning of Success is the ability to fulfill your desires effortlessly and with ease.
Yet success- all by itself, success, including the creation of wealth, has been considered by some to be a process that requires hard work, and it is often considered by some to be at the expense of others.
What's needed is a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence; which is the abundant flow of all good things to you.
These 7 spiritual laws have helped many people live in harmony with nature and create with carefree-ness, joy, and love once they have realized it's true meaning.
7 Spiritual Laws of Success
Meaning and Definition.
1. The Law of Pure Potentiality
The source of all creation is pure consciousness... pure potentiality seeking expression from the un-manifest to the manifest. When we realize that our true self is one of pure potentiality, we align with the power that manifests everything in the universe.
2. The Law of Giving
The universe operates through dynamic exchange.... giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe. And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.
3. The Law of Cause and Effect
Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind.... what we sow is what we reap. And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our action is happiness and success.
4. The law of Least Effort
Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease.... with care-freeness, harmony, and love. When we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.
5. The Law of Intention and Desire
Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment... intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite power. When we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.
6. The Law of Detachment
In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty..... in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning. in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe.
7. The Law of Purpose in Life
Everyone has a purpose in life... a unique gift or special talent to give to others. When we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
ERA OF IMPERIAL CEO'S OVER
Here are excerpts from an article in Fast Company worth re-publishing:
by Jennifer Reingold
It's the new era of accountability: Most of the nation's worst-performing bosses have been shown the door.
The death certificates have been signed. The eulogies have been written. The bagpipes have sounded. That's right, folks. The era of the Imperial CEO is officially over. Thanks to the humiliating collapse of the fraud-riddled likes of Enron, HealthSouth, Tyco, and WorldCom, chief executives today are about as respected as, oh, Internet stock analysts.
And they have about as much job security, too. A CEO no longer has to be photographed on a perp walk, handcuffs scraping cuff links, in order to get the boot; heads are now rolling for the slightest whiff of impropriety. In June, Freddie Mac wiped out much of its C-suite -- its CEO, COO, and CFO -- amid an accounting probe. Another prominent departure of late was American Airlines chief Donald Carty, forced out after neglecting to mention a special bonus pool for top executives while he was asking stewardesses and pilots to take massive pay cuts.
But as the bills come due for the millennium's excesses, many executives are losing their jobs for much less. These days, bosses may actually be shown the door for something as simple as poor performance (imagine that!). Just ask Ford's Jacques Nasser (broomed in 2001); Vivendi's Jean-Marie Messier (2002); EDS's Dick Brown (2003); AOL-Time Warner's Gerald Levin (2002); and -- hello, again, AOL-Time Warner -- Steve Case (2003).
A stunning 78% of the CEOs at the worst-performing 20% of companies in the S&P 500 have been replaced within the past five years. "The way companies are managed is more by the numbers now," says Chuck Lucier, senior vice president emeritus at Booz Allen Hamilton. "If an executive doesn't perform today, he gets shot."
For the rest of the story go to www.fastcompany.com
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
by Jennifer Reingold
It's the new era of accountability: Most of the nation's worst-performing bosses have been shown the door.
The death certificates have been signed. The eulogies have been written. The bagpipes have sounded. That's right, folks. The era of the Imperial CEO is officially over. Thanks to the humiliating collapse of the fraud-riddled likes of Enron, HealthSouth, Tyco, and WorldCom, chief executives today are about as respected as, oh, Internet stock analysts.
And they have about as much job security, too. A CEO no longer has to be photographed on a perp walk, handcuffs scraping cuff links, in order to get the boot; heads are now rolling for the slightest whiff of impropriety. In June, Freddie Mac wiped out much of its C-suite -- its CEO, COO, and CFO -- amid an accounting probe. Another prominent departure of late was American Airlines chief Donald Carty, forced out after neglecting to mention a special bonus pool for top executives while he was asking stewardesses and pilots to take massive pay cuts.
But as the bills come due for the millennium's excesses, many executives are losing their jobs for much less. These days, bosses may actually be shown the door for something as simple as poor performance (imagine that!). Just ask Ford's Jacques Nasser (broomed in 2001); Vivendi's Jean-Marie Messier (2002); EDS's Dick Brown (2003); AOL-Time Warner's Gerald Levin (2002); and -- hello, again, AOL-Time Warner -- Steve Case (2003).
A stunning 78% of the CEOs at the worst-performing 20% of companies in the S&P 500 have been replaced within the past five years. "The way companies are managed is more by the numbers now," says Chuck Lucier, senior vice president emeritus at Booz Allen Hamilton. "If an executive doesn't perform today, he gets shot."
For the rest of the story go to www.fastcompany.com
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
BEWARE OF GURUS BEARING GIFTS
In my relentless pursuit of learning who I am and what this journey of discovery is all about , people are beginning to show up in my life who are in what I have been callng "purposeful alignment". Yesterday, I met with an old friend, Andrew Barber-Starkey, who has now built himself a very successful coaching and seminar business. We shared "war stories" about what it's been like to be in business with self-styled western world gurus and where our business is today without them, as the captain of our own ship .
His experiences and mine with individuals who ride the roller coaster of fame and fortune and are quite eager to take those of us who are willing participants along for the ride, are quite similar. We have all met them and in our desperate need to accomplish something GREAT in our lives...whether it's financial freedom or being recognized as a leader, we are willing to give up body and soul to follow them, dsspite the fact we know that these individuals are totally ego based and narcisstic in nature.
They are known to the western world mistakingly as "Gurus". Western style Gurus come in many forms: Self Help, Spiritual, Medical, Sales, Marketing, and pretty much for every category of human and business life. The challenge we face as human beings , is that we generally feel we need someone to help us get from point A to point B. Maybe it's the fact that our parents did it for us and so we turn to others for that guidance once we grow up. The truth is that we are by nature "lemmings" when it comes to anyone who even remotely appears to replace our parent/s...it's like we all need a "Moses" to take us to the promised land of milk and honey.
And so these people continually show up on our radar screen , until we learn we can actually do it without them and be really at peace with our own sense of integrity, truth , and we are able to design our own destiny. We don't need to live someone else's dream, vision, or reality. As this friend and I began to share these stories of what it's been like to live under the shadow of our personal western style "Gurus", we realized that the common theme is one of being dispensable when the Great Guru no longer needs you. The moment of truth is when you realize that he/she is neither a guru, your father, your mother , or the person you think can take you to the top of the mountain. The minute your loyalty and allegiance is in question ...he/she will remove you.... like a surgeon with a knife removing the cancerous tumour.
So what's the point here in my rambling today. Well, I have been in search of personal gurus my whole life, and interstingly enough they have found me. Every time they have found me I have been in a state of need, and looking for answers and meaning to my life. So rather than look within ,I chose the easier route of having someone else look after me...someone else who I perceived to have all the answers. And I was willing to pay big bucks to follow this galavanting guru to the promised land and take me out of the darkness and into the light. Because no one wants to be alone in the dark.
The lesson learned for both Andrew and I was that we can essentially keep all our ideas, maintain our self respect and integrity and venture forth alone to accomplish what we were meant to accomplish, what we love to do, and empower others to do it alone. We are merely guides and mentors. And for that reason we need to abolish the term "Guru" in our western society and replace it with the word "Mentor or Guide". I believe strongly in only using the term "Guru" with reference to the Eastern religion defintion of the "true" Guru:
A guru (गुरू Sanskrit) is a Hindu religious teacher. It is based on a long line of Hindu philosophical understandings of the importance of knowledge and that the teacher, guru, is the sacred conduit to self-realization. Till today in India and among people of Hindu or Sikh persuasion, the title retains its significant hallowed space.
Guru is widely used in contemporary India with the universal meaning of the word "teacher".
In the traditional sense, the word guru describes a relationship rather than an absolute and is used as a form of address only by a disciple addressing his master. Some Hindu denominations like BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha hold that a personal relationship with a living guru, revered as the embodiment of God, is essential in seeking moksha.
The role of the guru continues in the original sense of the word in such Hindu traditions as Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and Bhakti sects. Indeed, it is now a standard part of Hinduism (as defined by the six Vedic streams and the Tantric Agamic streams) that a guru is one's spiritual guide on earth. In some more mystical Hindu circles, it is believed that the guru could awaken dormant spiritual knowledge within the pupil, known as shaktipat.
In tantric Buddhism, a guru is essential for the initiation,practice and guidance along the path. The importance of a guru-disciple relationship, is demonstrated by ritual empowerments or initiations where the student obtains permission to practice a particular tantra.
The Dalai Lama speaking of the importance of the guru said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism."
The Guru in Buddhism represents a set of teachings and beliefs that no common man is a God or a Guru and that we are all interconnected to one another to do good and be good and to understand that it is through the collaboratve efforts of humankind that we will always come from a place of abundance and happiness.
This weblog is designed to not only share with you the writings of my book, but I hope it serves as a well spring for your own journey of self discovery. I encourage you to write your story and I will post it, and with your permission we may use it in the book. And by the way, pay attention to those serendipitious meetings with people who just show up in your life. They are either a reminder of the past, a test to see if you'll drink the Kool Aid again or have you learned your lesson, and that you don't need a GURU, you just need a fellow traveller for the journey.
I would like to acknowledge Heath Row, the editor of Fast Company Now for recognizing the work we are doing with the book and this weblog, by recommending it in the lastst edition of FC Now, which can be found at www.blog.fastcompany.com. Thank you Heath.
Buddha Says: "Grasping after systems, imprisoned by dogmas for the most part in this world. But he who does not go in for system-grasping he neither doubts nor is perplexed; by not depending on others, knowledge herein comes to be his own."
Buddha Speaks Biz
His experiences and mine with individuals who ride the roller coaster of fame and fortune and are quite eager to take those of us who are willing participants along for the ride, are quite similar. We have all met them and in our desperate need to accomplish something GREAT in our lives...whether it's financial freedom or being recognized as a leader, we are willing to give up body and soul to follow them, dsspite the fact we know that these individuals are totally ego based and narcisstic in nature.
They are known to the western world mistakingly as "Gurus". Western style Gurus come in many forms: Self Help, Spiritual, Medical, Sales, Marketing, and pretty much for every category of human and business life. The challenge we face as human beings , is that we generally feel we need someone to help us get from point A to point B. Maybe it's the fact that our parents did it for us and so we turn to others for that guidance once we grow up. The truth is that we are by nature "lemmings" when it comes to anyone who even remotely appears to replace our parent/s...it's like we all need a "Moses" to take us to the promised land of milk and honey.
And so these people continually show up on our radar screen , until we learn we can actually do it without them and be really at peace with our own sense of integrity, truth , and we are able to design our own destiny. We don't need to live someone else's dream, vision, or reality. As this friend and I began to share these stories of what it's been like to live under the shadow of our personal western style "Gurus", we realized that the common theme is one of being dispensable when the Great Guru no longer needs you. The moment of truth is when you realize that he/she is neither a guru, your father, your mother , or the person you think can take you to the top of the mountain. The minute your loyalty and allegiance is in question ...he/she will remove you.... like a surgeon with a knife removing the cancerous tumour.
So what's the point here in my rambling today. Well, I have been in search of personal gurus my whole life, and interstingly enough they have found me. Every time they have found me I have been in a state of need, and looking for answers and meaning to my life. So rather than look within ,I chose the easier route of having someone else look after me...someone else who I perceived to have all the answers. And I was willing to pay big bucks to follow this galavanting guru to the promised land and take me out of the darkness and into the light. Because no one wants to be alone in the dark.
The lesson learned for both Andrew and I was that we can essentially keep all our ideas, maintain our self respect and integrity and venture forth alone to accomplish what we were meant to accomplish, what we love to do, and empower others to do it alone. We are merely guides and mentors. And for that reason we need to abolish the term "Guru" in our western society and replace it with the word "Mentor or Guide". I believe strongly in only using the term "Guru" with reference to the Eastern religion defintion of the "true" Guru:
A guru (गुरू Sanskrit) is a Hindu religious teacher. It is based on a long line of Hindu philosophical understandings of the importance of knowledge and that the teacher, guru, is the sacred conduit to self-realization. Till today in India and among people of Hindu or Sikh persuasion, the title retains its significant hallowed space.
Guru is widely used in contemporary India with the universal meaning of the word "teacher".
In the traditional sense, the word guru describes a relationship rather than an absolute and is used as a form of address only by a disciple addressing his master. Some Hindu denominations like BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha hold that a personal relationship with a living guru, revered as the embodiment of God, is essential in seeking moksha.
The role of the guru continues in the original sense of the word in such Hindu traditions as Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and Bhakti sects. Indeed, it is now a standard part of Hinduism (as defined by the six Vedic streams and the Tantric Agamic streams) that a guru is one's spiritual guide on earth. In some more mystical Hindu circles, it is believed that the guru could awaken dormant spiritual knowledge within the pupil, known as shaktipat.
In tantric Buddhism, a guru is essential for the initiation,practice and guidance along the path. The importance of a guru-disciple relationship, is demonstrated by ritual empowerments or initiations where the student obtains permission to practice a particular tantra.
The Dalai Lama speaking of the importance of the guru said: "Rely on the teachings to evaluate a guru: Do not have blind faith, but also no blind criticism."
The Guru in Buddhism represents a set of teachings and beliefs that no common man is a God or a Guru and that we are all interconnected to one another to do good and be good and to understand that it is through the collaboratve efforts of humankind that we will always come from a place of abundance and happiness.
This weblog is designed to not only share with you the writings of my book, but I hope it serves as a well spring for your own journey of self discovery. I encourage you to write your story and I will post it, and with your permission we may use it in the book. And by the way, pay attention to those serendipitious meetings with people who just show up in your life. They are either a reminder of the past, a test to see if you'll drink the Kool Aid again or have you learned your lesson, and that you don't need a GURU, you just need a fellow traveller for the journey.
I would like to acknowledge Heath Row, the editor of Fast Company Now for recognizing the work we are doing with the book and this weblog, by recommending it in the lastst edition of FC Now, which can be found at www.blog.fastcompany.com. Thank you Heath.
Buddha Says: "Grasping after systems, imprisoned by dogmas for the most part in this world. But he who does not go in for system-grasping he neither doubts nor is perplexed; by not depending on others, knowledge herein comes to be his own."
Buddha Speaks Biz
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
BUDDHA AT WORK
Using the teachings of Buddha in real-world workplace situations will inspire employees, employers, and executives alike with practical answers to everyday problems dealing with the self, with others, and everyday decisions. You always have a choice on how you will react to pressures, and conduct yourself each day. It’s about how you use the freedom of choice in the moment to become a better worker, and to find your own path to enlightenment.
ON BECOMING AN ENLIGHTENED WORKER:
First recognize that you are responsible for your own future.
Second, recognize that you always have a choice.
Mission statements for your organization and life are key to enlightened work. The mission statement is a compass to guide your priorities and decisions so you do not become lost in day-to-day activities.
Part of the Eightfold Noble Path is choosing Right Livelihood. Do work that helps rather than harms living things.
It is not wise to become too attached to one job or career. Things change, everything is transitory. Find your freedom in that truth.
Do great work, all the time. Start work before the boss gets in, and leave after she does.
Do not take more than you should. Taking home a pencil or minor office supply is stealing.
You represent your employer, so uphold the company name.
Your self-confidence increases when you know you have done good work. Good results come from healthy self-esteem.
Action always beats inaction. Making mistakes is better than not doing anything at all. If you aren’t making mistakes, it means you are not taking risks and not trying hard enough.
You are a work in progress. You are responsible for your own self-improvement.
Practice yoga or meditation to learn how to focus.
Buddha says; "If a man do something good, let him do it again and again. Let him find joy in his good work. Joyful is the accumulation of good work."
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
ON BECOMING AN ENLIGHTENED WORKER:
First recognize that you are responsible for your own future.
Second, recognize that you always have a choice.
Mission statements for your organization and life are key to enlightened work. The mission statement is a compass to guide your priorities and decisions so you do not become lost in day-to-day activities.
Part of the Eightfold Noble Path is choosing Right Livelihood. Do work that helps rather than harms living things.
It is not wise to become too attached to one job or career. Things change, everything is transitory. Find your freedom in that truth.
Do great work, all the time. Start work before the boss gets in, and leave after she does.
Do not take more than you should. Taking home a pencil or minor office supply is stealing.
You represent your employer, so uphold the company name.
Your self-confidence increases when you know you have done good work. Good results come from healthy self-esteem.
Action always beats inaction. Making mistakes is better than not doing anything at all. If you aren’t making mistakes, it means you are not taking risks and not trying hard enough.
You are a work in progress. You are responsible for your own self-improvement.
Practice yoga or meditation to learn how to focus.
Buddha says; "If a man do something good, let him do it again and again. Let him find joy in his good work. Joyful is the accumulation of good work."
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
BUDDHA TALKS BUSINESS
The inspiration to write my book "Buddha in the Board Room" has come from so many people. Many of whom I will acknowledge throughout the book. They are authors, writers, broadcasters and journalists, who themselves are on their own journey of discovery and enlightenment. Through their journalistic endeavours they are inspiring others to tell their own truths of what is important to them. Lynn Brewer, who wrote the best selling book on the collapse of Enron, and Joel Bakan, author of the award winning "The Corporation" are amongst the many I will talk about ....and not only their work but their mission. It has been said that we are are only six degrees of separation from one another. In the last five years of my life that has become clearer and clearer to me. I value everyone I have met, interviewed and become friends with.
This blog site has also afforded me the opportunity to discover other individuals I have never met, but who I feel have something of real value to offer. So please feel free to comment on the site and express yourself...this really is a forum of discovery for all of us. Today I came across an article that I am sure will inspire us as we begin this week of doing business in a new way.
Buddha says: "Let him first find what is right and then he can teach it to others, thus avoiding useless pain".
Buddha Talks Business: 10 Tips for Ensuring Your Success
By Jim Schaffer
Jan 15, 2004,
Most of us have tried hard to be good corporate citizens. We’ve dutifully absorbed the lessons we’ve been taught along the way, both in the course of doing our jobs as well as from the pages of each year’s hot business books. The trouble is, not only is much of this wisdom just plain wrong, it may also be preventing you from being successful and could be ruining your health, to boot!
Some of the most cutting edge ideas in business today stem from 2500 years ago, in the time of the Buddha. Here are ten principles which, if practiced, can help you achieve greater focus, deeper satisfaction and, ultimately, better results in your work.
1. Slowing Down (versus Speeding Up). Forget about all that “fast company” hoohah. With a quiet mind and a curious, open heart you’ll be able to act far more swiftly than your adrenaline-addled competitors.
2. Surrendering (versus Taking Control). You don’t have control anyway, so most of that energy is wasted. Use it instead to observe closely and act in concert with what is already happening.
3. Your Natural Rhythm (versus Time Management). There is no such thing as time management---there is only how we choose to process our lives. Be aware of your own high and low energy cycles, and work with them. If you find yourself flagging, take a break.
4. Present Moment Focus (versus Extensive Planning). We all know by now that the future, as we originally envision it, never arrives. Make your plans and then let go of them, at least on a daily basis. Instead, make the most of your present moments; they’ll add up to much more in the long run.
5. Plateau and Rise (versus Constant Rise). Learn to savor the daily tasks and treat them as a practice. One day you will find you’ve unexpectedly gotten better. Stop striving!
6. Hi-touch (versus Hi-Tech). No matter how efficient we become, relationships still drive the world. Make sure all your communications are personal. And use English (or some other living language), not corporate jargon or computerese.
7. Non-judgment (versus Constant Judgment). Who made you the judge, anyway? Stay open and keep learning for as long as possible before making judgments, and even then stop hanging on to them for dear life.
8. Beginner’s Mind (versus Being an Expert). If you’re already the Top Gun, it’s hard to grow and learn. Rekindle the fun of exploring instead of wearing your knowledge on your sleeve----you’ll find you get much further.
9. Focus on “Being” (versus Focus on “Having”). We in the West seem to have it backwards. What you ultimately receive is returned to you according to the way you express who you are. Easterners call it karma.
10. Intuition and Trust in the Process (versus Strategy, Tactics and Technique). I’ve seen 30 years of strategic planning lead virtually nowhere in the companies I’ve been affiliated with in my career. The one company that grew and prospered did so because the founder followed his instincts and created an atmosphere of empowerment long before the word ever became a cliché. You already know most of what you need to know to be successful. Be quiet and listen to your own wisdom.
Jim Schaffer spent 25 years selling and managing people in both the software and advertising media businesses. Since 1990, he has shown people how to employ principles of Eastern philosophy to stay focused, keep high morale and get better results at work --- regardless of what may be going on around them. He is available to speak on this topic. For more information visit http://www.jimschaffer.com or call 617-332-9105.
This blog site has also afforded me the opportunity to discover other individuals I have never met, but who I feel have something of real value to offer. So please feel free to comment on the site and express yourself...this really is a forum of discovery for all of us. Today I came across an article that I am sure will inspire us as we begin this week of doing business in a new way.
Buddha says: "Let him first find what is right and then he can teach it to others, thus avoiding useless pain".
Buddha Talks Business: 10 Tips for Ensuring Your Success
By Jim Schaffer
Jan 15, 2004,
Most of us have tried hard to be good corporate citizens. We’ve dutifully absorbed the lessons we’ve been taught along the way, both in the course of doing our jobs as well as from the pages of each year’s hot business books. The trouble is, not only is much of this wisdom just plain wrong, it may also be preventing you from being successful and could be ruining your health, to boot!
Some of the most cutting edge ideas in business today stem from 2500 years ago, in the time of the Buddha. Here are ten principles which, if practiced, can help you achieve greater focus, deeper satisfaction and, ultimately, better results in your work.
1. Slowing Down (versus Speeding Up). Forget about all that “fast company” hoohah. With a quiet mind and a curious, open heart you’ll be able to act far more swiftly than your adrenaline-addled competitors.
2. Surrendering (versus Taking Control). You don’t have control anyway, so most of that energy is wasted. Use it instead to observe closely and act in concert with what is already happening.
3. Your Natural Rhythm (versus Time Management). There is no such thing as time management---there is only how we choose to process our lives. Be aware of your own high and low energy cycles, and work with them. If you find yourself flagging, take a break.
4. Present Moment Focus (versus Extensive Planning). We all know by now that the future, as we originally envision it, never arrives. Make your plans and then let go of them, at least on a daily basis. Instead, make the most of your present moments; they’ll add up to much more in the long run.
5. Plateau and Rise (versus Constant Rise). Learn to savor the daily tasks and treat them as a practice. One day you will find you’ve unexpectedly gotten better. Stop striving!
6. Hi-touch (versus Hi-Tech). No matter how efficient we become, relationships still drive the world. Make sure all your communications are personal. And use English (or some other living language), not corporate jargon or computerese.
7. Non-judgment (versus Constant Judgment). Who made you the judge, anyway? Stay open and keep learning for as long as possible before making judgments, and even then stop hanging on to them for dear life.
8. Beginner’s Mind (versus Being an Expert). If you’re already the Top Gun, it’s hard to grow and learn. Rekindle the fun of exploring instead of wearing your knowledge on your sleeve----you’ll find you get much further.
9. Focus on “Being” (versus Focus on “Having”). We in the West seem to have it backwards. What you ultimately receive is returned to you according to the way you express who you are. Easterners call it karma.
10. Intuition and Trust in the Process (versus Strategy, Tactics and Technique). I’ve seen 30 years of strategic planning lead virtually nowhere in the companies I’ve been affiliated with in my career. The one company that grew and prospered did so because the founder followed his instincts and created an atmosphere of empowerment long before the word ever became a cliché. You already know most of what you need to know to be successful. Be quiet and listen to your own wisdom.
Jim Schaffer spent 25 years selling and managing people in both the software and advertising media businesses. Since 1990, he has shown people how to employ principles of Eastern philosophy to stay focused, keep high morale and get better results at work --- regardless of what may be going on around them. He is available to speak on this topic. For more information visit http://www.jimschaffer.com or call 617-332-9105.
Friday, July 29, 2005
RIGHT MINDFULNESS
MEDITATION ROOM....A SACRED PLACE
Sheri Block
Calgary Herald
July 29, 2005
As Renata Duma closes her eyes to meditate cross-legged on a low-rise Chinese chair, she is surrounded by the presence of the Buddha, the flickering glow of candles and the calming sound of New Age music.
This sacred space is Duma's newly created meditation room, a place where she retreats every morning to clear her mind before starting her day.
where she retreats every morning to clear her mind before starting her day.
Situated in the upstairs landing of the Calgary home Duma shares with her fiance Morley Brown, the room is filled with a small Tibetan altar, paintings and Asian-inspired furniture.
"I feel very blessed to be able to have such a room that reflects to such a degree the sacred aspect of our lives," says Duma, who has been meditating for about 10 years. "It's an honour to have the ability to put something like that together."
The room was designed by Aly Velji, resident designer with the Calgary firm Ellipses Design. It was inspired by a Thep Thavonsouk painting that Velji and Duma saw on a recent visit to the artist's studio.
The painting, part of Thavonsouk's June Rain series, features three monks walking into a violet mist. Violet is the colour of the highest chakra.
It was so beautiful, says Duma, it brought her to tears.
"You should put things in the room that you love and that speak to you because this is going to be an environment where you go to relax and you want things to inspire you while you're there," says Velji.
While a meditation room may sound extravagant to some, Velji says the popularity is catching on.
"It's becoming more common to create spaces for people, whether it's a small little area in the bedroom or actually a whole room where people can just go and relax," says Velji.
Ironically, Duma says while it is nice to be able to have this room, she wouldn't need a space like this to meditate.
"It's not the space," says Duma. "It's not about a fashion statement. I'm very fortunate to be able to do this, but it could be anywhere."
Tracy Kundell, owner of Avalon Interiors in Thornhill, Ont., and a visiting designer on WTN's The Decorating Challenge, agrees the trend has been growing because people are searching for peace of mind and wellness.
"Lifestyles show absolutely no signs of slowing down. We just get busier and busier, so finding a space where we can just chill is becoming more and more important for people," says Kundell.
"People are realizing the benefits to their health and to their work life if they've got a part of their home that they can relax in."
According to designer Lisa Zinck, co-owner of Calgary's Foresees Imports, a meditation space doesn't have to be in a separate room.
"You need enough space that you can sit; you can create that [anywhere]. I live in a very small house and I've just created a space by my window ... I always light a candle and I like to incorporate a plant or something lively and just a small little Buddha," says Zinck.
"You don't need anything. That's what Buddhism is all about."
Zinck says Buddhas have become so popular -- for both in the home and garden -- that they can't keep them in the store.
It's absolutely amazing, [as well as] pagodas. Having a Buddhist symbol just creates tranquility and mindfulness and we just find that more people are really embracing the culture," says Zinck.
Buddha says: "A mind which is not protected by mindfulness is as helpless as a blind man walking over uneven ground without a guide."
Namaste,
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Sheri Block
Calgary Herald
July 29, 2005
As Renata Duma closes her eyes to meditate cross-legged on a low-rise Chinese chair, she is surrounded by the presence of the Buddha, the flickering glow of candles and the calming sound of New Age music.
This sacred space is Duma's newly created meditation room, a place where she retreats every morning to clear her mind before starting her day.
where she retreats every morning to clear her mind before starting her day.
Situated in the upstairs landing of the Calgary home Duma shares with her fiance Morley Brown, the room is filled with a small Tibetan altar, paintings and Asian-inspired furniture.
"I feel very blessed to be able to have such a room that reflects to such a degree the sacred aspect of our lives," says Duma, who has been meditating for about 10 years. "It's an honour to have the ability to put something like that together."
The room was designed by Aly Velji, resident designer with the Calgary firm Ellipses Design. It was inspired by a Thep Thavonsouk painting that Velji and Duma saw on a recent visit to the artist's studio.
The painting, part of Thavonsouk's June Rain series, features three monks walking into a violet mist. Violet is the colour of the highest chakra.
It was so beautiful, says Duma, it brought her to tears.
"You should put things in the room that you love and that speak to you because this is going to be an environment where you go to relax and you want things to inspire you while you're there," says Velji.
While a meditation room may sound extravagant to some, Velji says the popularity is catching on.
"It's becoming more common to create spaces for people, whether it's a small little area in the bedroom or actually a whole room where people can just go and relax," says Velji.
Ironically, Duma says while it is nice to be able to have this room, she wouldn't need a space like this to meditate.
"It's not the space," says Duma. "It's not about a fashion statement. I'm very fortunate to be able to do this, but it could be anywhere."
Tracy Kundell, owner of Avalon Interiors in Thornhill, Ont., and a visiting designer on WTN's The Decorating Challenge, agrees the trend has been growing because people are searching for peace of mind and wellness.
"Lifestyles show absolutely no signs of slowing down. We just get busier and busier, so finding a space where we can just chill is becoming more and more important for people," says Kundell.
"People are realizing the benefits to their health and to their work life if they've got a part of their home that they can relax in."
According to designer Lisa Zinck, co-owner of Calgary's Foresees Imports, a meditation space doesn't have to be in a separate room.
"You need enough space that you can sit; you can create that [anywhere]. I live in a very small house and I've just created a space by my window ... I always light a candle and I like to incorporate a plant or something lively and just a small little Buddha," says Zinck.
"You don't need anything. That's what Buddhism is all about."
Zinck says Buddhas have become so popular -- for both in the home and garden -- that they can't keep them in the store.
It's absolutely amazing, [as well as] pagodas. Having a Buddhist symbol just creates tranquility and mindfulness and we just find that more people are really embracing the culture," says Zinck.
Buddha says: "A mind which is not protected by mindfulness is as helpless as a blind man walking over uneven ground without a guide."
Namaste,
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Thursday, July 28, 2005
ZENTREPRENEURISM
Writing a book is like giving birth to a baby, as you reach the home stretch and the baby is born you look back at the memories. Well for me this book writing has been very cathartic, and the fun part is I get to go back and re-live some of the highlights of my life. One of those highlghts is when I hosted Canada's first open line radio show totally dedicated to home office entrepreneurs. I had an enormously fun time with the "HomeBiz Show" and met some fabulous people along the way. many of them on the leading edge, trend setters, and pioneers in their own right . And speaking of trend setting, three of those people were; Mary Meehan, Larry Samuel, and Vickie Abrahamson, authors of the book, "Iconoculture- The Future Ain't What It Used to Be"- The 40 cultural trends transforming your job, your life, your world.
I interviewed all three of them in their home office in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1998, along with their dog Geneva. They had and still do have an uncanny ability to predict the future trends in our society...most of their predictions made in 1998 have indeed manifested in 2005. Here's a look back and into the future with musings from the book complete with quotable quotes that have relevance to "Buddha in the Board Room". You can visit them on their website at www.iconoculture.com
The authors suggest that before continuing "please take time to brew yourself a cup of tea. Take a little more time to ponder.... Are you living life sip by sip or gulp by gulp? The first zentreprenuers, the founders of the specialty company The Republic of Tea, steeped into full flavor the Z concept of making business for positive social change on the planet, to actualize a life in which "what you do" is one with "who you are". The fusion of one's personal vision with one's professional mission, grounded in activism and a holistic philosophy, will hallmark the next 1,000 years. Zentrepreneurism is surfacing across a wide spectrum of successful, purposeful businesses"
According to the authors; "if you think zentreprenuring is only for the disenfranchised and old hippies gone to seed, think again. An aging Generation X will carry proudly the do-unto-others-as-you-would-have-them-do-unto-you torch into the future. During their college years, they short-circuit their slacker inage by volunteering enmasse to help those less fortunate. From coast to ivy-covered coast, college students log as many as ten to twelve hours per week tutoring, manning rape and suicide hotines, teaching English, serving up dinner at homeless shelters, or being buddies to the physically or mentally challenged. The do-gooding experience coupled with the zentrepreneuristic mood of the millenium will have far-reaching political, social, and economic implications."
ITS TIME TO PASS THE BATON, GENERATION X IS IN TRAINING TO CHANGE THE WORLD
"It all sounds so boring. Cooperation, not competition. Meaningful work, not big bucks. Sharing in the decision making, not being bossed around. At the Burley Design Co-op, ninety people call the shots because ninety people own the company store. This may be the new-millenium model for American business. How novel---healthy growth as the full-time focus of everyone in the workplace. By the way, Burley builds the essential baby accoutrement: those bright colored buggies that safety trailer little ones behind the folk's bikes. You might expect a company that produces such a creative product to spawn an enlightened model for building a business. In a time when thousands are experiencing post-downsizing shock syndrome, this employee-owned co-op structure may be a light at the end of the corporate tunnel. According to general manager Bruce Creps, "There's also a second paycheck that people are after here. Many have tried different things and are looking for meaning to their work"
Pride in ownership translates to low absenteeism, low worker turnover (one or two per year) and sky-high productivity. One of the principles of the cooperative is to enhance the workplace and the community where they live. This little zentrepreneurial company is known for walking its talk. For sure the Burley team won't be sending jobs overseas to save on labr costs ro be forever stressing out over the whims of an all powerful board of directors."
"Who cares if it's not your shade? Pucker up for a good cause. Two legends of beauty. Aveda and RuPaul, are using lipstick sales to promote kiss 'n' care campaigns. Aveda, a leader in aromatherapy beauty care, has partnered with the South American Yawanawa tribe of Indians, native to the Amazon rain forest of western Brazil. The tribe cultivates and harvests an indigenous pricky pod called uruku, which they sell to the North American tribe to make three shades of lipstick called (what else?) Uruku. Both tribes are happily boosting each other's economy.
Here's what the authors have to say about investing with a conscience "What to do, what to do with that sorry thing you call your life savings....Our best advice: Put your money where your heart is. There are some forty-two mutual funds that invest only in companies that are morally, poltically, and environmentally correct. Although these funds tyically do not return as well as sinful funds, you will sleep better at night knowing your money is not being invested in tobbaco, alcohol, gambling, or military equipment. The Women's Equity Mutual Fund bills itself as one such "pro-conscience" animal. It invests only in public companies that have a proven track record of advancing the social and economic status of women in the workplace. As boomers plan for retirement and inherit gobs of money, expect to see a gazillion special-investment opportunities with a zentrepreneurial twist.
Who said capitalism and social service make poor bedfellows? "On virtually every level of global economy you bump into the zentrepreneur spirit. Greyhound, that dinasour of public transportation, is doing great works from which more profitable companies can learn. When Greyhound bought out Trailways in 1987, it inherited the latter's program of offering free transportation home for runaways."
The authors suggest that "Marketers of all shapes, sizes, and colors could explore ventures with alternative trading groups to zentreprenurize their brands while doing the right thing."
As well, organizations like Oxfam America, Pueblo to People, and SERVV are ultimately providing workers with sustainable business skills and giving them more control over their lives and communities.
Thank you to Mary, Larry and Vickie, for contributing in kind to this section.
Buddha says: "Palaces built of earth and stone and wood, wealthy men endowed with food and dress and finery, legions of retainers who throng round the mighty-these are like castles in the air, like rainbows in the sky, ad how deluded those who think of this as truth."
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
I interviewed all three of them in their home office in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1998, along with their dog Geneva. They had and still do have an uncanny ability to predict the future trends in our society...most of their predictions made in 1998 have indeed manifested in 2005. Here's a look back and into the future with musings from the book complete with quotable quotes that have relevance to "Buddha in the Board Room". You can visit them on their website at www.iconoculture.com
The authors suggest that before continuing "please take time to brew yourself a cup of tea. Take a little more time to ponder.... Are you living life sip by sip or gulp by gulp? The first zentreprenuers, the founders of the specialty company The Republic of Tea, steeped into full flavor the Z concept of making business for positive social change on the planet, to actualize a life in which "what you do" is one with "who you are". The fusion of one's personal vision with one's professional mission, grounded in activism and a holistic philosophy, will hallmark the next 1,000 years. Zentrepreneurism is surfacing across a wide spectrum of successful, purposeful businesses"
According to the authors; "if you think zentreprenuring is only for the disenfranchised and old hippies gone to seed, think again. An aging Generation X will carry proudly the do-unto-others-as-you-would-have-them-do-unto-you torch into the future. During their college years, they short-circuit their slacker inage by volunteering enmasse to help those less fortunate. From coast to ivy-covered coast, college students log as many as ten to twelve hours per week tutoring, manning rape and suicide hotines, teaching English, serving up dinner at homeless shelters, or being buddies to the physically or mentally challenged. The do-gooding experience coupled with the zentrepreneuristic mood of the millenium will have far-reaching political, social, and economic implications."
ITS TIME TO PASS THE BATON, GENERATION X IS IN TRAINING TO CHANGE THE WORLD
"It all sounds so boring. Cooperation, not competition. Meaningful work, not big bucks. Sharing in the decision making, not being bossed around. At the Burley Design Co-op, ninety people call the shots because ninety people own the company store. This may be the new-millenium model for American business. How novel---healthy growth as the full-time focus of everyone in the workplace. By the way, Burley builds the essential baby accoutrement: those bright colored buggies that safety trailer little ones behind the folk's bikes. You might expect a company that produces such a creative product to spawn an enlightened model for building a business. In a time when thousands are experiencing post-downsizing shock syndrome, this employee-owned co-op structure may be a light at the end of the corporate tunnel. According to general manager Bruce Creps, "There's also a second paycheck that people are after here. Many have tried different things and are looking for meaning to their work"
Pride in ownership translates to low absenteeism, low worker turnover (one or two per year) and sky-high productivity. One of the principles of the cooperative is to enhance the workplace and the community where they live. This little zentrepreneurial company is known for walking its talk. For sure the Burley team won't be sending jobs overseas to save on labr costs ro be forever stressing out over the whims of an all powerful board of directors."
"Who cares if it's not your shade? Pucker up for a good cause. Two legends of beauty. Aveda and RuPaul, are using lipstick sales to promote kiss 'n' care campaigns. Aveda, a leader in aromatherapy beauty care, has partnered with the South American Yawanawa tribe of Indians, native to the Amazon rain forest of western Brazil. The tribe cultivates and harvests an indigenous pricky pod called uruku, which they sell to the North American tribe to make three shades of lipstick called (what else?) Uruku. Both tribes are happily boosting each other's economy.
Here's what the authors have to say about investing with a conscience "What to do, what to do with that sorry thing you call your life savings....Our best advice: Put your money where your heart is. There are some forty-two mutual funds that invest only in companies that are morally, poltically, and environmentally correct. Although these funds tyically do not return as well as sinful funds, you will sleep better at night knowing your money is not being invested in tobbaco, alcohol, gambling, or military equipment. The Women's Equity Mutual Fund bills itself as one such "pro-conscience" animal. It invests only in public companies that have a proven track record of advancing the social and economic status of women in the workplace. As boomers plan for retirement and inherit gobs of money, expect to see a gazillion special-investment opportunities with a zentrepreneurial twist.
Who said capitalism and social service make poor bedfellows? "On virtually every level of global economy you bump into the zentrepreneur spirit. Greyhound, that dinasour of public transportation, is doing great works from which more profitable companies can learn. When Greyhound bought out Trailways in 1987, it inherited the latter's program of offering free transportation home for runaways."
The authors suggest that "Marketers of all shapes, sizes, and colors could explore ventures with alternative trading groups to zentreprenurize their brands while doing the right thing."
As well, organizations like Oxfam America, Pueblo to People, and SERVV are ultimately providing workers with sustainable business skills and giving them more control over their lives and communities.
Thank you to Mary, Larry and Vickie, for contributing in kind to this section.
Buddha says: "Palaces built of earth and stone and wood, wealthy men endowed with food and dress and finery, legions of retainers who throng round the mighty-these are like castles in the air, like rainbows in the sky, ad how deluded those who think of this as truth."
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
IN SEARCH OF SPIRITUALITY
Far from being an evolutionary luxury, the need for God may be a crucial trait stamped deeper and deeper into our genome with every passing generation. Humans who developed a spiritual sense thrived and bequeathed that trait to their offspring. Those who didn't risked dying out in chaos and killing. The evolutionary equation is a simple but powerful one.
Nowhere has that idea received a more intriguing going-over than in the recently published book. "The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired Into Our Genes, written bymolecular bioligist Dean Hamer. Chief of gene structure at the US National Cancer Institute. Hamer not only claims that "human spirituality is an adaptive trait", but he also says "he has located one of the genes responsible, a gene that just happens to also code for production of the neurotransmitters that regulate our moods. Our most profound feelings of spirituality, may be due to little more than an occasional shot of intoxicating brain chemicals governed by our DNA."
Whatever the merits of Hamer's work , he is clearly the heir of a milleniums long search for the wellsprings of spirituality. Hamer also stresses that while he may have located a genetic root for spirituality, that is not the same as a genetic root for religion. "Spirituality is a feeling or state... a state of mind; religion is the way that state gets codified into law. Our genes don't get directly involved in writing legislation. Spirituality is intensely personal; religion is institutional".
At least one faith, according to one of its best known scholars, formalizes the idea of gene-based spirituality and even puts a pretty spin on it. Buddhists, says Robert Thurman, professor of Buddhist studies at Columbia University, "have long entertained the idea that we inherit a spirituality gene from the person we were in a previous life. Smaller than an ordinary gene, it combines with two larger physical genes we inherit from our parents, and together they shape our physical and spiritual profile.
Says Thurman: "The spiritual gene helps establish a general trust in the universe, a sense of openness and generosity." Buddhists, he adds would find Hamer's possible discovery "amusing and fun." The Buddhists theory has never been put to the scientific test, but other investigations into the biological roots of belief in God were being conducted long before Hamer's efforts-often with intriguing results.
Even to some within the religious community, this does not come as news. "In India in Buddha's time, there were philospohers who said there was no soul; the mind was just chemistry," says Thurman. "The Buddha disagreed with their extreme materialsm but also rejected the "absolute soul" theologians.
Nonetheless, sticking points do remain that prevent genetic theory form going down smoothly. One that's particularly troublesome is the question of why Hamer's God gene-or any of the others that may eventually be discovered--is distributed so unevenly among us. Why are some of us spiritual virtuosos, while others can't play a note? "Fortune includes the possibility of divine grace as well as environmental influences."
HOW SPIRITUAL ARE YOU?
To find out, take this test, which is adapted from a personality inventory devised by Washington University psychiatrist Robert Cloninger, author of Feeling Good: The Science of Well Being
1. I often feel so connected the people around me that it is like
there is no separation between us. TRUE FALSE
2. I often do things to help protect animals and plants from extinction. TRUE FALSE
3. I am fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be
scientifically explained. TRUE FALSE
4. Often I have unexpected flashes of insight or understanding
while relaxing. TRUE FALSE
5. I sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems
to be part of one living organism. TRUE FALSE
6. I seem to have a "sixth sense" that sometimes allows me to know
what is going to happen. TRUE FALSE
7. Sometimes I have felt like I was part of something with no
limits or boundaries in time and space. TRUE FALSE
8. I am often called "absent-minded because I get so wrapped up
in what I am doing that I lose track of everything else. TRUE FALSE
9. I often feel a strong sense of unity with all the things
around me. TRUE FALSE
10. Even after thinking about something a long time, I have
learned to trust my feelings more than my logical reasons. TRUE FALSE
11. I often feel a strong spiritual or emotional connection
with all the people around me. TRUE FALSE
12. Often when I am concentrating on something, I lose
awareness of the passage of time. TRUE FALSE
13. I have made real personal sacrifices in order to make the
world a better place, like trying to prevent war, poverty and
injustice. TRUE FALSE
14. I have had experiences that made my role in life so clear
to me that I felt very happy and excited. TRUE FALSE
15. I believe that I have experienced extrasensory perception. TRUE FALSE
16. I have had moments of great joy in which I sudddenly had
a clear, deep feeling of oneness with all that exists. TRUE FALSE
17. Often when I look at an ordinary thing, something wonderful
happens. I get the feeling that I am seeing it fresh for the
first time. TRUE FALSE
18. I love the blooming of flowers in the spring as much as
seeing an old friend again. TRUE FALSE
19. It often seems to other people like I am in another world
because I am so completely unaware of things going on around me. TRUE FALSE
20. I believe that miracles happen. TRUE FALSE
SCORING: Give yourself one point for each TRUE answer and 0 points for each FALSE answer. 14 and above= highly spirited, a real mystic; 12-13= spiritually aware, easily lost in the moment; 8-11= spiritually average could develop more spiritual life if desired; 6-7= a practical empiricist lacking self-transcendence; 1-5= highly skeptical, resistant to developing spiritual awareness.
How did you do? I and the whole blog world would love some feedback and comments.
* By the way...my score was 14.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Much of this material can be found in Time Magazine's issue of October 25, 2004 in an article titled "IS GOD IN OUR GENES? (A provocative study asks whether religion is a product of evolution. Inside a quest for the roots of faith), written by Jeffrey Kluger.
Until next time remember, Buddha says: "He who is free from the bondage of men and from the bondage of the gods: who is free of all things in creation -- him I call a Brahmin".
Namaste,
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Nowhere has that idea received a more intriguing going-over than in the recently published book. "The God Gene: How Faith is Hardwired Into Our Genes, written bymolecular bioligist Dean Hamer. Chief of gene structure at the US National Cancer Institute. Hamer not only claims that "human spirituality is an adaptive trait", but he also says "he has located one of the genes responsible, a gene that just happens to also code for production of the neurotransmitters that regulate our moods. Our most profound feelings of spirituality, may be due to little more than an occasional shot of intoxicating brain chemicals governed by our DNA."
Whatever the merits of Hamer's work , he is clearly the heir of a milleniums long search for the wellsprings of spirituality. Hamer also stresses that while he may have located a genetic root for spirituality, that is not the same as a genetic root for religion. "Spirituality is a feeling or state... a state of mind; religion is the way that state gets codified into law. Our genes don't get directly involved in writing legislation. Spirituality is intensely personal; religion is institutional".
At least one faith, according to one of its best known scholars, formalizes the idea of gene-based spirituality and even puts a pretty spin on it. Buddhists, says Robert Thurman, professor of Buddhist studies at Columbia University, "have long entertained the idea that we inherit a spirituality gene from the person we were in a previous life. Smaller than an ordinary gene, it combines with two larger physical genes we inherit from our parents, and together they shape our physical and spiritual profile.
Says Thurman: "The spiritual gene helps establish a general trust in the universe, a sense of openness and generosity." Buddhists, he adds would find Hamer's possible discovery "amusing and fun." The Buddhists theory has never been put to the scientific test, but other investigations into the biological roots of belief in God were being conducted long before Hamer's efforts-often with intriguing results.
Even to some within the religious community, this does not come as news. "In India in Buddha's time, there were philospohers who said there was no soul; the mind was just chemistry," says Thurman. "The Buddha disagreed with their extreme materialsm but also rejected the "absolute soul" theologians.
Nonetheless, sticking points do remain that prevent genetic theory form going down smoothly. One that's particularly troublesome is the question of why Hamer's God gene-or any of the others that may eventually be discovered--is distributed so unevenly among us. Why are some of us spiritual virtuosos, while others can't play a note? "Fortune includes the possibility of divine grace as well as environmental influences."
HOW SPIRITUAL ARE YOU?
To find out, take this test, which is adapted from a personality inventory devised by Washington University psychiatrist Robert Cloninger, author of Feeling Good: The Science of Well Being
1. I often feel so connected the people around me that it is like
there is no separation between us. TRUE FALSE
2. I often do things to help protect animals and plants from extinction. TRUE FALSE
3. I am fascinated by the many things in life that cannot be
scientifically explained. TRUE FALSE
4. Often I have unexpected flashes of insight or understanding
while relaxing. TRUE FALSE
5. I sometimes feel so connected to nature that everything seems
to be part of one living organism. TRUE FALSE
6. I seem to have a "sixth sense" that sometimes allows me to know
what is going to happen. TRUE FALSE
7. Sometimes I have felt like I was part of something with no
limits or boundaries in time and space. TRUE FALSE
8. I am often called "absent-minded because I get so wrapped up
in what I am doing that I lose track of everything else. TRUE FALSE
9. I often feel a strong sense of unity with all the things
around me. TRUE FALSE
10. Even after thinking about something a long time, I have
learned to trust my feelings more than my logical reasons. TRUE FALSE
11. I often feel a strong spiritual or emotional connection
with all the people around me. TRUE FALSE
12. Often when I am concentrating on something, I lose
awareness of the passage of time. TRUE FALSE
13. I have made real personal sacrifices in order to make the
world a better place, like trying to prevent war, poverty and
injustice. TRUE FALSE
14. I have had experiences that made my role in life so clear
to me that I felt very happy and excited. TRUE FALSE
15. I believe that I have experienced extrasensory perception. TRUE FALSE
16. I have had moments of great joy in which I sudddenly had
a clear, deep feeling of oneness with all that exists. TRUE FALSE
17. Often when I look at an ordinary thing, something wonderful
happens. I get the feeling that I am seeing it fresh for the
first time. TRUE FALSE
18. I love the blooming of flowers in the spring as much as
seeing an old friend again. TRUE FALSE
19. It often seems to other people like I am in another world
because I am so completely unaware of things going on around me. TRUE FALSE
20. I believe that miracles happen. TRUE FALSE
SCORING: Give yourself one point for each TRUE answer and 0 points for each FALSE answer. 14 and above= highly spirited, a real mystic; 12-13= spiritually aware, easily lost in the moment; 8-11= spiritually average could develop more spiritual life if desired; 6-7= a practical empiricist lacking self-transcendence; 1-5= highly skeptical, resistant to developing spiritual awareness.
How did you do? I and the whole blog world would love some feedback and comments.
* By the way...my score was 14.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Much of this material can be found in Time Magazine's issue of October 25, 2004 in an article titled "IS GOD IN OUR GENES? (A provocative study asks whether religion is a product of evolution. Inside a quest for the roots of faith), written by Jeffrey Kluger.
Until next time remember, Buddha says: "He who is free from the bondage of men and from the bondage of the gods: who is free of all things in creation -- him I call a Brahmin".
Namaste,
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
SHAREHOLDER ACTIVISM
One of the true joys in writing a book is that it not only gets your creative juices flowing,it's very cathartic. You begin to tell the story of your life through others you've experienced things with. With each person that you meet on the journey, comes a new story, a new awakening, a new adventure, a new learning experience or simply a time to just share the moment. Since announcing to my friends, colleagues and associates that I was writing a book, many have sent me relevant articles of interest. I truly appreciate their contributions and will acknowledge them with each entry. Today, I will post an article sent to me by Bruce Stewart, a well known publisher and resident expert on varied topics, who co-hosted a business talk radio show with me. You can contact him at bruce@bastewart.com. His specialty is "STEWARDSHIP". (CEO,Senior Management, Corporate, Organizational). The following article has relevance to our discussion of THE NEW ERA- The shift towards "Enlightened Capitalism" and Social Entrepreneurism, how does one becomes an "enlightened capitalist", and more specifically an "enlightened shareholder".
Shareholder Activism: Policy Battlefield of the Future
By Bart Mongoven
Activists demonstrated outside the offices of university pension manager TIAA-CREF on July 18, calling for the massive fund to exercise more power within the companies in which it owns stock. If TIAA-CREF, which holds more than $300 billion in assets, starts to take this sort of assertive stance, companies will have to listen. Meanwhile, on July 21, International Shareholder Services (ISS), an adviser on shareholder proxy votes, announced that it had purchased the nation's leading social investment advisory group, Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC). This merger suggests that the mainstream financial community, ISS's clientele, increasingly is asking about social-focused shareholder resolutions.
The two events point to the increased role that corporate shareholders will have in making public policy in the United States, and suggest that corporate decision-making could change dramatically in the coming years.
The coming shift will prompt most corporations to exercise more caution in several aspects of their businesses, as shareholders increasingly can be expected to demand that companies avoid social and environmental pitfalls that could affect the long-term value of their holdings. The caution will be apparent in corporate operations -- including the products companies make, their advertising, the places they do business and the relationships they have with certain governments. Though issue-oriented activists will have an indirect impact on corporate policies, the new social, labor and environmental policies that corporations follow will reflect primarily the work of shareholder groups. These groups are using increasingly sophisticated market analyses to show corporate managers (and fellow shareholders) the wisdom of following a voluntary course of action in areas of potential social criticism.
Since the 1970s, social and environmental activists have used proxy voting and public companies' annual shareholder meetings as a platform to push for new public policies. The early shareholder activist and "socially responsible" investment movements achieved their most significant victory in the 1980s, when heavy pressure forced major U.S. and European multinationals to withdraw from South Africa and contributed significantly to the end of the apartheid regime. By the end of the apartheid era, few major multinationals dared do business in South Africa lest they be seen as endorsing its racist political, social and economic structure.
Shareholder activism does not depend on gaining the support of the majority of a company's shareholders in order to be effective -- proxy votes are nonbinding. Instead, it changes corporate policy when management sees that a strong minority of shareholders (usually 20 percent will do) find the company's policies troublesome. Senior executives begin to fear that significant amounts of management's time, energy and attention will be diverted to addressing the issue. To reach that threshold of effectiveness, activists try to recruit the support of as many large shareholders as possible -- beginning with small social-oriented firms such as Calvert, then progressing to socially-oriented pension funds such as CalPERS (and potentially TIAA-CREF, if the demonstrators get their way). Still, most successful campaigns need significant rank-and-file shareholder support and that of at least one major mainstream investor.
That said, shareholder activism is poised to emerge as a central policy-making vehicle for three reasons. First, there is the deregulatory political culture that dominates federal policy-making. A second element is growing economic globalization -- coupled with the removal of trade barriers -- which has led to a recognition of the important role (positive and negative) that corporations can play in developing countries. The third major reason is the increasing accountability and transparency demanded by shareholders and required by securities regulators in the wake of the corporate scandals of the 1990s.
The most significant catalyst of the emerging movement in shareholder power is the deregulatory mood that holds sway at the federal level. This trend toward deregulation (or at least a reluctance to impose new regulations) began in 1995 and gained momentum when President George W. Bush took office. With Bush's election, traditional liberal lobbies concluded that new and more stringent federal regulation of corporate activities was unlikely, so they began to focus on alternative areas in which they could exert power over corporate activities. Most of these lobbies determined that they would do better with calls for action at the state level, through international treaties and through shareholder activism. All three of these trends continue to dominate new regulatory policy-making in the United States. Of the three, shareholder activism is emerging as the most powerful avenue for changing corporate policy over the long term.
This strategy is most visible in the climate change debate, where a number of corporations -- including many energy companies -- have adopted climate change policies as a result of shareholder pressure. No action is likely at the federal level on climate change for at least a couple of years. Many influential shareholder activists argue that regulation is inevitable and that, consequently, companies should begin to change their internal mechanisms now in order to prepare for dramatic regulatory changes and potential liability.
Under this kind of pressure, some major oil and electricity generating companies have adopted policies that commit, at the very least, to measure their financial vulnerabilities in a "carbon-constrained" economy. Many have gone further and adopted policies that give consideration to climate change in their internal decision-making processes. The law has not changed, but under shareholder pressure the vast majority of the energy industry is preparing for the day when it will.
New arguments following this "climate risk" logic -- that is, environmental and social concerns are not just public relations problems, but carry serious financial liability risk for companies and must be addressed in that light -- have been raised recently in various industries, including against mining, chemicals and consumer products companies. The central premise of these new shareholder campaigns is the notion that society's ethics and mores are constantly changing, and the best corporations will adjust their policies before they feel the brunt of changing values. The use of child labor in developing countries, for instance, recently was accepted practice in certain industries, but now allegations of child labor represent significant risk to corporate brands -- just ask Nike or Kathy Lee Gifford.
Similarly, it was once de rigueur for multinational construction companies and extractive industries to build large infrastructure projects that required relocation of significant numbers of indigenous peoples in developing countries. These projects usually had World Bank funding. Now the Bank won't fund such projects, and corporate managers are increasingly wary about these kinds of proposals.
Merrill Lynch recently released a report titled "Energy Security & Climate Change: Investing in the Clean Car Revolution," which concludes that there are solid investment opportunities in those automakers that have developed (or are developing) advanced clean technologies. Although Merrill Lynch understands perfectly well that "clean tech" investments tend to perform poorly in strict efficiency terms, it likely is betting that the shifting line of acceptable industry behavior will render these investments profitable nonetheless.
Examples such as these reverberate throughout industry and shareholder groups. They suggest that sound management requires acting quickly (and often on limited information) to quell potential problems, and that there is considerable risk in ignoring potential social problems. Nike's image has never completely recovered from the allegations that it used child labor, even though it is now one of the most transparent companies in the world when it comes to its supply chain. Shell continues to spend millions of dollars to rebuild its reputation after controversies in the late 1990s. (Interestingly, the cost to Shell is best measured in recruiting difficulties: New graduates, particularly in Europe, prefer not to work for a company embroiled in human rights or environmental controversies.) And as Merrill Lynch's report suggests, socially responsible shareholder groups are increasingly successful in bringing this same argument to mainstream investors.
The degree to which shareholder activism is emerging as an important element in policy-making is epitomized by ISS's acquisition of the IRRC proxy advisory business. ISS specializes in advising major pension funds and investment houses on the business implications of important votes raised at corporate annual meetings. It prepares analyses of mergers, of significant changes in pension fund management and of other similar issues relating to corporate governance for its clients.
Only rarely has ISS taken positions on social or environmental resolutions. IRRC, on the other hand, specializes in the analysis of environmental and social shareholder resolutions. This merger signifies the degree to which demands for restricting corporate behavior -- once seen as the demands of an activist fringe and thus as issues that could be safely ignored -- are now being incorporated into standard corporate-governance conversations. With this merger, ISS is acknowledging that advice on social-related shareholder activism is in sufficient demand that its portfolio needed IRRC.
As the lines of communication and credibility are strengthened between the socially responsible investment community and the mainstream investment community, activists will be able to expand their demands even further and leave their mark on how business is conducted. Further, because of recent rule changes by the Security and Exchange Commission, all financial services firms, including pensions and mutual fund companies, must make their proxy votes public. This will ease the politicization of proxy voting, as companies with strong brand names -- such as Fidelity and Merrill Lynch -- will have to tell clients how they voted on the social demands placed before shareholders.
Ultimately, these changes likely will result in corporations adopting policies that are more cautious, better thought out and significantly more responsive to public concerns. They also will usher in a fundamental shift in policy-making in government, particularly as business threatens to get far ahead of the federal government in the United States. The two traditional types of public policies -- those demanded by the marketplace regardless of law, and the demands of government -- will at least for a time diverge. Whether this new era of responsiveness satisfies society's need for regulation of business practices, however, remains to be seen, as do the larger implications of all of this for notions of democracy.
BuddhaSpeaksBiz
Shareholder Activism: Policy Battlefield of the Future
By Bart Mongoven
Activists demonstrated outside the offices of university pension manager TIAA-CREF on July 18, calling for the massive fund to exercise more power within the companies in which it owns stock. If TIAA-CREF, which holds more than $300 billion in assets, starts to take this sort of assertive stance, companies will have to listen. Meanwhile, on July 21, International Shareholder Services (ISS), an adviser on shareholder proxy votes, announced that it had purchased the nation's leading social investment advisory group, Investor Responsibility Research Center (IRRC). This merger suggests that the mainstream financial community, ISS's clientele, increasingly is asking about social-focused shareholder resolutions.
The two events point to the increased role that corporate shareholders will have in making public policy in the United States, and suggest that corporate decision-making could change dramatically in the coming years.
The coming shift will prompt most corporations to exercise more caution in several aspects of their businesses, as shareholders increasingly can be expected to demand that companies avoid social and environmental pitfalls that could affect the long-term value of their holdings. The caution will be apparent in corporate operations -- including the products companies make, their advertising, the places they do business and the relationships they have with certain governments. Though issue-oriented activists will have an indirect impact on corporate policies, the new social, labor and environmental policies that corporations follow will reflect primarily the work of shareholder groups. These groups are using increasingly sophisticated market analyses to show corporate managers (and fellow shareholders) the wisdom of following a voluntary course of action in areas of potential social criticism.
Since the 1970s, social and environmental activists have used proxy voting and public companies' annual shareholder meetings as a platform to push for new public policies. The early shareholder activist and "socially responsible" investment movements achieved their most significant victory in the 1980s, when heavy pressure forced major U.S. and European multinationals to withdraw from South Africa and contributed significantly to the end of the apartheid regime. By the end of the apartheid era, few major multinationals dared do business in South Africa lest they be seen as endorsing its racist political, social and economic structure.
Shareholder activism does not depend on gaining the support of the majority of a company's shareholders in order to be effective -- proxy votes are nonbinding. Instead, it changes corporate policy when management sees that a strong minority of shareholders (usually 20 percent will do) find the company's policies troublesome. Senior executives begin to fear that significant amounts of management's time, energy and attention will be diverted to addressing the issue. To reach that threshold of effectiveness, activists try to recruit the support of as many large shareholders as possible -- beginning with small social-oriented firms such as Calvert, then progressing to socially-oriented pension funds such as CalPERS (and potentially TIAA-CREF, if the demonstrators get their way). Still, most successful campaigns need significant rank-and-file shareholder support and that of at least one major mainstream investor.
That said, shareholder activism is poised to emerge as a central policy-making vehicle for three reasons. First, there is the deregulatory political culture that dominates federal policy-making. A second element is growing economic globalization -- coupled with the removal of trade barriers -- which has led to a recognition of the important role (positive and negative) that corporations can play in developing countries. The third major reason is the increasing accountability and transparency demanded by shareholders and required by securities regulators in the wake of the corporate scandals of the 1990s.
The most significant catalyst of the emerging movement in shareholder power is the deregulatory mood that holds sway at the federal level. This trend toward deregulation (or at least a reluctance to impose new regulations) began in 1995 and gained momentum when President George W. Bush took office. With Bush's election, traditional liberal lobbies concluded that new and more stringent federal regulation of corporate activities was unlikely, so they began to focus on alternative areas in which they could exert power over corporate activities. Most of these lobbies determined that they would do better with calls for action at the state level, through international treaties and through shareholder activism. All three of these trends continue to dominate new regulatory policy-making in the United States. Of the three, shareholder activism is emerging as the most powerful avenue for changing corporate policy over the long term.
This strategy is most visible in the climate change debate, where a number of corporations -- including many energy companies -- have adopted climate change policies as a result of shareholder pressure. No action is likely at the federal level on climate change for at least a couple of years. Many influential shareholder activists argue that regulation is inevitable and that, consequently, companies should begin to change their internal mechanisms now in order to prepare for dramatic regulatory changes and potential liability.
Under this kind of pressure, some major oil and electricity generating companies have adopted policies that commit, at the very least, to measure their financial vulnerabilities in a "carbon-constrained" economy. Many have gone further and adopted policies that give consideration to climate change in their internal decision-making processes. The law has not changed, but under shareholder pressure the vast majority of the energy industry is preparing for the day when it will.
New arguments following this "climate risk" logic -- that is, environmental and social concerns are not just public relations problems, but carry serious financial liability risk for companies and must be addressed in that light -- have been raised recently in various industries, including against mining, chemicals and consumer products companies. The central premise of these new shareholder campaigns is the notion that society's ethics and mores are constantly changing, and the best corporations will adjust their policies before they feel the brunt of changing values. The use of child labor in developing countries, for instance, recently was accepted practice in certain industries, but now allegations of child labor represent significant risk to corporate brands -- just ask Nike or Kathy Lee Gifford.
Similarly, it was once de rigueur for multinational construction companies and extractive industries to build large infrastructure projects that required relocation of significant numbers of indigenous peoples in developing countries. These projects usually had World Bank funding. Now the Bank won't fund such projects, and corporate managers are increasingly wary about these kinds of proposals.
Merrill Lynch recently released a report titled "Energy Security & Climate Change: Investing in the Clean Car Revolution," which concludes that there are solid investment opportunities in those automakers that have developed (or are developing) advanced clean technologies. Although Merrill Lynch understands perfectly well that "clean tech" investments tend to perform poorly in strict efficiency terms, it likely is betting that the shifting line of acceptable industry behavior will render these investments profitable nonetheless.
Examples such as these reverberate throughout industry and shareholder groups. They suggest that sound management requires acting quickly (and often on limited information) to quell potential problems, and that there is considerable risk in ignoring potential social problems. Nike's image has never completely recovered from the allegations that it used child labor, even though it is now one of the most transparent companies in the world when it comes to its supply chain. Shell continues to spend millions of dollars to rebuild its reputation after controversies in the late 1990s. (Interestingly, the cost to Shell is best measured in recruiting difficulties: New graduates, particularly in Europe, prefer not to work for a company embroiled in human rights or environmental controversies.) And as Merrill Lynch's report suggests, socially responsible shareholder groups are increasingly successful in bringing this same argument to mainstream investors.
The degree to which shareholder activism is emerging as an important element in policy-making is epitomized by ISS's acquisition of the IRRC proxy advisory business. ISS specializes in advising major pension funds and investment houses on the business implications of important votes raised at corporate annual meetings. It prepares analyses of mergers, of significant changes in pension fund management and of other similar issues relating to corporate governance for its clients.
Only rarely has ISS taken positions on social or environmental resolutions. IRRC, on the other hand, specializes in the analysis of environmental and social shareholder resolutions. This merger signifies the degree to which demands for restricting corporate behavior -- once seen as the demands of an activist fringe and thus as issues that could be safely ignored -- are now being incorporated into standard corporate-governance conversations. With this merger, ISS is acknowledging that advice on social-related shareholder activism is in sufficient demand that its portfolio needed IRRC.
As the lines of communication and credibility are strengthened between the socially responsible investment community and the mainstream investment community, activists will be able to expand their demands even further and leave their mark on how business is conducted. Further, because of recent rule changes by the Security and Exchange Commission, all financial services firms, including pensions and mutual fund companies, must make their proxy votes public. This will ease the politicization of proxy voting, as companies with strong brand names -- such as Fidelity and Merrill Lynch -- will have to tell clients how they voted on the social demands placed before shareholders.
Ultimately, these changes likely will result in corporations adopting policies that are more cautious, better thought out and significantly more responsive to public concerns. They also will usher in a fundamental shift in policy-making in government, particularly as business threatens to get far ahead of the federal government in the United States. The two traditional types of public policies -- those demanded by the marketplace regardless of law, and the demands of government -- will at least for a time diverge. Whether this new era of responsiveness satisfies society's need for regulation of business practices, however, remains to be seen, as do the larger implications of all of this for notions of democracy.
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