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COMMENTS RECEIVED BACK AT THE OFFICE

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Hi
Your messages bless me a lot and I profit from them very much. Wisdom is too precious for any cost. Thanks for your words of wisdom, they will profit me the rest of my life.
Musoka

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Dear Mr. Booker,

I am writing you from California, and I read your newsletters faithfully and always look forward to their arrival. I wanted to thank you very, very much for writing them, for passing along all your teachings and knowledge-- your writings have made a big difference in my life-- my outlook on life, on myself, on my relationships with others. You are a wonderful wise soul, and thank you so very much for the gifts you give me on a regular basis in your newsletters.

Very sincerely,
Jennifer

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Phil

I just sat down to begin my day and found your newsletter waiting for me. I enjoyed your stories and was very appreciative that it didn't end with "send this to 100 other people". Your labour is a work of the heart and I encourage you to continue with your message of evolution of the spirit.

Regards,
Dr Robert

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g'day Phil

As always I enjoyed the newsletter, outstanding!
I have recently become editor of a small regional newspaper in northern NSW, Australia. I was hoping I could use a few quotes from it, (the newsletter) in my paper... fully credited with an email address of course...
Let me know if this is ok please...
Wayne

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thank you: very comprehensive sent me more every week, sent me stuff that make girls happy.

hassani

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Please feel free to pass comment on the web site or the content. I look forward to receiving any comments and generally reply personally. Thank you.

Here is a sample newsletter...

INTRODUCTION – EMPTY YOUR CUP

Wisdom is about application, someone may have superior knowledge but without a sensible application that knowledge is wasted.

Everyone who reads this newsletter will be where they ARE… that is for sure. But is there room for improvement?

Is it more knowledge you need or more wisdom?

Here is a short Zen Story to illustrate this point:

EMPTY CUP

A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen.

The master poured the visitor's cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself.

"It's overfull! No more will go in!" the professor blurted. "You are like this cup," the master replied, "How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup."

(Zen Story)

Rather than suggest that anyone should follow any specific religion, any spiritual path or force feed any cultish tribe, what we must acknowledge the odd true statement that emanates from within them.

We could say that we need an ‘open mind’ or the 60’s flower power saying ‘hang loose’ if only to help illustrate that ‘emptying our cup’ of old and tired principles and beliefs that have not served us well has some intrinsic value.

We can be BOUND or IMPRISONED by beliefs we took on board 20 years ago and not realised how restrictive they are. These beliefs may have served us well at that moment in time, but sadly have little use today.

Your defence mechanism may be reacting… You could find yourself talking to yourself in the back of your mind; as clear as if you were talking out aloud. “I’m okay,” said the voice. “Why do I need improvement?”

Wisdom KNOWS that you have this dual voice; it is full of justification for the wrong action. But the big question is which is the true self, the one who speaks or the one who listens?

The ego controls through verbally convincing you of an action to take. The ego does not listen; only the true self

Principles & Beliefs… It’s a big one! Whilst we are aware that society is governed by a structure of laws, these of which tend to be written in stone. Principles are structured, beliefs are not.

We know if we disobey our national laws we commit a cardinal sin. Yet interestingly many people are not too familiar with the fact that within a society full of laws there is a freedom.

This freedom is evident as we live within the rules and laws. While ever we work within the boundaries that we know exist we tend to live a full life. Wouldn’t life be chaos if we didn’t all drive on the correct side of the road?

So clearly laws have their appropriate use to govern and rule our actions, and are generally overseen by the police and the courts. Whereas principles and beliefs have an equal importance, but are not strictly written, but stored in our memory to either use or adjust as time and needs dictate.

So what is a principle? Answer, “A fundamental truth or proposition serving as the foundation for belief or action. Morally correct behaviour and attitude. It is the source or basis of something.”

What is a belief? Answer, “A feeling that something exists or is true, especially one without proof. A firmly held opinion.”

Principles are not beliefs. The closer your beliefs match universal principles, the more accurate and useful they will be.

So are we any wiser now?

I personally went through a period in my life where I was only too aware that most comments I made started with, “I think…” or “My opinion…” In other words too much of me! I tried endlessly to prevent the word ‘I’ being used, until I realised that it should come naturally and not through design. When I paused and allowed a natural flow to my conversation I noticed a tone of voice change. A rather delicate one I must admit, but there nevertheless.

Instead of hearing, “If I was you I’d change jobs.” I spoke differently, I would say, “It would seem appropriate to grasp this opportunity and move up the corporate ladder.” Wow! Same thing! But said in a more convincing manner!

Wisdom is about keeping an open mind or emptying your cup, you need to be able to ADD.

You can be bound by your beliefs, if you don’t occasionally allow NEW and TRUE ideas to flood in, you’ll be stirring a full cup forever. The same beliefs just stirred up.

The story illustrations this week are meant as a parallel to the human existence we endure if we don’t empty our cup.

2. STORY 1

THE COW AND HER BELIEF

There was a cowherd boy who took his cows to the meadows every morning and brought them back to the cowshed at the end of the day. One evening, as he was tying the cows up for the night, the boy found that one of them was missing her rope. He feared that she might run away, but it was too late to go and buy a new rope. The boy didn't know what to do, so he went to a wise man who lived nearby and sought his advice. The wise man told the boy to pretend to tie the cow, and make sure that the cow saw him doing it. The boy did as the wise man suggested and pretended to tie the cow. The next morning the boy discovered that the cow had remained still throughout the night. He untied all the cows as usual, and they all went outside. He was about to go to the meadows when he noticed that the cow with the missing rope was still in the cowshed. She was standing on the same spot where she had been all night. He tried to coax her to join the herd, but she wouldn't budge. The boy was perplexed. He went back to the wise man who said, "The cow still thinks she is tied up. Go back and pretend to untie her." The boy did as he was told, and the cow happily left the cowshed. This is what the guru does with the ego of the disciple. The guru helps untie that which was never there. Like the cow, due to our ignorance, we believe that we are bound by the ego when, in fact, we are completely free. We need to be convinced of this, however.

(Mother Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi))

3. STORY 2

THE LION, THE BEAR AND THE FOX

A LION and a Bear seized a Kid at the same moment, and fought fiercely for its possession. When they had fearfully lacerated each other and were faint from the long combat, they lay down exhausted with fatigue. A Fox, who had gone round them at a distance several times, saw them both stretched on the ground with the Kid lying untouched in the middle. He ran in between them, and seizing the Kid scampered off as fast as he could. The Lion and the Bear saw him, but not being able to get up, said, "Woe be to us, that we should have fought and belaboured ourselves only to serve the turn of a Fox." It sometimes happens that one man has all the toil, and another all the profit.

(Aesop’s Fables)

4 RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTIONS

QUESTION: “I seem to be constantly making the wrong choices. Where am I going wrong?”

ANSWER: Throughout each day you’ll encounter various emotions, this we cannot change. However what we can do is be aware that these fluctuating emotions determine how good or bad our decisions are.

Sometimes our mind convinces us that when we have a choice to make the options that are available are all poor, so we are picking between various evils rather than any one good choice.

This happens again without our assistance, we are constantly fighting against the chattering within our mind (generally called the ego). The ego dominates our mind when we are in negative moods. The aim therefore would be to find a route back to a positive mood.

Negative moods tend to relate to an agitated state of mind; a simple route back would be to ‘pause’ or stay calm for a few minutes to allow the agitation to subside.

Although the next illustration is a fable and only a story it illustrates the scenario of having to make a choice of varying evils. We must remember however that we are not bound by what others say, I am sure we could have developed a fourth option.

THE FABLE ABOUT ALCOHOL

Once upon a time a Buddhist lama was travelling in the steppe as a "badarch," a holy man that brings blessings to the nomad families in exchange for food and lodging. It was close to sunset, and he came upon a lone ger and some livestock. When he approached the ger a young woman came out to greet him. She was the only person living there.

When he requested hospitality she said he could stay the night only under one condition. He had to choose to do one of three things. He could drink alcohol, sleep with her, or sacrifice a goat. The last was taboo for lamas since only shamans sacrifice goats. Since all three choices were in some degree sinful, he had a difficult decision. He decided that drinking alcohol would be the least harmful.

He drank the alcohol, and while he was drunk he killed the goat. When he woke up the next morning he was in bed with his hostess. He then learned that drinking alcohol is a small sin but it can easily make a man do bad things under its influence.

(Fable)

5. PHILOSOPHICAL TIPS & QUOTES

Abundance consists not so much in material possessions, but in an uncovetous spirit. (John Selden)

Riches are not from abundance of worldly goods, but from a contented mind. (Mohammed )

Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into. There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen. (Wayne W. Dyer)

Bye for now.

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Phil Booker
Editor, Author, Businessman and Philosopher of Life.

 

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