Archive for the 'Glimpse of the Day' Category
Whoo Hoo!!!! The World Celebrates
November 5th, 2008 categories: Community Happenings, Featured Events, Glimpse of the Day, Lifestyle, Our Market
Change Happens when you need it the most. All across America last night, citizens watched history unfold as Barack Obama became the President Elect, on his path to becoming the 44th President of the United States of America. For some, today is a day of rejoicing, for others, an opportunity to look ahead with optimism even though their candidate wasn’t victorious.
I think the victory belongs to every American regardless of ideology simply due to the overwhelming involvement of the American people in directing the path of our government. I fear we had become a society that took it’s liberty for granted and just assumed others who were in positions of power and authority would do right by us and our country. It’s a shame we had to hit such a low to wake us all up to the fact that it’s our responsibility, my responsibility, to lead government and if we blindly follow those who are in a position to make or break our success as a nation, we deserve what we get. Unfortunately, the typical outcome is less than we expect and that has never been more obvious than today and this mess we find ourselves mired in.
So whether or not your candidate won the election, YOU won by taking charge of your destiny and being a part of the American process.
Please enjoy these photos of Celebration around our nation and our world.
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A Slogan To Live Your Life By
July 20th, 2008 categories: Glimpse of the Day, Lifestyle
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”
No matter how many times I read those words, they never fail to inspire me. In my previous incarnation as corporate executive for a (then) Fortune 100 company, I picked up many bits of ‘Rah Rah’ and squishy toys, an attempt of the company to lift moral, build a team spirit and tap into some motivational guru’s source of inspiration. But this line was different. From the moment I read it, I knew I had to leave the corporate life I was leading. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”, another entirely uplifting saying, but the same company that spent so much time and money inspiring their teams during the good times, became inspirationally bereft and the curtain came down and there was only a weenie, not a genie behind.
So I took my little desk plaque, the one that say’s, “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” and set out to do it. And I couldn’t be happier.
There’s another little bit of lore that I subscribe to that has also provided inspiration and direction to my life and my choices. It’s the one that says, “You reap what you sew”. Now perhaps I’ve read into this one a bit and worked it so that it describes Karma or at least my shallow view of it. Even a Karmic Novice such as me can experience the benefits of this adage and I have for as many years as I can remember.
As an example, when I give generously and my motivation is pure I always get back more than I give. This goes for love, money, support; anything and everything. Sometimes when money’s tight we tend to want to be conservative and tend to share less. I’ve been there. It’s a scarcity mentality- there’s not enough to go around so I keep it all to myself and grasp tighter and tighter on to it so I don’t lose it. I’ve found through this behavior I feel a lot of stress- all that grasping really wears you out. Over time, I had the opportunity to give when I really didn’t have much and the first thing I noticed was surprise. I surprised myself and then immediately thought, “I sure hope I don’t regret that. ” Then I turned my attention to the recipient of my generousity and through compassion, all regret and grasping immediately vanished. I thought no matter the consequences, I’ve made the right decision.
As it turns out, I am a most fortunate person. I always have more than I need and ‘most of the time’ I feel really content. So, I’ve learned that the act of giving is itself a reward particularly with a pure motivation. I can’t speak to this directly but I will surmise that if one does not feel compassion and act out of an altruistic state of mind, the return on the investment isn’t quite the same. I don’t think one can cheat Karma. But, perhaps the end does justify the means in this case. At least the benefit to the recipient is real be it money, support, encouragement, etc. The Dalai Lama speaks of being ’selfishly selfless.’ He says the best way to bring benefit on to oneself is to be a benefit to others.
So what power do these rather esoteric sayings really hold? I say they are words of wisdom and if you look behind them and realize the truth within them, they really can propel you to places that you may have feared to go before. I don’t know who came up with my favorite little saying but I really appreciate the message. That little plaque sits before me today in my little office and still holds a pure power that never ceases to remind me of my own potential. Perhaps someday, I can return the favor…
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Race for Tibet 2008
June 24th, 2008 categories: Glimpse of the Day
There is an organization that I am a member of called The International Campaign for Tibet. It’s a not for profit humanitarian organization that focuses it’s efforts on the needs of the Tibetan people and the occupied country of Tibet. Now, I’m not going to make my blog site a political soap box because it’s primarily a business site but I think you are ready for a little fist-pumping today- I can feel it.
In 1949, China invaded Tibet. The Tibetan people and their leader didn’t understand the full implications of this occupation at the time. They were rather naive as they had very little exposure to the outside world being perched high on top of it and very trusting due to their own benign motivation. Once it became evident that this occupation would threaten their culture and their lives, the Tibetan people tried to resist but China was far too strong. Over a million Tibetans were slaughtered during the 1959 uprising and the Tibetan government, many Buddhist Lamas and the Dalai Lama fled for their lives to India.
There have been other uprisings since and each one is put down more violently than the last. Since March 2008, around 200 Tibetans, including monks and nuns, have been killed and thousands have been injured. Many Tibetans have been beaten for participating in peaceful demonstrations and cannot go to the hospitals for fear of being arrested. The situation is grave.
What is at stake today is the entire Tibetan culture. Tibetan children cannot go to school unless they speak Chinese and even when they do, their future is stymied because of their Tibetan heritage. The Tibetan people have become economically marginalized in their own country. Tibetans have long revered their leader, the Dalai Lama, and it is a crime to possess his image in a photograph or painting. The Tibetan language and culture are today at risk of becoming extinct. We go to great lengths to avoid extinction in animals and plant life because we know how valuable those life forms are to our planet but we are slow to act when it comes to our human family.
What ‘We’ want today is for China to meet with and work with the Dalai Lama to bring an end to the sorrow of Tibet. His Holiness is no longer calling for China to leave Tibet- only to make it a place that Tibetans are free to worship and practice their beliefs, live their lives free from fear and oppression and have a future that is unrestrained.
This blog is not ‘against’ anyone, instead it’s for Tibet. We Americans cause havoc all over the world in the name of freedom and democracy. I would like to see the world powers join together to save Tibet and the Tibetan culture from certain peril and at the same time, help China become a truly great country. There is a middle way where everyone can be satisfied but it’s rarely easy to find. I believe we have come to a time in our exsistence where true change needs to occur. The mindless and violent ways of our human history need to be put aside in order for humanity to take the next great step into a future that really is sustainable. We need to finally truly ‘evolve’. I think we are capable of this- I certainly hope so for the future of the human race.
If you are interested in learning more about this cause, visit Savetibet.org and learn how you can make your voice heard.
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Have You Had Your Glimpse Today?
April 11th, 2008 categories: Glimpse of the Day
We live in a hectic world at a troubled time. Sometimes it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with situations that seem beyond our control. Often times all we need is a little perspective to regain our equilibrium and I know of a special resource that gives me a glimpse of that much needed perspective on a daily basis.
I have studied Tibetan Buddhism for almost twelve years and one of things I love most about it is the pure logic that the teachings employ. It is a practice that is experiencial rather than to be taken on faith. Whether one is Buddhist or Christian or Muslim or Jewish or any other religion, logic is a common thread that runs through all human beings. Our similarities will always outnumber our differences. Truly, we are all basically the same; we all want to be happy and we all want to avoid suffering. That being the case, the next time you look at someone and recognize how they are different from you, look deeper at how they are the same as you; in fact, look at them as if they were just another ‘you’. Imagine how your empathy for others will grow if you see them as another ‘you’ or even a part of you.
Each day, I get an email with my “Glimpse of the Day” which are daily excerpts from the book entitled “Glimpse After Glimpse; Daily Reflections on Living and Dying” written by Sogyal Rinpoche. Soygal Rinpoche was born in Tibet and educated by some of the greatest Buddhist masters of this century. He travels the world giving a broad range of teachings based on his book “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”, a book that has influenced my life greatly. Even though I own the book “Glimpse After Glimpse”, I find getting my email reminder so much easier to follow on a daily basis. I suppose my habit of turning to the computer first thing daily is stronger than my habit of reflecting on the nature of my mind. I’ll bet I’m not alone.
Below is a short teaching by Sogyal Rinpoche entitled
The Essence of Buddhism: The entire teaching of the Buddha can be summed up in just three lines.
If you would like to receive your “Glimpse of the Day”, email Glimpse of the Day at glimpse@rigpaus.org and for more information on Sogyal Rinpoche and Tibetan Buddhism, please visit Rigpa.org.
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A Message From His Holiness The Dalai Lama
March 31st, 2008 categories: Glimpse of the Day
Through my affiliation with RIGPA, a fellowship of individuals who study and practice the Buddhist teachings as taught by Sogyal Rinpoche, a most generous and compassionate Lama, I received this message from The Dalai Lama. It is his message to our brothers and sisters in China, and around the world, and appealing to the leaders of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) for their cooperation in finding a mutually beneficial solution to the crisis in Tibet. Here is his message;
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s appeal to Chinese people in the wake of Tibet unrest
Press Release[Friday, March 28, 2008 14:41]
An Appeal to the Chinese People from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
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