Media or mindfulness

This morning I noted a flush of guilt about surrendering my attention to the media. It is a cop out from the task of sorting my brain. It is good to sit quietly doing nothing. Anything else is a distraction from mindfulness. And mindfulness is the message and the goal.

The message from the peace-of-mind gurus is simple. Use the mind to change the brain and thus to change the mind.

We are heavily conditioned and programmed by our parents, communities and cultures but life is full of fudgey bits where there is freedom to choose. The challenge is to choose well.

Change is necessary because our modern mindbrains have been spoiled by modern civilization. Our mindbrains evolved for hunting and gathering in small groups but now we work and shop in anonymous crowds. We have stone age brains in a computerized, nuclear world run by selfish and small minded zealots.

There is the possibility of turning your mind around. There is neural plasticity – it is never too late to change your mind. Throughout human history there have been exceptional individuals who have developed the un-common sense that is our birthright. Think of the Buddha and Jesus and of the many shamans and seers in many cultures throughout history. Small candles in the vast darkness.

But there are now many peace-of-mind gurus in the modern world. Facilitators of mind change. And there are many ordinary people eager to change their mind. (Ref – MBSR and MBCT) This may mark a radical (spiritual?) turning point. 13.7 billion years after the Big Bang and matter is becoming conscious of its consciousness.

We can be self aware stardust! What will it be?

Will I surrender my attention to the media or to mindfulness?

Mindfulness on BBC Breakfast

More uncommon sense

Reid, Clark, Wightman, Boyd

One section of the Caledonia Centre for Social Development website deals with “Countervailing power and globalisation”.

The section offers articles and information dealing with forces that stand against the sometimes exploitative and unjust practices of the 'establishment' and of corporate elites at local, national and international levels.

The section goes beyond the current, narrow, official view of globalisation as the free movement of capital, deregulation of trade, privatisation, restriction on patents and intellectual property.  On offer are more wide ranging, holistic and diverse perspectives grounded in (a) the concept of elegant power and its countervailance, and in (b) the development of uncommon sense. Three of my short essays cover the main points (see below) and there are many articles by other authors.
More 

Hegemony and the hidden persuaders - the power of un-common sense (June 2002)

“It is not by accident that we come by our 'common sense'. People who think freely and independently are quick to realise how they have been taught to imprison and enslave themselves. In breaking free they become the champions of un-common sense. May their thoughts be clear, fruitful and infectious.”
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The Vanguard for Social Change (Nov 2007)

“When I think of people being in the vanguard of a new development, I assume they are involved in its most advanced part. They are trail-blazers and trend-setters; the advance guard at the forefront and on the front line. They are the abnormal few with uncommon sense and counterintuitive understandings. They act as a countervailing force to the status quo.”
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Disciplined Democracy (July 2008)

“Discipline is what causes you to behave this way rather than that. In a democracy there are rules about how to behave. In a well disciplined democracy there will be forms of both external and internal discipline and these can be thought of as more or less right or wrong. The following box suggests four main patterns” 
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"Mastering others is strength.
Mastering yourself is true power."
[Lao Tzu]

Such was my view up till five years ago. Since then my understanding of the concept of uncommon sense has taken a more transcendent, holistic and consilient turn.

The idea is that everyone has a value system driven by mainly unconscious feelings and intuitions that guides and supports their rational intellect which they fondly suppose to be driven by facts and evidence and to be in the driving seat.

However, those who make the quiet time to stand and stare become adept at slowly and thoughtfully responding to events rather than hurriedly and instinctively reacting to them. Those with this more uncommon sense are the potentially planet saving cool dudes.

The move from fast to slow (ref Kahneman) is the essence of the spiritual journey. Seven of my short articles dealing with my version of the journey are available in the compilation “Towards uncommon sense – a spiritual journey (25 March 2013)”. Amongst other things it considers the power of whims!

“There was a time when I thought I was in control of what went on in my mind. These days I realise that the mind has a mind of its own and that it is (a) deeply conditioned by my particular place in time and space and (b) hard wired for ‘mystical’ experiences.”
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nurturing nature

Five years ago I mapped nine possible ways of considering the nature/ nurture debate. 

At the time I reckoned that the fundamental natural state was for peace and cooperation. 

These days I reckon that there is one set of rules for the in-group and another for the out-groups. And that these evolved by group selection 

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busy-ness

Busy-ness is the state of having a long and ever growing list of things to do.

The list is so long that “you have no time to stand and stare”.

 But this is perhaps a good thing as “the devil finds work for idle hands to do”.

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what makes Jack a mere toy

We all need to take time off work, to take time to rest, to travel, and perhaps to write a book, or to contemplate the infinite.

Within the mainstream western liberal traditions there is the idea that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” and that “all play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.”

William Davies the vagabond poet wondered, “What is this life if, full of care, there is no time to stand and stare.

BUT - Within the mainstream religious traditions there is the opposing thought that “the devil finds work for idle hands to do”. If you do not have useful work to do, you will be tempted to do frivolous or harmful things to be rid of your boredom.

“Knowing that the devil finds work for idle hands to do, Elizabeth always made sure that her children had plenty of chores to keep them occupied.” http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com

But then one of the ten, Christian commandments recognizes the need to take breaks. Exodus chapter 20 verses 8-11 are as follows:

• Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy 
• Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
• But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates:
• For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

   
The basic idea of a period of rest (Sabbath) turns up in many cultures and there are many variations on it. For example a sacred Sabbath is recognized in a range of cultural traditions including Judaeo-Christian, Babylonian, Buddhist, Native American (Cherokee), Islam, and Wicca. And, it can last for three minutes, a day, week, month, year, or life time.

The need for a secular Sabbath is recognized in Chinese and Soviet systems and also in parts of the USA. For example, in 1961 the Supreme Court of the United States held that contemporary Maryland Sunday rest laws were intended to promote the secular values of "health, safety, recreation, and general well-being" through a common day of rest. That this day coincided with the majority Christian Sabbath neither reduces its effectiveness for secular purposes nor prevents adherents of other religions from observing their own holy days. (Ref Wikipedia). Also most nation states recognise annual rest days (holidays = holy days)

A modern concept of sabbatical, is of a break in the career of an individual. Such a period is often taken to fulfill a goal such as writing a book or travelling for research. Some employers offer paid or unpaid ‘sabbatical leave’ as an employee benefit.

For many years I have been in the habit of taking regular short or long term leave of my ordinary monkey mind. The short version involves taking a deep breath when anxiety looms so as to come back to the present moment. The medium term version involves just sitting and dropping off body and mind in Zen mindfulness style. The longer version is to take a year or more out to investigate key topics. At first this involved Master degrees at university but latterly it has been a case of teacher teach yourself.

When wandering around the Sunday supermarkets and DIY superstores the concept of the sacred and spiritual Sabbath often comes to mind. Obese, capitalist consumers with groaning trolleys. What hope is there of renunciation catching on?

What chance of dull Jack becoming more than a mere toy?

Compilations reminder

There is the Scottish saying that mony a mickle maks a muckle. So it is with one-pagers and compilations. 

One-pagers can make sense on their own but they can also be compiled in different ways to make larger senses. 

For links to some examples click here and here

Going Against the Stream

Stephen Bachelor

"The Buddha described the dharma as 'going against the stream.' 

As long as one swims with the current of a river, one remains unaware of it. But if one chooses to turn against it, suddenly it is revealed as a powerful, discomforting force. 

The 'stream' refers to the accumulated habits of conditioning. 

The practice of dharma means to turn around midstream, to observe mindfully and intelligently the forces of conditioning instead of impulsively reacting to their promptings."

- Stephen Batchelor, "Dharma in the War Zone"

being sceptical

Michael Shermer

 Why People Believe Invisible Agents Control the World

ownership matters

Tranquility, equanimity, and peace of mind. Are these possible for exploitative landowners and industrialists? Or is the illusion of the divine right of kings and popes rejigged to fit the realities of the modern age?

Hierarchy. Meritocracy. Superiors with subordinates and slaves. And the power is often ‘elegant’ in that the oppressed conspire in their oppression. There is no alternative; no Plan B. The poor (both deserving and undeserving) will be with us always.

Last week I visited the Strathnaver Community Museum http://www.strathnavermuseum.org.uk/. It bears witness to the cruel replacement of politically sheepish people by actual sheep in the 18th century.

Lesley Riddoch

This week I am reading Lesley Riddoch’s 2013 book “Blossom – what Scotland needs to flourish.” She sees a need for local communities to overcome their feeling that nothing can be done. Her feisty battle cry is in essence one of ‘genuine and meaningful power to the people’.

“For all the talk about being Jock Tamson’s bairns, Scotland is a surprisingly elitist society where a relatively small number of people own land, run businesses, possess wealth, stand for election and run government. The result is a deep-seated belief that ordinary Scots cannot own and run things, don’t want to own and run things and indeed that it hardly matter who does … It matters” (p12)