Pink Thunder

The Dalai Lama vs the Pope on Respecting All Religions

As you may have heard, the current Pope -- Benedict XVI -- is set to travel to Turkey this week for a papal visit this mostly Muslim country. A diplomat, this guy ain't, in contrast to his predecessor who tried hard in his way to create understanding among peoples.

Benedict is quoted saying some pretty unhelpful things about Muslims in September 2006 near the anniversary of Sept 11. As a noted Jesuit scholar on the Vatican said: "If the Vatican says something dumb about Muslims, people will die in parts of Africa and churches will be burned in Indonesia, let alone what happens in the Middle East." Reportedly, the Pope does not like for anyone near him to refer to religions other than Christianity and Judaism as "faiths". Here is a longer quote of the infamous remarks he made which are remarkable in their overall patronizing and hostile tone:

I was reminded of all this recently, when I read... of part of the dialogue carried on - perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near Ankara - by the erudite Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both.

       

                                      In the seventh conversation...the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels", he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God," he says, "is not pleased by blood - and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats."

In contrast, the Dalai Lama had this to say on Sept 11, 2003 at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. (among other things):

All religions have the same message of love. All have the same potential to help humanity. We must reduce sectarian violence...it's not right to place blame on one tradition as a whole.

Religion has some useful concepts like love and brotherhood and should be part of our life, part of ourselves.

If someone irritates you, remember love -- that person also is a creation of God.

Once you have a true inner spiritual experience, you can see value in other religions...Sincere practice is very important.

I am Buddhist, yes, but also Christian, Muslim, Hindu -- OK! And More. That's all -- Thank you!

Take heart, my Jewish, Jain and Sikh friends -- I am sure he meant to throw those in there somewhere!  (I think that's in the "More" section. Yeah). He kinda got caught up and excited towards the end there. Anyway, here's hoping for a peaceful, productive and educational trip for the Pope -- let's hope he comes away more open-minded and tolerant-tongued.

Courage, Cheerfulness and Optimism

When people describe me, they sometimes say I am bubby or even effervescent. One person once told me I had a smile like sunshine. That sounds nice. I do try to be a positive person. People also make fun of my optimism. To my face. I will hear some bad news or there will be a setback and they'll laugh -- "Oh here comes the silver lining!" I admit sometimes it's difficult to see the positive in the negative, even for me.

Yet, if you look at a Yin/Yang symbol, the whole point of it is that there is a little black in the white and a little white in the black. There is always positive in negative and unfortunately a tiny bit of negative in positive. There's great power in both, too.

Anyway, once a week, I lead a team meeting. Before the meeting begins, I read a couple of inspirational quotes and then try to relate it to the topic at hand as goofily as possible. I used to select the quotes myself. I would also note down a little bit about the people quoted in case they were not known to everyone.

Now one of my staff members finds the quotes for us. She does a great job. Much better than me. She doesn't know it, but I have been carrying one around in my get-around, get-ready folder in my briefcase. It is so true to my experience. And perhaps to many others. I've been very grateful for its wisdom. So I'd like to share it with you.

Few things are more attractive than courage, cheerfulness and optimism. But they take on an extra dimension when you realize that they are not a lucky assembly of character traits, but the result of an act of will -- a deliberate attempt to tackle an unkind destiny with strength of purpose and good humor. -- Jane Shilling (London Times columnist)

I plan to be thinking more about positive vs. negative and will report back to you.

Mapping Empathy in the Brain

Interesting Washington Post article. Emphasis mine. For the record though, I originally became a vegetarian for health reasons. But when I stopped eating animals, I definitely began to see them and my relationship with them quite differently over time. It's nice to believe that we are actually hard-wired for empathy and attempts at understanding each other. Which implies that attempts to divide us by race, by sex, by class (and perhaps even by species?) etc are very false and un-natural indeed.

"If we empathize with other human beings because of mirror neurons rather than rules, I know what it is for you to be sad because I know what it is to be sad myself," Glenberg said. "When I see you hurt, my mirror neuron system is responding; it is giving me a sense of pain."

And by removing complex thinking from the ledges of abstraction and rooting it in the physical world, the research also helps show how the physical brain can produce the ephemera of thought. To Glenberg, it suggests that humans are far from alone in being sophisticated thinkers. Research has shown -- in some ways more convincingly than in humans -- the role of mirror neurons in other animals.

"In fact, when I started investigating these things, I became a vegetarian," Glenberg said. "It became clear to me as a consequence of these theories of embodied cognition that virtually all animals are thinking, and it is difficult to draw a line between those who are thinking and those who aren't."

Indigenous peoples usually seem to have a lot of respect for animals. Maybe it's time again that we re-discover this quality.

Resolving Differences for the Common Interest

So, let us not be blind to our differences - but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved.

-- John F. Kennedy

Applicable on so many fronts: colleagues, family, friends, states, nations, etc

Time

Time heals all wounds, unless you pick at them. -- Shawn Alexander

Spring!

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.

-- George Santayana (1863 - 1952)

If Your Life Could Speak, What Would It Say?

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.

-- Mother Teresa

Are you Glamourous?

"'Glamour' is assurance. It is a kind of knowing that you are all right in every way, mentally and physically and in appearance, and that, whatever the occasion or the situation, you are equal to it."

-- Marlene Dietrich

In short, confidence is radiance.
I'm not always as glamourous as I'd like to be, but I'm working on it!

Are you?

PT

A Thought for A New Year

Every beginning, after all, is nothing but a sequel,
and the book of events is always open in the middle.

-- Wislawa Szymborska

What Love Can Do

"There is nothing wrong with America that courage, commitment and love cannot conquer."

-- Nelson A. Rockefeller

I saw this all-but-forgotten quote while walking in Battery Park along the Hudson River. The words on the polished granite had once been gilded, but time and the elements have wore most of that away. I had to run my fingers along the cold stone and trace the letters to make them words.

I agree with Nelson (at least on this point). I would even go a little further to say that there is nothing wrong with you and there is nothing wrong with me that courage, commitment, love and time cannot overcome.