Mikeism

2. Don’t Smoke

mike — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:01:33 +0000

If you do smoke, STOP! Compared to non-smokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer (killed my Dad 20 years after he stopped). Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men.

1. Have an annual check up.

mike — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:53:35 +0000

Find a doctor and have a yearly appointment each Movember for a physical. Men typically don’t see a doctor for an annual check or when they feel sick. Get regular check – preventative screening tests and immunisations are among the most important things you can do to stay healthy.

Be a Man Longer…

mike — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:05:45 +0000

This advice came to me today from the kind people at Movember(TM).

Have an annual checkup

Don’t smoke

Be physically active

Eat a Healthy Diet

Stay at a Healthy Weight

Drink alcohol ONLY in Moderation

Be aware of Your Family History

INSIGHT

mike — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:07:13 +0000

Inside each of us is a great being, someone peaceful, full of light, understanding, and compassion. This person carries a sword of understanding that cuts through the bonds of suffering. With great understanding, we see the way out of our bondage. We discover the lighness and compassion necessary to love someone else. We can awaken this great person within and realise our true aspiration, without distraction or interference.

Freedom To Be

mike — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:56:17 +0000

What do we want???

Uploaded by thelakeysisters on 15 Jul 2011

I chanced upon this video tonight when I visited my friend Hayley. I had already decided to write a journal entry and knew immediately that this was the source of my motivation.

I then asked my son Seb, “How does this make you feel?”. Media stimulates as does nature and men and flora and fauna. How does this Charlie Chaplin oratory, taken from its context and superimposed with modern images stimulate feelings within us? Well, I thought I would like to share some of mine.

I feel freedom.

It is like having a moment of clarity after being in a fog for quite a long cold time. I get very annoyed that some drivers travel so close behind me, and today I thought I am going to suspend that anger and replace it with acceptance. On the way home then I had a smile on my face because when I realise that the annoyance I have for the driver is hurting only me and I can choose to be happy when someone is tailing me. I am free. I am free to be free of anger. I am free to be happy.

I feel hope.

There was a time in my life, quite recently, that I felt hopeless. I could see no viable solution to my predicament. There was no easy way out and the hard way out was beyond my ability. Then from the love of another human being, a chain of marvellous and wondrous events conspired to avail a solution unto me. One after another, people got in the way of my demise and slowly hope was a real ingredient in my daily recipe. Hope, freedom and joy. This love – this conspiracy – continues today. I don’t think that it was ever NOT there. My mind is the thing that has changed.

I feel inspiration and disappointment.

In my mind I have been a magnificent example of God’s creative genius and at once a wretched failure or an impotent organ on a cancerous body. Both minds are perceptions and both are distorted images. The inspiration in Charlie’s speech is in the glorious possibility of a better way. The hope of a better way now that the fog of self-deception has lifted rises to inspiration to spread the word. There is joy in his proclamation “Soldiers unite!”. For haven’t we all felt the trudgery of a soldiers march and have felt the relief of pulling off shoes from swollen feet. Well, I haven’t really – but my Dad did. Just as he must have been inspired by his son’s obvious great potential. he must surely been disappointed at the lack of control he had over the ripening of that potential. Oh, how we expect things to be a certain way. When we see the amazing results from generosity of spirit that conquers natural disasters and triumphs over totalitarian juntas it is a natural jump to think that anything can be overcome and “all will be alright!” It’s disappointing then to hear of rising paedophilia and plummeting living standards in the ‘Home of the free’.

Today, I had a friend whose frittata came out too dry. I have another friend whose long-term confidant and friend is very sick and dying, and my feeble advice to both is the same. Go slower and pray more.

Love always

Mike
0424422188

“Me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me”! (to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy)

mike — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 04:33:31 +0000

“Me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me”! (to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy).

WRITTEN BY LUNA KADAMPA

3 COMMENTS

Self-cherishing — thinking that me and my happiness are the most important in the world – is bad news for me and for everyone else. Very bad news.

Beaker unwittingly demonstrates some of the perils of self-cherishing in his rendition of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy:

Self-cherishing not only destroys our chances at any lasting peace or happiness (having already made our lives miserable since beginningless time), but it also directly prevents us from being able to help others have a less miserable life. And this is the case even if we are basically decent and would actually like to help others.

THE RUBBER BAND OF SELF-CHERISHING

While we remain tethered and bound by the demonic delusion of self-cherishing, our wishes and attempts to help others will always have an expiry date – we’ll do it for a while, perhaps, but there are obvious built-in limits. Try stretching a rubber band from your thumb as far as you can, and then letting go. Ow! In the same way, we may stretch ourselves with great effort and strain to help other people, but the moment our mindfulness slips our mind snaps back to self-cherishing.

For sure, we rarely admit to being at the center of the universe at polite dinner parties, but it is not hard to figure out that this is exactly how we feel. Who does it feel like the world revolves around, if not me? I and a bunch of strangers were swimming in the ocean the other day and I wondered what I’d think if a shark was approaching. Whose leg would I want the shark to bite off?! If I’m ravenous and there is just one piece of pie left, who gets to eat it? As my teacher says in Eight Steps to Happiness:

Our ordinary view is that we are the centre of the universe and that other people and things derivetheir significance principally from the way in which they affect us. Our car, for example, is important simply because it is ours, and our friends are important because they make us happy. Strangers, on the other hand, do not seem so important because they do not directly affect our happiness, and if a stranger’s car is damaged or stolen we are not that concerned….

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

We are a little embarrassed by our self-cherishing in its naked form, so we clothe it in front of others and ourself with all sorts of justifications: “Look, I need my leg more than them because I’m a runner.” “Honestly, I should be the one who has that piece of pie because I’m bigger than everyone else and need the calories more.” Etc etc. You can check any number of everyday examples. Anytime we put ourself and our needs above others, what layer upon layer of excuses are we coming up with?!

When analyzed, my excuses for putting myself above others are exceedingly lame and superficial for they mask the actual truth – the reason I don’t want my leg bitten off is because it is my leg. The reason I want the last piece of pie is because myhappiness and freedom from suffering are most important. It just is like that because I’m me.

WHO IS FIGHTING WHOM?

self-cherishing v me

Yes, I have work to do! First thing is to realize who the actual enemy is and why, so I can stop being victimized. This very same attitude — nothing and no one else — has caused every single one of my problems while ingratiatingly pretending to be on my side. (You can find out all about its faults and oily, deceptive nature in Eight Steps to Happiness.) This recognition alone takes us an exceedingly long way in the right direction. It also brings us some instant peace of mind.

Geshe Kelsang says:

This self-centered view of the world is based on ignorance and does not correspond to reality.

The self we cherish is the inherently existent self that is apprehended by our self-grasping.

Important announcement: this self doesn’t exist!!

So what are we doing cherishing it?!!

Self-cherishing is a delusion, which means it is an unpeaceful, uncontrolled mind that arises from inappropriate attention. Its important to remember that self-cherishing, like all our delusions, may be a deep bad habit as we are so darned used to paying inappropriate attention to ourselves, but it is not an integral part of our make-up. It is like a big cloud – it may have swooped down like a black spaceship to block out the sun, but a delusion cloud is always temporary and adventitious, and can never destroy the clear sky of our Buddha nature.

Mother Tara

Cherishing others on the other hand arises naturally from a recognition of the truth – that others are kind, that we depend on them for everything, and that cherishing them has countless benefits. Because it is part of reality, it is also part of our Buddha nature. It is far more who we are than the self-deceptive distorted delusion of self-cherishing. We need to remember this or we think we’re fighting ourselves. We’re not. We’re fighting our enemy, and on our side in this battle we have not only our own pure potential but also every single enlightened being. Therefore, we are bound to win.

Do you think there is ever a time when we need self-cherishing? Your comments are most welcome. And please share this article if you like it.

Life in the slow lane

mike — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:51:25 +0000

I haven’t been writing a lot lately, for completely self-cherishing reasons. When I read Louisey’s column, I often admire her dedication to those who rely or enjoy her nearly daily post.

As I was watching an Al Jazeera report on how Face Book was so necessary to the revolution in Egypt recently, I opened this letter from Louisey about a friend of hers. It describes the ordinary life story of a recovering alcoholic. A recovering alcoholic. An alcoholic, who is in recovery.

Anyone who knows the despair felt when there seems no way forward, also may know the veritas of this phrase. I remember being quite young and walking up the right-hand passage way at the Royal National Show on peoples day – not knowing that everyone over seven years old knew that you should be going the other way. The relentless crowd reminds me of the incessant madness that plagued my last drinking years. Drinking, it seemed was the only answer – not the problem! I would go to the doctor and describe my need for anti-depressants, to be told that if I drank less then the depression would ease. BULLSHIT! What would He know?

The continuing problem with alcoholism is that the remnant insanity that persists tells me occasionally that life ‘right now’ would be better with a drink – that whatever painful feelings I’m experiencing now can be assuaged with a bit of booze. And then I would be walking toward the incessant crowds and unable to change direction or even see the right way to go.

Love always

Mike

Louisey: http://louisey.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/sobriety-saga/

The Organisation

mike — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:48:40 +0000

I was asked to take a poll yesterday. As a subscriber/supporter of Znet, I am called a ‘sustainer’ and all sustainers were invited to be part of an idea, a formation or genesis of an organisation. In it’s idealism it is supreme.

The organization, as its most general priorities:

centrally addresses economics/class, politics, culture/race, kinship/gender, ecology, and international relations without privileging any one above the rest.
seeks to transcend capitalism, racism, sexism, and authoritarianism, including 20th Century market and centrally planned socialism.
flexibly explores and advocates long term vision sufficient to inspire and orient current activity
rejects seeking detailed blueprints that transcend movement needs and knowledge.
sees movement program as largely contingent on place and time and therefore continually updates analysis, vision, and strategy in light of new evidence and insights.

What if?

Love always

Mike

Gold Coast Marathon and Life Education A

mike — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:06:24 +0000

Gold Coast Marathon and Life Education AUST. http://ow.ly/4dLED

Constant Craving

mike — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:55:01 +0000

“It is only through constant training that our practice will grow steady and we will be able to control our negative tendencies fearlessly.”
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Those who have the good fortune of ownership of the ‘Buddhist Offerings 365 Days‘ by Danielle et Olivier Follmi will know that this is the advice for today March 11. How much difference to the world today is made subsequent to Messrs Follmi including this quote in their exquisite tome?

This message resonated so clearly with me today that I instantly text messaged four friends and immediately I received this response.

‘Thanks for using your clairvoyance to give me just what I needed to hear. Love you’

What a gift a few words can be! How fortunate we are to have the communication tools that we have now. How many use our communication for good…and not evil?

Love always

Mike

Mikeism

2. Don’t Smoke

If you do smoke, STOP! Compared to non-smokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer (killed my Dad 20 years after he stopped). Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men.

1. Have an annual check up.

Be a Man Longer…

INSIGHT

Freedom To Be

What do we want???

“Me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me”! (to the tune of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy)

THE RUBBER BAND OF SELF-CHERISHING

EXCUSES, EXCUSES

WHO IS FIGHTING WHOM?

Life in the slow lane

The Organisation

Gold Coast Marathon and Life Education A

Constant Craving

photo: Zimbio