Borobudur and the power of meditation

In the first photo, a tourist poses for the camera as if to celebrate. Because he is standing at the very bottom level of the Borobudur, a monk might think the elation unwarranted.*

Located on the island of Java in Indonesia, Borobudur is one of world's outstanding Buddhist temples. It is Indonesia's greatest monument. Shaped like a mandala, the path of the pilgrim consists of walking around each of the several layers clockwise until you reach the top. Spiraling your way upwards makes for a journey of five kilometers. Carvings visible on the lowest levels portray drunken revelers, monkeys, and people catching fish -- among other things. The higher you get, the more Buddha statues and carvings of celestial beings you pass. The second and third photos depict the caged Buddhas near the top level.


After taking the long journey to the top, the impression one gets is of suddenly entering rarefied space. It is like stepping out of the mundane world into a massive power generating station. Dozens of meditating Buddhas sit as if each housed within his own reactor-plant.

I will say this: whoever designed Borobudur believed in the power of mediation.

Read more about Borobudur here and see my one-of-a-kind photo of the "No Logo Buddha" here.

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Photos: by Jotman.
* The base of the structure symbolizes the lower level on path of a Buddha's development. So the triumphant gesture of the tourist might seem a little misplaced to a monk.

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To do or to be? That is the question

William James wrote: "Lives based on having are less free than lives based on doing or being." But what is the distinction between a life based on "doing" Vs one centered on "being"?

The career of a highly creative but much maligned military strategist named John Boyd may provide some clues.

Because a "Yes men" mentality prevails in the US military, journalist James Fallows was pleasantly surprised when the US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates brought up the name of the late John Boyd before a gathering 0f Air Force brass. Even if we do not approve of the administration Gates works for, the Defense Secretary's comments regarding Boyd's career are thought-provoking:

Boyd, who was a brilliant, eccentric and stubborn character, had to overcome a large measure of bureaucratic resistance and institutional hostility.

He had some advice that he used to pass on to his colleagues and subordinates that is worth sharing with you. Boyd would say — and I quote — “One day you will take a fork in the road, and you’re going to have to make a decision about which direction you want to go. If you go one way, you can be somebody. You will have to make compromises, and you will have to turn your back on your friends. But you will be a member of the club, and you will get promoted and get good assignments. Or you can go the other way, and you can do something, something for your country and for your Air Force and for yourself. If you decide to do something, you may not get promoted, and you may not get good assignments, and you certainly will not be a favorite of your superiors, but you won’t have to compromise yourself. To be somebody or to do something. In life there is often a roll call. That’s when you have to make a decision: to be or to do.”

For the kinds of challenges America faces and will face, the armed forces will need principled, creative, reform-minded leaders, men and women who, as Boyd put it, want to do something, not be somebody.

Even for those of us not in the military, the distinction between "doing" and "being" is worth thinking about.

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Chemical in clear plastic toxic, at least in Canada's view

"The first thing is that it's an endocrine disrupter, there's no question about that," Professor Bend said, referring to the chemical's impact on the hormonal system. "Should people that are exposed to these low levels of this chemical be outrageously concerned? I'd err on the side of not creating panic. We simply don't know. But we should find out."

Professor Bend added that the impact of B.P.A. on the development of human fetuses was worrisome. It may prove to cause damage in much the same way as early exposure to mercury, he said.

More from a recent NY Times article here.

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Exposing the myth that humans are natural vegans

Some vegan proponents of an all vegetable diet claim that in traditional human societies, humans got all their protein from vegetable sources.  Certain Asian and African countries are cited as lands where people have continued -- at least until recently --  to get their most of their protein from vegetable sources.  One such country is Thailand, where vegetables are abundant in the cuisine. 

However, as this photo indicates, the traditional Thai diet included abundant protein from insects.    Even in modern Bangkok residents will line up to buy an assortment of roasted insects from street vendors like this one.  Insects provide vitamin B12 which is generally found lacking in pure vegan diets.  If you are a vegan for mainly for health reasons, you might want eat your grasshopper.

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Willpower management

A recent NY Times article suggests we need to manage our willpower:

The brain's store of willpower is depleted when people control their thoughts, feelings or impulses, or when they modify their behavior in pursuit of goals. Psychologist Roy Baumeister and others have found that people who successfully accomplish one task requiring self-control are less persistent on a second, seemingly unrelated task.

In the short term, you should spend your limited willpower budget wisely. For example, if you do not want to drink too much at a party, then on the way to the festivities, you should not deplete your willpower by window shopping for items you cannot afford. Taking an alternative route to avoid passing the store would be a better strategy.

That's an observation about the short term. But long-term, exercising will power in anything causes it to strengthen in regards to anything:

Whatever the explanation, consistently doing any activity that requires self-control seems to increase willpower — and the ability to resist impulses and delay gratification is highly associated with success in life.

Another willpower resource: How to boost your willpower, NY Times

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