Gendun Drup

If I had to isolate something as close to pure from an emotional standpoint, it would have to be Buddhism. I am cautious in that statement because there are variations of Buddhism as there are variations of almost everything, yet at the root of all Buddhism are certain fundamentals that are as pure as I believe is understandable and that is what ethics should be, pure that is. Untainted by subjective matters, point of view, inference or even influence is a goal of ethical reasoning but next to impossible. A reasonable goal is to be as close as possible.

I have recognized in Buddhism this regurgitation of praise and respect for life and the universe and all that should be awed. I want to view the world from this purist perspective just once. Gendun Drup being the "First" Dalai Lama would be the purest of all of these I suppose. The least regurgitated as well, his appreciation genuine and modest, his humiliation the utmost and would revel in being humbled by someone so utterly humble. What a revelation.

Gendun Drup also wrote extensively on the values of Tara, whose values are the same as those needed to drive critical thinking and ethical reasoning. If you have such respect and admiration of such things as his writings display, you must exude them in your day to day existence.

In all honor an humility, I present my first person of value.
There will be more future posts on Tara and such long in the future.

Next Post: Harriet Tubman

Valued Opinions

So let's just rip into the carcass of this wounded blog I have left out there in my last post with 10 somewhat out there choices for opinions. I mean they all have their merits, but I have had questions from many as to how could I have chosen this one or that one and how could I honestly give credence to their opinions.

Just as I had expected, few could view the subjects entirely without considering how they applied their perspectives or how those perspectives were interpreted by those of you on an individual level rather than how they might have been applicable in a particular scenario or such. How often we fail to make things relative or consider an entire picture before we sit in judgement. Judgement, there is a non-objective term itself. Judgement has its place, but this blog is not it. This is a forum to develop reasoning and perception, embrace possibilities, tolerance and become empowered with spirit to evoke change. Then call to action those skills and change our world.

So, I need you to remember the following basic principles of critical thinking and ethical reasoning before I post 11 more times, one for each individual to give them their dues respectively and then one to bring together how they share principles that make them "great" in MY definition. Because regardless of what I am teaching here, this is MY blog.

* Bear in mind the purpose
* Inferences and Assumptions
* Point of View
* Consequence
* Are there Concepts (laws, theories, etc.?)
* Ensure the following: Clarity, Accuracy, Precision, Relevance, Depth, Breadth, Logic, Significance, Fairness (all of this even has to be applicable by audience)
* Information (Research)
* Beware the human nature of egocentricity (though necessary only in respect to existence itself, completely irrelevant in critical thinking and ethical reasoning)
* Beware and Befriend Language (Communication is Empowerment but only when used respectfully)
* Empathy
* Integrity
* Humility
* Willingness to come to a conclusion

And that is just a brief list to get you started. To think critically and reason ethically, you have to overhaul your natural tendency to think of making the world how you would like for it to be and seeing things from your internal "thumbnail". There isn't a secret decoder ring telling you how to make all the right choices and do everything right that comes in the bottom of the cereal box, the best you can do is get told to "drink your Ovaltine". Besides who is to say what is right nowadays...that is the quandary isn't it.

I will start off in a day or so with the Gendun Drup (the 1st documented (in the most documents I researched) Dalai Lama)). But I am holding off on my first post to get at least a few more comments with your thoughts to the forum, not just to me on why you think I have chosen who I have. Come on now, quit talking just to me and let the community here know what you have to say. I apologize for not allowing anonymous comments, but I find personalization provides for a more intellectual conversation.

10 People Whose Opinion I Would Value

I know I said 5, but I had to make it 10. I just couldn't hold back. These are in no order of value as who I would choose would depend upon the knowledge I was seeking, but all would contribute greatly to any research or decision in my opinion.

Hermes Trismestigus - Ethical Atheist

Franklin Delano Roosevelt - 32nd President of the U.S.

Friedrich Nietzsche - Western (German) Philosopher

Karl Heinrich Marx - Western (Prussian) Philosopher

François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire) - Writer, Deist & Philosopher

Henry Louis (H. L.) Mencken - American Essayist

Gendun Drup - The 1st Dalai Lama

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy - Russian Essayist & Philosopher

Pope John Paul II (born: Karol Józef Wojtyła)

Harriet Tubman - Humanitarian

Oh and now you know I am going to get into why each one of them would contribute greatly to a conversation on community, role models and environmental respect. I wanted to just post this teaser first because I want you to think about what makes these people similar and why each of them is valuable from both critical thinking and/or ethical reasoning. I think you will be surprised when you put on your objective hat and actually "think" without clouded vision what enlightenment is out there for you and how much your mind is capable of.

I would love for you to post your theories prior to my actual dissertation on these individuals contributions.

Chick-fil-A is Sexy

What a header...is this an ad you might find yourself asking...NO WAY! That is definitely not something I would do and completely not the way I intend this blog to move, but I have to say it. Chick-fil-A is sexy. At least the two I go to are and some of the research I have done thus far on the company just because of the experience are leading me to believe. So for now, I am just leaving a few notes as a teaser until I finish the research and see if they deserve full attention for being a community player and a corporate role model.

Let's talk about sexy and contagious (not a word you normally want to associate with an eating establishment) from the moment I pull in because I know my expectations are going to be not only met, but exceeded to the moment I pull out feeling like I am actually "something on a stick" (pardon the southern). From the sincere welcome, the smiles from morning people (where do they come from?), offers for condiments (you mean I don't have to ask...) and then the clincher "My pleasure" or "We look forward to seeing you at the window". I actually believe they do. This my pleasure thing makes me want to fix my hair before I get up there and bat my eyelashes no matter whether it is a man or a woman who took my order and it makes my morning, midday or evening.

I would love to lambaste them for not offering me this lovely upswing in my mood on Sundays, but obviously they are on to something, because I don't mind the wait.
I am going on a Chick-fil-A research mission to see if this is consistent...and I expect anomalies, but if it proves true and my other background research from a corporate perspective bears well. They may fall into my top 10 corporate images for the future of humanity. I want to feel sorry for the chickens, but it is just too much pleasure to drive-thru in the morning. Be free cows...be free! Mediocre Service surrounds you as of now and poor corporate structure.

Next post: Back to serious and The Top 5 People I Would Like to Ask for Help and Why?

Pliable vs. StoneWall

How does one keep from "growing old inside"? Surely only in community. The only way to make friends with time is to stay friends with people…. Taking community seriously not only gives us the companionship we need, it also relieves us of the notion that we are indispensable. -- Robert McAfee Brown

I have, personally, failed at this miserably. This is what triggered so much of my awareness recently and my drive to change the world. Take a look at all the following current "challenges" and see how easily they correlate to at least one single common factor.

- Taking prayer out of schools is the reason for school violence.
- People not going to Church is the reason for violence and malcontent.
- Famous People don't behave like role models should; there is no sense of responsibility.
- People are having children that don't want them because of moral decay.

A lack of allowing our children to share in a communal spirit, embrace culture and tolerance (it actually goes far deeper than the whole prayer argument). Church is now considered non-trendy, old-school, non-communal, and hypocritical. Famous people aren't supposed to be role models and we made them so, then removed their community, isolated because they have to protect themselves and they have no sense of trust or in some cases even family. People are having children because they lack education (both personal, emotional, empowering and book) which is a communal responsibility.

We have generated an egocentric, wait, 'ego-societal' generation. WE, WE, WE, I, I, I take ownership for the failures of the past and WE, WE, WE, I, I, I must and will take leadership and ownership of the change that will take time and commitment and often leave me disheveled like a politicians email and alone while I infuriate those that fear that which they don't understand. But slowly and surely, it will happen over the course of time where we remedy the crimes purported against our community and ourselves and revive our purpose.

Live in a way that you wouldn't mind if it were viral. Infect people. Take ownership of the whole that you contribute to. In overprotecting a few "dearest" or creating false "idols", we enable segregation on levels far deeper than any visual or perceived label can ever transcend.

In explaining the word pliable to my 9-year old the other day, something sparked in my head. We aren't pliable anymore, the malleability is gone and some stonewall is in its place. Peace and faith (and don't confuse that with any religious overtones, get some vocabulary and remove the judgement) have been replaced with fear and "mines vs. yours".