It matters what you believe. I mean, really believe. Not just think you are supposed to believe, or even wish you believed. If the concept has any meaning, it refers to the actual wellsprings of behavior, the assumptions you make about how things are and about how you actually respond as a result. Ultimately, it is only what you really do believe that matters.
If you are uncertain about this, ask yourself how you behave "as if" you believed. It is likely different from what you tell yourself, and others, about what you believe.
PBS is running a three-part series by Jonathan Miller titled "A Brief History of Disbelief." It had previously aired on the BBC. The series was introduced recently on the Bill Moyers program with an interview with Jonathan Miller.
For history buffs, and all of us with short historical memories, it is a rough romp through the history of the diversity of opinion on matters religious. It is also a review of the challenges to literalism and dogmatic orthodoxy in Western Christian history.
On a deeper level, it is about the curious human phenomenon of belief itself, about the ways in which rigid belief can shred lives and breed violence. It is a reminder of just how tenuous freedom of belief is and how peculiar the "modern" idea of religious pluralism is.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
How to Be Happy Right Now
From the beginning of human history we have been searching for happiness. Most of our daily functions and overall desires all revolve around "being happy."
Some, the very adept, are able to reach that state of pure happiness through spiritual ascension, via ascetic practices. Going on retreat to the middle of nowhere and living in a monastery devoid of life's simple pleasures, does not seem like a practical option for a normal human being living in the 21st Century. For us, the normal human beings, spiritual ascension is a goal we might want but not at the expense of "living life to the fullest."
So we come to this statement:
More important than spiritual ascension is personal contentment.
Only with personal contentment can you ascend spiritually. Personal contentment does not mean material or sensory satisfaction. Personal contentment means to be truly happy with yourself right here and now.
From this state of personal contentment EVERYTHING is possible. Personal contentment brings peace of mind. That's why I have developed Gratitude-Bliss Meditation (GBM). Based on ancient philosophies and good old common sense, GBM is the perfect solution for 21st Century fast-paced life. This technique will put you in a state of contentment, guaranteed. Just like 1 + 1 = 2, following these instructions cannot fail.
Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions a human being can experience. It alone can put you in a state of Bliss (contentment). A grateful mind is a content mind. A grateful mind needs nothing. When you are in a state of Gratitude, peace and overall contentment follows.
So from this we can say that...
Gratitude = contentment = True Happiness (Bliss)
-- By Urayoan Paz via Herbert Gordon
Some, the very adept, are able to reach that state of pure happiness through spiritual ascension, via ascetic practices. Going on retreat to the middle of nowhere and living in a monastery devoid of life's simple pleasures, does not seem like a practical option for a normal human being living in the 21st Century. For us, the normal human beings, spiritual ascension is a goal we might want but not at the expense of "living life to the fullest."
So we come to this statement:
More important than spiritual ascension is personal contentment.
Only with personal contentment can you ascend spiritually. Personal contentment does not mean material or sensory satisfaction. Personal contentment means to be truly happy with yourself right here and now.
From this state of personal contentment EVERYTHING is possible. Personal contentment brings peace of mind. That's why I have developed Gratitude-Bliss Meditation (GBM). Based on ancient philosophies and good old common sense, GBM is the perfect solution for 21st Century fast-paced life. This technique will put you in a state of contentment, guaranteed. Just like 1 + 1 = 2, following these instructions cannot fail.
Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions a human being can experience. It alone can put you in a state of Bliss (contentment). A grateful mind is a content mind. A grateful mind needs nothing. When you are in a state of Gratitude, peace and overall contentment follows.
So from this we can say that...
Gratitude = contentment = True Happiness (Bliss)
-- By Urayoan Paz via Herbert Gordon
Friday, July 20, 2007
Keeping Dogs Friendly
In a pack, dogs communicate by barking, whining, tail-wagging, licking, and, once in a while, by biting. The trouble is, most dogs don't live in packs anymore -- they live with us. Yet they haven't learned to communicate the way we do. As a result, every year dogs bite about 4.7 million people, most of them children.
That number is on the rise despite ongoing efforts by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Veterinary Medical Association, and other groups to get the word out on bite prevention. A big hurdle faced by groups like these is that much of the popular wisdom on keeping dogs friendly is just plain wrong. Here are a few of of the most enduring myths and the correct information for understanding dogs and staying safe around them.
MYTH Approach the dog and stick your hand out so it can sniff you.
TRUTH Yes, it is important to let a strange dog smell you, but always let him approach you. Sticking your hand in a dog's face may be construed as a threat. Stand still with your hands at your side or crossed in front of you for protection, says Liam Crowe, dog trainer and head of operations for Bark Busters, an in-home dog training company with branches throughout the US and Canada. Always ask an adult owner for permission to pet before touching the dog. When you pet the dog, stroke him along his upper body or under his chin, which is less threatening than a strange hand coming at his head. Never allow children to hug a dog. Kids think it's friendly but, in a pack, a dog equates covering another's body with establishing dominance. A dog that disagrees may snap.
MYTH A wagging tail indicates a friendly dog.
TRUTH Tail wagging means a dog is excited, says Wayne Hunthausen, a veterinarian at Westwood Animal Hospital in Westwood, Kansas, and author of Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat. But that may be a good excitement or a bad one. "It is the quality of the wag that tells you what is going on."
If a dog is friendly, his tail will wag low (horizontal to or lower than his body) and his whole back end will move. Beware the dog that is holding his tail high and wagging stiffly.
MYTH Try to get away from a dog if it starts to attack.
TRUTH Stand tall and still and avoid direct eye contact. Do not curl up into a ball unless you have already been knocked to the ground. If so, stay quiet and cover your ears with your fists for protection. The dog may see this as submission and walk away.
MYTH Your family dog will never bite you.
TRUTH "Parents come into my office and brag about how tolerant their dog is, but all dogs bite when they've had enough," says Hunthausen. Never leave anyone under the age of 12 alone with a dog. Kids' small size and sudden movements can startle a dog into snapping its teeth. Unfortunately, all too many times the dog connects and it results in an injury that was never intended.
-- LORI NUDO, Better Homes and Gardens, May 2006
PACK BEHAVIOR
More and more, dog obedience schools are teaching owners using knowledge of pack behavior. Because these behaviors are hardwired into dogs, this kind of training makes it easier for your dog to learn, says Liam Crowe, head of U.S. operations for Bark Busters, a company that uses such techniques. A whole course can take as little as 2 hours. Learn more at 877/280-7100 or barkbusters.com.
That number is on the rise despite ongoing efforts by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Veterinary Medical Association, and other groups to get the word out on bite prevention. A big hurdle faced by groups like these is that much of the popular wisdom on keeping dogs friendly is just plain wrong. Here are a few of of the most enduring myths and the correct information for understanding dogs and staying safe around them.
MYTH Approach the dog and stick your hand out so it can sniff you.
TRUTH Yes, it is important to let a strange dog smell you, but always let him approach you. Sticking your hand in a dog's face may be construed as a threat. Stand still with your hands at your side or crossed in front of you for protection, says Liam Crowe, dog trainer and head of operations for Bark Busters, an in-home dog training company with branches throughout the US and Canada. Always ask an adult owner for permission to pet before touching the dog. When you pet the dog, stroke him along his upper body or under his chin, which is less threatening than a strange hand coming at his head. Never allow children to hug a dog. Kids think it's friendly but, in a pack, a dog equates covering another's body with establishing dominance. A dog that disagrees may snap.
MYTH A wagging tail indicates a friendly dog.
TRUTH Tail wagging means a dog is excited, says Wayne Hunthausen, a veterinarian at Westwood Animal Hospital in Westwood, Kansas, and author of Handbook of Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat. But that may be a good excitement or a bad one. "It is the quality of the wag that tells you what is going on."
If a dog is friendly, his tail will wag low (horizontal to or lower than his body) and his whole back end will move. Beware the dog that is holding his tail high and wagging stiffly.
MYTH Try to get away from a dog if it starts to attack.
TRUTH Stand tall and still and avoid direct eye contact. Do not curl up into a ball unless you have already been knocked to the ground. If so, stay quiet and cover your ears with your fists for protection. The dog may see this as submission and walk away.
MYTH Your family dog will never bite you.
TRUTH "Parents come into my office and brag about how tolerant their dog is, but all dogs bite when they've had enough," says Hunthausen. Never leave anyone under the age of 12 alone with a dog. Kids' small size and sudden movements can startle a dog into snapping its teeth. Unfortunately, all too many times the dog connects and it results in an injury that was never intended.
-- LORI NUDO, Better Homes and Gardens, May 2006
PACK BEHAVIOR
More and more, dog obedience schools are teaching owners using knowledge of pack behavior. Because these behaviors are hardwired into dogs, this kind of training makes it easier for your dog to learn, says Liam Crowe, head of U.S. operations for Bark Busters, a company that uses such techniques. A whole course can take as little as 2 hours. Learn more at 877/280-7100 or barkbusters.com.
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