Counting in Three

"The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature."
- Joseph Campbell

Three is a magic number for understanding what is important in life. Most religions have trinities.

In local Balinese communities, I found that life is supported by beliefs that are surprisingly straightforward and relevant for the world today. In popular terms, the Balinese trinity, or Tri Hita Karana, goes as follows.

First, to live in harmony with God or "the most supreme". Second, to cultivate mutual understanding and help each other. Third, to care for the environment, recognizing that the same life force is present in all beings.

Each of these three life supports are connected and follows from the others. Together, they become like a circle, without end or beginning.

Seen by Balinese people as a holistic foundation for everyday life and celebrated in numerous community festivities throughout the year, the application of this trinity seems as profound as Bhutan's concept of pursuing gross national happiness.

In these two places, matching the beat of one's nature with Nature is both a commitment and a daily opportunity.

Photograph: To the cremation, Ubud, Bali.

Touched in Bali

"Life is entertained only through the phenomena that constitute our experience."
- Roger Ames and David Hall

My forehead rested on the wooden plank as the sun shone intensely warm into the upper floor of the bale.

I could feel a trickle of sweat gliding down to the floor, like children on a slide in slow motion. My arms resting behind me, palms open, I surrendered to the moment.

Feeling directly intimate with one's experience, the teacher from New Zealand said, is the heart of yoga. No need for seeking of some-thing, no need for traveling to reach some-where, no need for depending on some-future, but to enjoy what is already manifest in our unique self.

Wizened yet flexible and full of vitality, Mark Whitwell captured our attention and intent as if he held us all in the palm of his hand. There is a yoga practice for everyone in this room, he promised us, telling us not to adapt any commercialized yoga style. In stead, let yoga adapt to you. Find the yoga that is for you, he said, and do your yoga, every day. Do your yoga…

And I did, this morning, merged with my Dao practice. I look forward to another yoga class on Wednesday. As I rediscover myself in Ubud this week, my senses are alert to find out what is waiting to touch me as I walk the next steps on my path. I am tapping my creative universe.

According to Roger Ames and David Hall, creativity is always reflexive and is exercised over and with respect to "self." In their magnificent interpretation of Daodejing entitled Making This Life Significant, they explain that in the cosmology of Dao, people who tap into creativity and "have their stuff together" change the world around them. In the Dao, developing integrity "is a co-creative process in which one shapes and is shaped by one's environing circumstances."

This is what I set myself to experience now, to shape and be shaped by the influences from my environment, with heightened awareness.

From opening my body in sweaty stretches to enjoying delightful meals and taking in the cool breeze and verdant greens surrounding me, I learn to entertain life through these phenomena here and now.

Photograph: Verdant green in Ubud.

Real sin

"There is only one real sin, and that is to persuade oneself that the second-best is anything but the second-best."
- Doris Lessing

How to stop missing the mark? Is that what the sin question is about?

Most religious traditions talk about sin as something that people do that goes against certain morals or rules, and is therefore prohibited or considered wrong in society. Some Christians have gone beyond that to refer to sin as a life-long condition or state of mind.

Followers of Christian traditions have for millennia been warned against seven deadly sins, named as extravagance or lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. To oppose and substitute for these sins, they were reminded to practice seven holy virtues of chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility.

Some protestant Christians went as far as saying that, due to original sin, humanity had lost any and all capacity to move towards reconciliation with God.

In Islam, religious scholars have over time compiled as many as 70 major sins, which are described as acts rather than states of being. Many other traditions hold similar views of sin, with a focus on the notion of wrongful acts.

In an interesting recent update, the Vatican in 2008 added a warning against what it called seven modern social sins, including environmental pollution, genetic manipulation, obscene wealth, infliction of poverty, drug trafficking, morally debatable experiments, and violation of the fundamental rights of human nature.

As with so many things in life, one can also explore and adopt different perceptions about sin. The prevalent one has been to focus on the quality of the act, and its consequences. You do something wrong, and this is what will happen to you. If you repent, here is how you can atone for the sins you have committed. And, of course it is better to avoid doing wrong in the first place.

There is, however, another perception that is quite opposite, which is to regard sin as missing out on something. Remarkably, the ancient Greeks regarded sin as "missing the mark" or target, like in archery. And the biblical Hebrew word for sin had the same meaning. Their perception was about something that is missed, and how to do a better job of hitting the mark next time, like an archer honing his skills.

Interestingly, some early definitions of the concept of the deadly sin of sloth took a similar perspective when they called it the sin of sadness, of apathy, depression, joylessness, uneasiness of the mind, an absence or insufficiency of love. All these terms refer to a human condition of missing out on what is good.

In Dante's Purgatorio, penitents for sloth had to run continuously to make up for what they had missed in life.

In recent times, the more prominent perception of the sin of sloth has been as a failure or indifference to utilize one's talents and gifts. As Wikipedia puts it, it is more a sin of omission than of commission.

This notion of missing out may be what Doris Lessing referred to when she put the now famous words about sin and second-best in Anna Wulf's mouth, in The Golden Notebook. Her relentless focus was on choosing to do the best.

Commenting that laughter was by definition healthy, Lessing found herself very much on the positive side of human endeavor. "Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capacities simply by being given the opportunity to do so," she said.

While the traditional black-and-white doctrines of sin to mark things to be avoided are still prevalent in today's world, my sense is that more and more people choose to focus on the positive side, to get better at setting and hitting their marks and enjoying a fulfilling life.

No longer held back by popular religion's dire warnings of punishment for sinful wrongdoing in this world or the next, the new notion of sin as "missing the mark" is inspiring me and many others to live "integral" lives and let go off fear and the sin of accepting second-best.

Perhaps that is what the spiritual leaders of ancient times had in mind too.

Photograph: Passage in Topkapi palace, Istanbul.

Way with change

"Change is a law."
- Dan Millman

Life is forever changing. Indeed I can say that life is all about change.

As an introverted soul, I always look forward to recharging my battery in moments of solitude and quiet. And when I sit still in a quiet room, it can seem for a moment as if my world comes to rest, without tiring changes. Then it turns out to be an illusion.

The antics of my own mind continue to create activity, and even late at night I hear a bus driver blaring his horn in frustration of someone else who blocks his way in speeding to the next stop.

It is difficult, if not impossible to be still and resist change.

I know how meditation can help me observe my mind and its endless flow of thoughts, but I also know the mind cannot be shut down. Within its own constraints of repetition and extrapolation, it keeps ever vibrant.

And outside my awareness, millions of cells in my body are regenerating all the time, and my heartbeat and breathing are continuing uninterrupted.

Meanwhile, all around me the earth keeps spinning at a dizzying pace, unseen to anyone but the scientists who monitor such movement.

How can I find moments of peace and freedom of action within such relentless movement and continuous change taking place all around and inside me?

Can I practice having little retreats while continuing to be a participant in this circus of movement and changes called the Universe?

A few weeks ago, I was looking forward to a long journey, expecting that the many hours of travel would offer a good opportunity for a soul retreat. Yet what I experienced was a non-stop sequence of moments and events, some more memorable than others.

Reaching the destination, I discovered that being surrounded by thousands of people for a week-long conference offered even fewer chances for solitude.

With my fellow traveler's ingenuity, we found that the only place for a quiet recharge during the daytime was to sit in the back row of the large auditoriums, like using a cinema to rest rather than seeing the movie.

As I write this, hundreds of people keep passing by the windows of the coffee shop, going from cinemas to shops and vice versa. Each of them living a life, with emotions, challenges, and changes to face. An amazing totality really, this Universe.

Every day, the world offers me new insights, new points of view, new challenges, and new opportunities. I feel immersed in it like in a fast-flowing river.

Hour by hour, day by day, I allow myself to float, to observe the changes, stopping myself from resisting the flow. Choosing to adapt to changes is starting to feel like a game I can play.

So what time do I really have to recharge my battery, to realize what my options are, to how to decide among alternatives, to take action, to enjoy passion, and to deliver results?

Since the past is already behind me, and the future continues to elude me ahead, I find myself enjoying to turn to zero, to the moment where everything is possible, where everything can be done, to the now, to the present moment.

As I reflect, I no longer cling to my mind's thoughts, to time, to anything really. Through my moments of passion and my times of living flatly, I find myself happy most of the time, either with or without a reason. I can smile.

To have more time later today, or tomorrow, to do what I dream of, is an illusion. There is no such thing.

There is only now, and my decision how to use this present moment. To consciously do something that brings me closer to realizing my life dreams.

Or to let myself wander farther off these goals. Or, to simply go with the flow with a sense of wonder, ready to discover something new as I move further along the river.

I can see now what made Dan Millman choose the title for his book The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, which he confidently subtitled saying that it would change lives.

I can live in the present moment with the peaceful heart of a mystic and a warrior's spirit of discipline. Working simultaneously with my logos or reason from the right brain, and with my mythos or intuition from the left brain. Thank you, Dan!

Photograph: Istanbul, witness to millennia of changes.

Spark me

"We shape the clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want."
- Tao Te Ching

It happened today.

After lying wrapped in a shiny yellow cloth high on a shelf in my apartment for more than a year, Atintya has now moved to adorn the wall of my bedroom, mounted on a slab of Philippine narra hard wood, courtesy of Noli, the owner of one of Manila's more famous art houses, Renaissance Gallery.

Everything has its time, but for Atintya to come out took much longer than I expected. I celebrated today, for this and other reasons. Who needs a reason, anyway? Life awaits my decision to celebrate any day.

Decorating my living place is important to me. I like to be surrounded by images that inspire me. What an opportunity it is to choose items to adorn my home! To see things that resonate with me and my dreams.

I read that relationships between life partners are bound to fare better if their home is adorned with their pictures. I have come to believe that this is true. Precious relationships need treasuring, and having visual reminders inspires me to do so daily.

It is no different in places of worship, I believe. Temples and churches present visual reminders of the invisible power of the universe, the keys to life. Asia is full of images of deities, so rich, somewhat like the catholic church with its plentiful images of saints. These all remind me of the magic of life, and inspire me to share this with others.

I have selected or consciously welcomed all pieces of art and decoration in my home to inspire me. All carry meaning to me. I try to celebrate them everyday, and to open myself to draw inspiration from them.

Atintya is special to me. Pictured in meditation and surrounded by flames on key parts of the body, the image is a representation of Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the “one supreme unknowable God.” Atintya is said to have gained importance in Bali because he falls in line with religious beliefs that revolve around a single god, of whom all other gods are manifestations.

Atintya inspires me to be totally alive, from top to toe, to connect with the almighty universe. And to spark others around me to be similarly alive.

No less, and can't be more.

Photograph: Atintya.

We are social

Isn't it obvious? Everyone in the world is connecting with others. Yet to do it consciously, with awareness, is another story.

Inspired by Jim Paredes some years ago I started reading Ken Wilber, and have done so more often of late. Wilber helps people to increase there awareness to live in four realities at the same time. He maps them as quadrants, the interior "I" and "it", and the exterior "we" and "its."

Doing a quick "quad scan" several times a day helps to expand consciousness, to gain new perspectives on a situation, and live mindfully and "awake". I found that, at any time, I tend to live in one of the quadrants more than the others. When that awareness arises, it comes with a realization that I am missing out on quality experience in the other three, and on the synergies that a more integral awareness brings.

Quad scans are easy to do, I found. It just takes me a minute or much less. In terms of relating with other people, it helps me review a situation quickly when I am with someone. Whether it is at home, work, with friends, traveling, in a shop, or other situations, there are questions to ask myself.

Why am I meeting this person? How do I feel about meeting this person, right now? And how does he/she seem to be feeling about meeting me? What could be the purpose of the meeting, beyond the obvious reasons? What does the other person want to get out of the meeting? Can his/her views broaden my perspective? Is there an opportunity to make a win-win move with the other person, on the spot? What options do I have, and what action can I decide to take?

Such a scan of the "we" quadrant can be quick, very quick, like thinking and feeling on my feet, at the same time, with heightened senses and awareness, because I have decided to be awake to the relationship in the moment, on the spot.

In his Tapping the Creative Universe workshop, Jim told us to pay attention to "connections" when we show up to be present in each moment. Scanning my quads now starts to fascinate me, and I do it more often. I always believed in synchronicity and serendipity, and I realized that it takes me to switch on my antenna to get the benefits, and hopefully bring some benefits to others on my path.

I am flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Manila as I write this, and reading the English daily in Viet Nam often inspires me with some interesting life stories, most of which with a positive view.

Today I read about Nguyen Son, once a poor boy pushing a cart to sell coal on the streets of Hanoi, now a well-known architect and director of his own bureau. The story recounts how he lately realized that his passion lies with music, supplemented with painting and poetry. His songs are now favorites with young Vietnamese.

I read how Laurent Habrard, a vigneron in the Rhone valley of France is coloring his business green, conserving water use, insulating the farm buildings, using alternative sources of energy. Cutting out middlemen, he has taken to direct online marketing of his wines. He sends samples of his produce in vacuum glass tubes through regular mail (the mailman goes anyway, no extra CO2 produced) to anyone who wants to taste them.

Another article describes how the city of Paris is drilling holes to tap geothermal hot water to help provide hot water to homes and reduce energy costs.

For all the shocks that we are experiencing in the global economy today, the world is still full of stories of people moving forward with a positive attitude, with creativity and courage. I expect that stories like these in Viet Nam News can inspire people anywhere into action to write the next chapter of their life story on the blank pages that are waiting.

It certainly works for me, and I will start writing my 53rd chapter on the blank pages from tomorrow, enjoying to live in the now, practicing to scan my quads, and letting myself be inspired socially by people around me, close and far.

Photograph: Social at the village temple in Cham island, Viet Nam.

Daily nerve

"Last good nerve of the day."
- my daughter

There is no other way. Life restarts every morning around the world. In nature and over the vast bodies of water that make up our blue planet. In rural and urban homes, from hovels to apartments and palaces.

In company offices, healthy, financially troubled, or simply unsure of what 2009 will bring. In stock exchanges and regulatory offices. On the work floors of factories, still thriving or getting eerily quiet.

For those who are focused on restoring financial security, and for those who press for using the opportunity of the financial crisis to halt climate change and create a sustainable world with new paradigms.

Life starts anew every day, and for every one. Grand visions of a better life and a better world are still achieved through journeys of daily steps, each of them involving personal choices and smart work to overcome the odds.

To make ends meet for loved ones in challenging times continues to require a daily journey of perseverance, seeing and using opportunities, and making smart personal choices in many moments throughout the day.

In sum, these daily journeys are about taking personal responsibility for life, and for consistently doing the small things that add up to big results which in turn build, or rebuild, our life dreams. Blaming others can feel great, but doesn't help at all.

This early in the year, getting organized to turn my resolutions for 2009 into results is important to me. I need to feel confident that I keep making progress on my journey, that I walk on the right path, and avoid getting stuck in dead-end side roads.

So I have been focusing these past weeks on how to make small steps consistently, which continues to challenge me daily. I need to keep creating and sticking with good habits. Having done well yesterday amounts to little when the new day arrives. I need to nurture and reinforce positive habits on a daily basis to get the results I want!

This year, several of my new year's resolutions have made it into a nifty little application called Joe's goals that I discovered "accidentally" on the internet. It allows people to jot down their intentions, positive ones to reinforce, and negative ones to get rid off. Daily achievement is tracked by simply clicking on the ones that were "done." A simple click is all it takes for a nice green tick to record the good result.

I read years ago that when people manage to keep doing something new for 30 days, there is a high chance that they will continue doing it out of habit. It is human nature to do so. I will test this hypothesis in this 1st quarter of 2009!

Yet for all the planning I can do and improvements I can make, life continues to surprise me with unexpected turns and messy situations, and I have decided to welcome that too.

Last week, I dropped my notebook computer on the floor, and the screen's backlight stopped working. Not something to make into a habit, for sure. Thankfully, I found that I could get the hard disk swapped easily into another unit by the ever helpful IT colleagues in my office, even during the weekend. What a relief!

It made me think that I need to get better organized with my computering this year, especially for my personal stuff, which is now stored on the same computer I use for work after my old Pentium IV home PC broke down a year ago.

I decided that I want to graduate to a Mac for my personal use. I realized that I prefer a simple computing environment with programs that look after my needs with minimum fuss. Mac works that way, and I will keep my notebook PC for office. I'm now waiting for Life 09 to be bundled with Mac, which will hopefully happen this month.

In another area of life, after almost of two years of study in my free time, I graduated from my life coaching course just before the new year. It marks a big milestone for achieving one of my life dreams, which is to help people around me live better "now."

At the end of the day, I now enjoy tabulating the results of my good intentions in Joe's Goals. They are all personal, and they matter to me, like my daughter savors what she calls her "last good nerve of the day."

Photograph: An observing bird in Bali zoo.