A joke

The Red Cross recently had a blood a drive at the Optimist's Club, but they ran into a problem. Everybody's blood type was B-positive.



Well, you gotta admit, it fits in with the theme.

:)

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

If you have not yet been to http://www.canadianmuseumforhumanrights.com, go. Click on this site and watch the video tour of the museum. I'll wait for you. I'm patient.

Ok. Are you back? Let's look at what you just saw.

"Freedom, equality and the right to live in peace" "Ascension of humanity through transformed lives" "Darkness to light, despair to hope"

This is just a little bit of what they speak about.

I was concerned that the Canadian Museum for Human Rights might become a museum showcasing the abuse of human rights, but this does not appear to be the case. The abuses are put into the context of the past, or negative analysis to see where we need to shed a bit of light, while the main focus is on the positive changes you can make for the future.

I only make a couple thousand dollars a year, but I want to do what I can to support this museum. So please take a look around their site. Write to them. Offer them ideas. Offer them service.

And see what you can do to help make a difference, too.

Leadership

I'm sure you can tell from the scarcity of recent posts that I have been quite busy as of late. One item which took a lot of my time was a recent presentation at an interfaith conference on the environment. The presenter from the Baha'i commjunity was unable to make it, so I was asked to speak about the Baha'i perspective. As this is not a topic I am generally conversant in, I had a to do a lot of research. The results of this will be in the next post.


For now, there was an issue that came up at this conference that I feel warrants its own post: leadership, and the example set by leaders.


Some of the presenters who spoke before me were, to say the least, a bit negative. One even said that the situation was so hopeless that "we should take a gun to the children's heads and put them out of their misery". He was looking at my young son while saying this. As you can imagine, this did not go over too well with me.


So why do I mention this sad incident? Because the speaker is a leader of his community. He is an Aboriginal elder. This is not to condemn all Aboriginal leaders, but to merely comment on the singular example he gave, and use it as an example to make a point.


I do not find it a coincidence that his community (in general, not in specific) has a significantly higher suicide rate than the average. There are many reasons for this, and not just his example. When the leaders in any community tell people to kill themselves, and their children, there is a problem.


What can we do about it? Note that I do not ask what he can do, but rather what can we all do.


After this meeting, a woman came up to me, quite incensed over this man's talk, and said "Why on earth do people revere the wisdom of the elders, when they speak garbage like this?"


"The wisdom of the elders", I replied, "is quite profound, and worthy of our attention. Some of the elders, however, are in desperate need of healing. We should remember this when they speak of things so contrary to the wisdom of their people."


This example made me ponder the question of leadership, and the qualities we should seek in our leaders. When I contrast the upcoming US election, and the campaigning that is going on in that race, and the upcoming election of the Universal House of Justice, I see a stark difference in many areas.

In the US election, and in many elections worldwide, the ability to be elected is quite often based on the amount of money that one can afford to spend on advertising, speech writers and polls or research. Do these qualities lead to what we consider the best leaders?

In many other communities, the ability we seek in leaders is based on age or on physical strength or on the ability to out-argue your opponent. Do these necessarily find the best leaders?

In the Baha'i community we are told to seek people with "unquestioned loyalty" to the Faith, a "well-trained mind" (which is not the same as having a university diploma), "selfless devotion", "recognized ability" and "mature experience" (which is not necessarily the same as being elderly). By looking for these qualities amongst those we know, and seeing them acted out in daily life, we are in a better position to cast our votes in the best manner possible.

For many, this wlil raise the question of how this can work on the national or international level. It does, and I will write another article on how.

For this article, however, I just want to point out the role of leadership: helping set the vision for a community and carry it out in action. By virtue of being a leader, it means that you lead: others follow. When in this position, we must be very careful about the direction in which we go, and the example we set.

If, as leaders, we strive to tear down the accomplishments of others, then those we lead will do the same. If we strive to encourage, build up those around us, and work towards a better future (as opposed to a moving away from a flagrant injustice or dismal past), then those we lead will also work to build with us.

If we, as leaders, try to push those under us in a particular direction, then we are behind them, not in front leading. If we strive to set the example, then this becomes an attractive force and others try to move closer to where we are. By pushing, we exhaust ourselves, and rarely accomplish anything. By being an attractive force, and using the forces of attraction, then the others begin moving.

All that remains is that we ensure that which we find attractive is worthy. But then, this goes back to living a moral and virtuous life, and always striving to progress.

In the end, it doesn't really matter what we try to build. If it is sound and solid, and built on a firm moral foundation, it will stand and withstand the tests of time. If it is not, then it will fall. We can reflect on it, figure out where we went wrong, and try again. This, to me, is the basis of posi-genesis.

Positive Reinforcement, or Fighting Terrorism part 2

When training animals for complex and difficult tasks, including movie stunts or discreet spy-type surveillance, the most successful animal trainers use a form of positive reinforcement. This is generally done with a device called a "clicker", because, as you may have guessed, it produces a clicking sound. Rather than training the animals what they should not do, they reward them for going in the direction desired, associating the click with a reward.

In short, when training an animal, it can do one of two things: either what you want it to do, or what you don't want it to do. In the case of the latter, by saying "Don't do that", you have merely eliminated one of many possible actions. The animal still does not know what you want it to actually do. By working in small increments, and rewarding each correct action, you are able to train an animal to do far more complex tasks, as well as train it quicker . For more information, you can go to the wikipedia article on clicker training, or www.clickertraining.com.


So what does this have to with fighting terrorism?


I recently posted an article on world peace on the Winnipeg Free Press faith site (http://www.wfpfaith.com/article/75/the-pieces-of-peace). Naturally, this got me thinking a bit more about the articles below on "fighting terrorism". I had briefly thought about posting the article here, but realized a link is much easier, and it encourages people to visit this other site.

So, again, what does this have to with fighting terrorism?

There are so many issues inherent within this question that it is difficult for me to separate them. I am not an expert on terrorism, nor do I claim to have any solution. What I do claim is that the perspective I offer will assist those who are aware of the intricacies of the problem to find a more effective solution than what we currently have.

This perspective, as often repeated in my public talks and various writings, requires identifying the spiritual principals involved in the situation, as well as the positive values that need to be added to achieve the desired outcome. Many other solutions that are put forth involve what I call "trying to remove the darkness".


The natural question is "Does this really work?" I do not expect anyone to believe that it can work for terrorists, or humanity in general, "just because it works for some animals". Here is a real life, human example:

When working with children at the Turtle Island Community Centre in Winnipeg, Canada, the friends use positive reinforcement to help guide them. They do not chastise the children if they are acting badly, nor do they punish. They will remove a child if they are acting violently, and are a danger to others, but in general, the children behave very well because, after a few years of seeing what goes on there, they want to be there. They are guided to virtuous behaviour, and rewarded for it by either simple praise or a virtue card. For more information, check out this article: http://news.bahai.org/story/453.

The chilodren at this centre are called "high risk". This means that they are more likely than the average child to end up in gangs, on drugs, or on the streets. The children that have taken part in this program, however, have shown the moral capacity to make decisions and act in a way that is more likely to help them contribute to their community, rather than diminish it. They are helping out in the centre in many ways, from helping integrate younger children to cleaning up after the program is over. The best part, though, is that this behaviour appears to have transfered out of the centre, too. They are helping their parents more around the house, and more concious of the effect their actions have on the community.

This is my neighbourhood. This is my community. I have seen it work, albeit on a small scale for now.

My question is how we can apply this on a grander scale.

A quote that has helped point me in the right direction is as follows:

"Denunciations of materialism or terrorism are of no real assistance in coping with the contemporary moral crisis if they do not begin by addressing candidly the failure of responsibility that has left believing masses exposed and vulnerable to these influences."

The next article, hopefully to be posted soon, will address another area that I feel is critical in this: leadership.

Atoms and Apples

...There is no greater satisfaction than being a source of joy to the hearts.

- 'Abdu'l-Baha -

“A friend of mine,” she said, with tears in her eyes, and no emotion in her voice, “committed suicide the other day.” I knew she was reaching out, but afraid to reach out at the same time. I’m more than twice her age. She was obviously wondering how I would react.

I asked her how she felt about it.

She didn’t know. The phrases she used were descriptive of her confused state, her mixed emotions, her grief, her relief that her friend was possibly at peace, her loss. There was an occasional break in her calm façade, a random tear, a nervous giggle, a furrowed brow. She just didn’t know. And all the rambling syllables came back to a single word: why?

I’ve seen many friends commit suicide over the years, far more attempt it, and have had the same confused rush of emotions go through my own heart. “Why,” I would always ask, “why would they do this?” Recently, an answer came to mind from the most unlikely of places: physics.

I believe that everything in creation can be seen as a metaphor for a spiritual truth, if we only look deep enough. In fact, this search for metaphor has become something of a game for me. “How is this object a metaphor for a spiritual truth? How about that one?” Some are easier than others, but in the end, all have their point to teach. A teacup, for example, shows us that we must empty ourselves before we can pour in something new. It is a silent game I play when walking down the street, or driving to the post office, or walking on a lonely beach.

“What spiritual truth can an atom show?” This was the one that puzzled me for some time.

How is an atom a metaphor for a spiritual truth?

A teacher once told me that if you enlarged an apple to the size of the planet Earth, each atom in that apple would be the size of a cherry. Imagine this: everything from horizon to horizon made up of cherries. From here all the way to the other side of the planet, solid cherries. Everything you see: cherries. Try and imagine how many cherries that would be.

Would it make a difference if you removed a single one?

That to me is the question of suicide. “Would it make a difference if I were gone?”

Let’s take it a step further: enlarge that cherry-sized atom to full kilometre across. Do you know what you would see? A raisin in the centre and a grain of salt at the edge. That is proportionally all the matter contained within a single atom. The atom can truly look at itself and say, “I am nothing”. But is it accurate?

If this is really all the matter in an atom, why can’t my hand move through my desk? What are the chances of two raisins hitting each other when tossed over a kilometre?

The answer lies in the relationship between the two atoms. The electrons, those grains of salt at the edge, have a relationship to each other. The stronger the relationship, the more solid the atom appears to be. This may not be the most scientific of explanations, but it works. When the atom is seen on its own, it is virtually nothing. It is only in relation to the atoms around it that it appears to be a solid object.

Similar to the atom, when we look at ourselves on our own, we can truly say that we are virtually nothing. It is only through our relationships with others that we appear to be solid. The greater our relationships, the more solid we appear to be.

Years ago, when I was suicidal, it was the thought of my friends that carried me out of it. It was my friends and loved ones that made me realize how important I really am, how much we all lose when that single atom is missing. It is a fact I am reminded of every time I lose a dear friend.

In fact, it is through turning our thoughts away from ourselves, and towards the needs of others, that we find the best healing for the pain that leads us to think of suicide. It is through the strength and love of our community that we can find the best solution to the problems that are plaguing so many people today.

And although we can look at ourselves and say that we are virtually nothing, we are, in fact, very much something. We are noble creations of a Noble Creator. We are human. And the world is that much less when we are gone.

Health and Healing

The mind is only capable of processing positives.

If you see a child climbing a tree, and they are precariously balanced, be careful what you tell them to do. If you shout, “Don’t fall!”, their mind has to interpret it as “FALL!!! don’t.” They are more likely to fall, than not. What you probably want to get across to them is “Be careful.”

Cigarette companies do not need to spend a lot of money on advertising because many people are doing it for them. You know all those “No Smoking” signs? They are a clear reminder to people who are trying to quit to “SMOKE! not”. Of course their craving is even worse. One of the greatest advances in this area is the sign that shows a little cloud on a sky-blue background indicating “Clean air”.

So what does this have to do with posi-genesis, health and healing?

Many rehab programs are performing marvellous services to their clients in helping them move away from an addictive life-style, but their success rate only tends to be 30%, give or take. While this is a good enough stat to get you into the Baseball Hall of Fame, I would venture to say that it is not all that great when dealing with human lives, especially when we know so much about behaviour modification.

Using the concept of posi-genesis, and the idea of turning on the light in a dark room in order to read a book, we can view health and healing in the same manner. A lack of health, however, can cause extremely damaging effects, just like a lack of heat or a lack of wealth. Posi-genesis does not pretend to say that the problem does not exist, nor that looking at negative effects is a poor way of analyzing a situation. Posi-genesis rather offers the idea that negative solutions are not effective in overcoming these negative effects.

It seems to me that the various rehab centres that focus on stopping an action have the effect, for most people, of reinforcing the habit. By continually saying “Don’t drink” or “Don’t drug”, the effect is that of “DRINK! don’t”, or “DRUG! don’t”. It serves as a continual reminder of the action the person is trying to stop. A more effective means of accomplishing the noble end would be to reinforce the healthy habits they are trying to actually cultivate.

When I first became a Bahá'í, the most difficult thing for me was to be able to go into a bar with my friends and not have a beer. Why? I wasn’t an alcoholic and didn’t suffer from any ill side effects of not drinking. The problem was when I went into a bar I ordered a beer. It was that simple. How could I go in and order a “not beer”? What would they give me? A whiskey?

The solution was easy, once I thought about it. I went in and ordered a juice. If someone offered to buy me a drink, I thanked them and got a juice.

There are many bad habits we would like to eliminate, but the problem is often finding the substitute. You cannot easily stop doing something, without doing something else. If you don’t have another action to replace the bad habit, you often fall back into the old routine, the habit.
There are a few rehab centres that have picked up on this concept and their “success” rate seems to be much higher, with stricter criteria for how they define success. If anyone has any information on these types of centres, I would be very grateful if they could send it to me.

To Consort; or to Tolerate, Respect and Honour

Over the past few weeks, I have received a number of e-mails regarding some of the previous postings. Perhaps I’ll make a habit of offering comments to them in general, rather than individually, as many of the comments touch on the same themes.

First, and probably the most obvious, is the response to the use of the word “consort”. It was pointed out that “consort” has a number of different definitions: the spouse of a monarch (noun) and to associate with (verb) being the two that are most applicable. When I look at words, I often think how the various definitions are similar in concept. Here, with “consort”, we find one concept, namely that of association, with many different points on the spectrum, those being how closely we associate. To further shed light on this subject, let me quote from one of the e-mails regarding this (and thank you Dave for putting it so well).

When the Báb was manifested in Persia, I would suggest that humanity was at the lowest end of this spectrum. Thousands of Bahá’ís were slaughtered simply for being Babis or "Do not consort with any other than your own religion." As we advance towards the present era, we have made very little progress in this area. Nazi Germany, Rwanda and 9/11 are examples of our failure.

The establishment of the "Greater Peace" will be heralded by (the) majority of humanity treating others with a degree of respect indicated by the "Spouse of a Monarch" definition of consort. This day also defines the higher end of the spectrum "Consort with the followers..." as Bahá’u’lláh revealed.

That being said, you could not be more correct in the assertion that posi-genesis is the ONLY way to correct the injustices that we witness everyday. TOLERANCE of all will bring the peace that we as Bahá’ís wish would come.

In short, this concept of consorting begins with simply being with the other person. We do not generally start by having a very close and intimate relationship with others, but rather we aspire towards it.

Perhaps a good step would be to look at this spectrum of association that is suggested. We can see it in relation to “personal space”, or how close someone can be to us before we begin to feel uncomfortable. For some it may be a meter or two, others a foot away. My wife can be even closer without my feeling any sense of discomfort, but I won’t go there. Regardless of the actual distance, I would suggest that degree of closeness, both emotionally and in physical comfort for personal space, would be in the following order:

Stranger ----- Acquaintance ----- Friend ----- Partner ----- Spouse

Obviously, there are many levels within this, and I’m sure it can be further refined, but this is just a start. As we get to know others better, they move further along this spectrum. Even though I do believe in monogamy, it seems to me that there are cases where someone else can be as close as a spouse, without any of the sexual connotations. This would be true unity with another.

In comment to the use of the word “tolerance”, I would suggest that this be replaced with “respect and honour”. I can only imagine how horrible life would be if my wife merely tolerated me. But tolerance is, in many cases, the first step. Unfortunately it seems to have the implication of being done grudgingly, although I am not certain of this.

The issue of tolerance versus respect and honour does not actually fit in the above path, but applies at all levels. In fact, it seems to be an internal issue, rather than that of external or relational between others. I have, unfortunately, met people who do, in fact, only tolerate their spouse, and life does not seem to be very happy for either of them. On the plus side, I’ve also had the joy of meeting people who truly honour and respect complete strangers, really trying to understand their perspective, no matter how different. It is to this level that we must strive, starting wherever we are and trying to move to a closer and more intimate relationship.

So where does all this lead us?

It is hoped that we do not confuse the lofty goal for the next step on the path.

“Think globally. Act locally.” “If you aim for the stars, you will never shoot yourself in the foot.” “A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.”

These are all the same principal. Remember your goal, but take the next step on your path towards it.
Posi-genesis merely helps us keep the goal in mind. It is up to each and every one of us to figure out how to apply it.