Obesity timebomb: Eight in 10 men will be overweight by 2020
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 8:32 AM on 17th February 2010
Rising levels of obesity in adults is putting tremendous strain on the National Health Service
Eight out of 10 men and almost seven in 10 women will be overweight or obese by 2020, according to a new report.
While data suggests childhood obesity may be levelling off, the picture for adults is far 'less optimistic'.
Not only will people be fatter but the incidence of diabetes, stroke and heart disease will dramatically increase, according to the National Heart Forum report.
Led by Professor Klim McPherson from Oxford University, the study has updated predictions in a 2007 Foresight report, to predict future levels of obesity in England.
The study said: 'Unlike the recent report on child obesity, which showed some indications of a plateauing or at least a significant reduction in the rate of obesity, the future projections for adults are less optimistic.'
Some 41 per cent of men aged 20 to 65 will be obese by 2020 and 40 per cent will be overweight, the new predictions show.
Meanwhile, 36 per cent of women will be obese and 32 per cent will be overweight.
Obesity shows no sign of decreasing among adults and the incidence of associated illnesses - such as heart disease - will only rise, said the report.
By 2050, there will be a 23 per cent rise in the prevalence of obesity-related stroke, a 34 per cent rise in obesity-related high blood pressure, a 44 per cent rise in obesity-related coronary heart disease and a 98 per cent rise in obesity-related diabetes.
Prof McPherson said: 'These trends demonstrate that the cautiously optimistic picture we presented in November 2009 for a levelling off of future obesity rates among children is not mirrored in adults.
'There are already more men who are obese than who are of a healthy weight and by the end of the decade obese men and women could out-number those who are overweight.
'The serious health problems associated with obesity mean that these continuing rising trends will impose a substantially increased burden on the NHS.
'The Government needs to redouble its efforts to tackle obesity.
'We are being overwhelmed by the effects of today's 'obesogenic' environment, with its abundance of energy-dense food and sedentary lifestyles.'
'Don't become a statistic'
Joe Korner, director of communications at The Stroke Association, said the results were "shocking".
He added: 'Obese people are more likely to suffer a stroke which can leave people with paralysis and communication problems.
'But you don't have to become a statistic; you can do something about it. By eating more healthy foods and taking regular exercise you can help reduce your risk of stroke.'
The report comes as the Government launches a new campaign to urge adults to lose weight and get healthy.
The Swap it Don't Stop it part of the Change4life campaign says people do not have to give up all the things they love.
It includes suggested 'swaps' like swapping watching a favourite sport on television for taking part, increasing fibre intake by choosing brown rice over white, or swapping bigger plates for smaller ones to choose smaller portions of food. Television and poster adverts will air from this Saturday.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Obesity Time-bomb: Eight in 10 men will be overweight by 2020
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Esquire - The 75 Best Dressed Men of All Time
Here are a couple of the 75 men who made the list - and these guys are cool beyond cool.
The 75 Best Dressed Men of All Time
And we mean all time. Real and fictional, at home and abroad. So sit back, relax, and take a few notes: there’s wisdom in these here clothes.* * * * *
Sean Connery, Scotsman
Because has anyone ever made it look easier?
Johnny Depp, actor
Because we may not always know what he's thinking, but at least we know that he's thinking.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Tag You're It, Gen Y (US News & World Report)
Damn, I'd hate to be in high school or college right now, or have kids who are there. The Baby Boomers have made a mess of things, and my generation, Gen X, doesn't really give a damn (if you believe the media). So, Gen Y, especially young men, sorry to tell you this, but you're screwed.
More than likely, unless things change dramatically, not only will you not make as much as your parents, but you may not even make as much as your grandparents. And retirement? Yeah, right, maybe when they put you in the ground.
Oh yeah, we didn't do you any favors as parents, either.
But wait a minute - if all this is true, why get out of bed in the morning?Tag You're It, Gen Y
“Not Everyone Gets a Trophy.” That's the title of Bruce Tulgan’s new book and I think it summarizes perfectly a point I would like to make to younger job seekers today.
[See the best careers for 2010.]
We, your parents, have done you wrong. Because of our never-ending support and helicoptering, we have nudged you toward the conclusion that most authority figures will be the same. You know: flexible, willing to listen to your reasons, er, excuses, and happy to provide you with the tools you need to be passionate at work.
Of course, nothing is further from the truth. Now, the brutal reality of the workplace has hit even us. Where we once thought we were “safe,” we have learned that's no longer true. Our 401(k)’s have dropped in value so much they ought to be called 201's, and we are fearful. We have precious few years to recover, but recover we must. Many fear that you have been trained to be so selfish and in pursuit of instant gratification, that you won’t be there to help out.
[See how to love the job you're with.]
As you search for that one passionate job, please remember that you can learn a lot from jobs you dislike. That is OK. You learn something from each one, get better, and move on. The worst thing you can do is sit around, and be on that perpetual search.
We are too busy now to help you much. Tag, you're it.
G. L. Hoffman is a serial entrepreneuer and venture investor/operator/incubator/mentor. Two of his companies have traveled the entire success path from the garage to IPO. Currently, he is chairman of JobDig, which operates LinkUp, one of the fastest-growing job search engines. His blog can be found at WhatWouldDadSay.com.
Check the list at the top of this post. Gen Y has a unique advantage on previous generations in that you have grown up with technology as a way of life. Sure, Gen X created most of it, but you kids use it better than we ever imagined, and you will find ways to make relationships the focus of both your personal life and your income.
We are creating the foundation for person-to-person culture (P2P), but you will find new ways to implement it. You are the first post-modern generation. According to the research, you don't see skin color, you believe in equal rights for ALL people, and you want to give back as much as you take.
Gen Y is the first networked generation.
"What of the subject in networked culture? Under modernism, for the most part, the subject is autonomous, or at least subscribes to a fantasy of autonomy, even if experiencing pressures and deformations from the simultaneity generated by that era’s technologies of communication and by increasing encounters with the Other. In postmodernism, Jameson explains, these pressures couple with a final unmooring of the self from any ground as well as the undoing of any coherent temporal sequence, forcing the subject to schizophrenically fragment. With network culture, these shards of the subject take flight, disappearing into the network itself. Less an autonomous individual and more of a construct of the relations it has with others, the contemporary subject is constituted within the network. This is a development of the condition that Castells observes in The Rise of the Network Society, when he concludes that contemporary society is driven by a fundamental division between the self and the net. To support his argument, Castells turns to Alain Touraine: “In a post-industrial society, in which cultural services have replaced material goods at the core of its production, it is the defence of the subject, in its personality and in its culture, against the logic of apparatuses and markets, that replaces the idea of class struggle.”You guys are up to this, right?
On second thought, maybe you should just follow your heart and find a way to do work that makes you happy.
Screw the expectations and the predictions.
Take a deep breath or two, talk to your friends, build meaningful relationships, and create a life centered in love and compassion. That's what the world really needs from you young men - passion, compassion, and joy.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thich Nhat Hanh - Simply Stop
We can't be businessless all the time, but we can make space for that in our lives - time to just be.
Simply Stop
THICH NHAT HANH elucidates the no-frills wisdom of ninth-century Chinese Zen teacher Master Linji, founder of the Rinzai school of Zen.
“As I see it, there isn’t so much to do. Just be ordinary—put on your robes, eat your food, and pass the time doing nothing.” - Master Linji, Teaching 18
IN MASTER LINJI’S TIME, some Buddhist terms were used so often they became meaningless. People chewed on terms like “liberation” and “enlightenment” until they lost their power. It’s no different today. People use words that tire our ears. We hear the words “freedom” and “security” on talk radio, television, and in the newspaper so often that they’ve lost their effectiveness or their meaning has been distorted. When words are overused, even the most beautiful words can lose their true meaning. For example, the word “love” is a wonderful word. When we like to eat hamburger, we say, “I love hamburger.” So what’s left for the meaning of the word “love”?
It’s the same with Buddhist words. Someone may be able to speak beautifully about compassion, wisdom, or non-self, but this doesn’t necessarily help others. And the speaker may still have a big self or treat others badly; his eloquent speech may be only empty words. We can get tired of all these words, even the word “Buddha.” So to wake people up, Master Linji [Japanese, Rinzai] invented new terms and new ways of saying things that would respond to the needs of his time. For example, Master Linji invented the term “businessless person,” the person who has nowhere to go and nothing to do. This was his ideal example of what a person could be. In Theravada Buddhism, the ideal person was the arhat, someone who practiced to attain his own enlightenment. In Mahayana Buddhism, the ideal person was the bodhisattva, a compassionate being who, on the path of enlightenment, helped others.
According to Master Linji, the businessless person is someone who doesn’t run after enlightenment or grasp at anything, even if that thing is the Buddha. This person has simply stopped. She is no longer caught by anything, even theories or teachings. The businessless person is the true person inside each one of us. This is the essential teaching of Master Linji.
When we learn to stop and be truly alive in the present moment, we are in touch with what’s going on within and around us. We aren’t carried away by the past, the future, our thinking, ideas, emotions, and projects. Often we think that our ideas about things are the reality of that thing. Our notion of the Buddha may just be an idea and may be far from reality. Buddha is not a reality that exists outside of us, but is our own true nature. The Buddha outside ourselves was a human being who was born, lived, and died. For us to seek such a Buddha would be to seek a shadow, a ghost Buddha, and at some point our idea of Buddha would become an obstacle for us.
Master Linji said that when we meet the ghost Buddha, we should cut off his head. Whether we’re looking inside our outside ourselves, we need to cut off the head of whatever we meet, and abandon the views and ideas we have about things, including our ideas about Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. Buddhist teachings are not exalted words and scriptures existing outside us on a high shelf in the temple, but are medicine for our ills. Buddhist teachings are skillful means to cure our ignorance, craving, and anger, as well as our habit of seeking things outside and not having confidence in ourselves.
Insight can’t be found in sutras, commentaries, verbal expression, or —isms. Liberation and awakened understanding can’t be found by devoting ourselves to the study of the Buddhist scriptures. This is like trying to find fresh water in dry bones. Returning to the present moment, using our clear mind which exists right here and now, we can be in touch with liberation and enlightenment, as well as with the Buddha and the patriarchs as living realities right in this moment. The person who has nothing to do is sovereign unto herself. She doesn’t need to put on airs or leave any trace behind. The true person is an active participant, engaged in her environment while remaining unoppressed by it. Although all phenomena are going through the various appearances of birth, abiding, changing, and dying, the true person doesn’t become a victim of sadness, happiness, love, or hate. She lives in awareness as an ordinary person, whether standing, walking, lying down, or sitting. She doesn’t act a part, even the part of a great Zen master. This is what Master Linji means by “being sovereign wherever you are and using that place as your seat of awakening.”
We may wonder, “If a person has no direction, isn’t yearning to realize an ideal, doesn’t have an aim in life, then who will help living beings be liberated, who will rescue those who are drowning in the ocean of suffering?” A Buddha is a person who has no more business to do and isn’t looking for anything. In doing nothing, in simply stopping, we can live freely and true to ourselves and our liberation will contribute to the liberation of all beings.
From Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go (2007) by Thich Nhat Hanh. Reprinted with permission of Parallax Press.
Image: Rinsai (detail); Jackie Stack Lagakos; 2005; stained glass, concrete, and sanded grout; 7 x 3 feet. © Jackie Stack Lagakos, bottlestructures.com
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Sunday, February 14, 2010
Muscle Loss Finding May One Day Save Physiques
My guess is that vitamins C, E, and alpha lipoic acid, beta carotine, selenium, and other food based nutrients will help prevent or at least slow down the process. And of course, you could always exercise with weights, which is the best way to maintain muscle mass.
Muscle Loss Finding May One Day Save Physiques
ScienceDaily (Feb. 13, 2010) — Hey guys, remember the muscle shirts we wore in our teens and 20s? After the age of 40 that meager part of our wardrobes usually is obsolete. Yes, at the big 4-0 we begin to lose muscle, and by age 80 up to a third of it may be gone. It's an inevitable process of aging called sarcopenia.Why does sarcopenia happen and can it be stopped? A study conducted in mice with accelerated muscle loss at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio provides this insight: Less protection from antioxidants and more damage from oxidative stress results in impairment to cells' energy centers, which slowly leads to death of muscle cells.
A team directed by Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D., associate professor with the university's Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies and the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, found that without a certain antioxidant enzyme to balance the formation of harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), cellular energy centers called mitochondria fail to work properly. The mitochondria even add to the spate of ROS molecules and release factors leading to cell death.
"The impaired function of mitochondria also has a detrimental effect on the way motor neurons 'talk' to the muscle to achieve muscle contraction," Dr. Van Remmen said. "This interaction occurs at a specialized synapse where the nerve and muscle come in close contact." This key structure is called the neuromuscular junction, she said.
Smaller and weaker muscles
Youngmok C. Jang, Ph.D., a leading author in the study, investigated mice that were genetically engineered to lack an antioxidant enzyme called copper-zinc superoxide dismutase. He compared mitochondria from these mice and normal mice and found reduced function of the energy centers in the enzyme-deficient mice. This contributed to more cell death and muscle atrophy in the rodents. "As a result, their muscles were a lot smaller and weaker," Dr. Van Remmen said.
Insights gleaned about muscle loss can help scientists better understand other neuromuscular diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). "Age-related muscle atrophy is a complex process and involves multiple systems," Dr. Van Remmen said. "There are, however, common mechanisms occurring in sarcopenia and other neuromuscular diseases. By understanding the mechanisms underlying age-related muscle atrophy and alterations at the neuromuscular junction, we should be able to gain insight that will help us to discover new therapeutic interventions."
If a muscle-preserving therapy is one day developed, future generations of young men will be able to keep their muscle shirts a bit longer.
A grant from the National Institute on Aging supported this project, along with a Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research to Dr. Van Remmen from the American Federation for Aging Research.
Co-authors from the UT Health Science Center are Youngmok Jang, Ph.D.; Michael Lustgarten, Ph.D.; Yuhong Liu; Florian Muller, Ph.D.; Arunabh Bhattacharya, Ph.D.; Hanyu Liang, Ph.D.; Adam Salmon, Ph.D.; and Arlan Richardson, Ph.D. Other co-authors are Susan Brooks, Ph.D., and Lisa Larkin, Ph.D., of The University of Michigan and Christopher Hayworth, Ph.D., of The University of Texas at Austin. Drs. Van Remmen and Richardson have joint appointments with the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.
This paper was published online by The FASEB Journal on Dec. 29, 2009.
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (2010, February 13). Muscle loss finding may one day save physiques. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 13, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/02/100212172533.htm
Friday, February 12, 2010
A Healthy Meal Replacement Bar
Over the past several years, I have been looking for a healthy meal replacement bar. None of the mainstream bars have made the cut. The others have been too expensive or too "something," so I have done the best I can.
In general, whole foods are always better than supplements, but sometimes it's hard to get in a meal on the run. This is when a good bar can come in handy.
My criteria have been "real" protein, not soy or hydrolyzed collagen (cow hooves), low glycemic carbs, and healthy fats. I also want at least five grams of fiber and not at a bunch of added vitamins.
For the first time, such a bar exists.
The new VPX Zero Impact High Protein Meal Bar (pumpkin supreme) is the holy grail of mainstream protein/meal replacement bars.
"Every effort has been made to make sure that the sugars contained in this bar have a minimal impact on blood sugar and insulin. Consequently, the majority of sugars contained in the ZERO IMPACT High Protein, Meal Replacement Bar are low DE (Dextrose Equivalent) and, therefore, have significantly less impact on blood sugar and glycemic index than most whole grain carbohydrates. This innovation incorporates the use of low glycemic carbohydrates, fiber, high-grade proteins, and naturally occurring essential fats from nuts, seeds, milk proteins and grains. The ZERO IMPACT BAR also contains CLA and Sesamin to maintain healthy blood sugar and insulin levels and reduce body fat.Here is the ingredient list for the pumpkin supreme flavor (the healthier looking one of four flavors) - there is no CLA in this bar, but that's cool, almond and sunflower butters are great:
Pumpkin Supreme Ingredients:Calories - 440
Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Natural Almond Butter, Natural Sunflower Butter, Semisweet Chocolate, Purified Water, Glycerin, Brown Rice Syrup, Erythritol, Pumpkin, Rolled Oats, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Lecithin, Potassium Sorbate, Salt, Sweet Potato, Mixed Tocopherols, Xanthan Gum.
Calories from Fat: 176
Total Fat: 20g - 30%
Saturated Fat: 4g - 20%
Trans fat: 0g - 0%
Cholesterol: 2mg - 1%
Sodium: 212mg - 9%
Potassium: 40mg - 1%
Total Carbohydrates: 35g - 12%
Dietary Fiber: 5g - 18%
Sugars: 6g - %
Protein: 30g - 59%
Vitamin E: - 0%
Calcium: - 19%
Potassium: - 1%
Iron: - 5%
The other three flavors are not as healthy in my opinion (they have hydrolyzed collagen and corn syrup, among other things).
At Amazon, 12 bars are only $25.85 - at my gym they retail at $3.00 each.Chocolate Peanut Butter Ingredients:
Proprietary Protein Matrix (Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Micellean® Micellar Casein Protein), Proprietary Fat Burning & Healthy Fat Matrix (Almond Butter, Sunflower Butter, CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), SesaTrim™(Sesame Oil Extract)), Peanut Butter, Purified Water, Low DE (Dextrose Equivalent) Corn Syrup, Semisweet Chocolate, 99.7 USP Glycerin, Inulin, Honey, Calcium Caseinate, Erythritol, Hydrolyzed Collagen (Full Spectrum Amino Acids), Pumpkin Powder, Brown Rice Syrup, Rolled Oats, Natural and Artifical Flavor, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Ester and Monoglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Salt, Sweet Potato Powder, Lecithin, Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid.Peanut Butter & Jelly Ingredients:
Proprietary Protein Matrix (Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Micellean® Micellar Casein Protein), Calcium Caseinate, Hydrolyzed Collagen (Full Spectrum Amino Acids), Peanut Butter, Proprietary Fat Burning & Healthy Fat Matrix (Sunflower Butter, Almond Butter, CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), SesaTrim™ (Sesame Oil Extract)), Purified Water, Low DE (Dextrose Equivalent) Corn Syrup, Semisweet Chocolate, 99.7 USP Glycerin, Inulin, Honey, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Erythritol, Pumpkin Powder, Xanthan Gum, Brown Rice Syrup, Rolled Oats, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Ester and Monoglycerides, Potassium Sorbate, Salt, Sweet Potato Powder, Lecithin, Mixed Tocopherols, Citric Acid.Roasted Coconut Ingredients:
Proprietary Protein Matrix (Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Micellean® Micellar Casein Protein), Calcium Caseinate, Proprietary Fat Burning & Healthy Fat Matrix (Sunflower Butter, Almond Butter, CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), SesaTrim™ (Sesame Oil Extract)), Purified Water, Low DE (Dextrose Equivalent) Corn Syrup, 99.7 USP Glycerin, Inulin, Honey, Erythritol, Brown Rice Syrup, Pumpkin Powder, Semisweet Chocolate, Toasted Sweet Coconut, Rolled Oats, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Sweet Potato Powder, Salt, Lecithin, Mixed Tocopherols, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Shawn Phillips - When The Soul is Murdered in Search of Profit
Men do this same thing in their own lives in many ways - soul murder in exchange for wealth.
A quote from one of my favorite bands: "You sell your soul to feed your ego."
How many men do you know who have sold out their passion (or their families) to make more money, to have a bigger house, to have more toys, to go on better vacations? When these same men are on their deathbed, looking back over their lives, what will they regret?
Will it be not having gotten that third car, or not having bought the 60" plasma television? Or will it be not having spent more time with their families, not having enjoyed the millions of moments that make up a life?
I have hijacked Shawn's post here to make a point about our individual lives (while he is looking at the ways businesses sell out their souls to be bigger and more profitable, but lose their purpose in the process) - but we all do this is various ways.
A few years ago, I was seeing 40+ clients a week. I made a lot of money, and that was great. I was chasing the dollars. But the quality of service for my clients, which is what allowed me to have that many clients, declined as I became overworked with long days, tired from lack of good sleep, and less able to focus my full attention on each client.
One day a husband and wife I was training asked me if I was OK. They felt like I wasn't giving them the attention that had made them want to work with me on their health and fitness goals. I assured them I was fine (but I wasn't really listening to what they said). They ended up quitting the gym and stopped working with me.
That was a hard lesson for me - and I feel bad that I let them down. But it woke me up - I decided that I couldn't chase the money and still be effective as a trainer. That wasn't why I started doing this and it isn't who I am. I made a choice to not work more than 25-30 hours a week so that I could give each client my full attention and my best self.
Anyway, here is Shawn's post.
When The Soul is Murdered in Search of Profit
We rush to wear, ride, drink, consume, and experience them in every way. There’s almost no wrong the people or company can do. And we share them. We rant and rave to friends about the new thing they absolutely must experience.You’ve felt it—we’ve all had the experience, more often than we care to admit.
Perhaps it was a favorite local eatery that after a decade of perfection one day become every bit as mediocre as Denny’s. It could have been a favorite line of shoes that you were excited to finally find on sale at Walmart, only to find it wasn’t the same shoe at all.
“It,” invisible to the naked eye, is the soul sucking sound of the move from passion and purpose to profit. And it’s happening right now to shoes, clothing, hair salons, tires, coffee shops, and in all manner of business large and small.
I suspect “it” may even be happening to Facebook as we speak.
In the beginning businesses are less a cunning strategy than an expression of passion by a person on fire and on purpose. Plans are often drawn after to justify the insanity.On the extremely rare occasions when everything goes according to plan you and I get to touch and feel the products or services, we like them. They are new, fresh (even when they often aren’t really) and authentic.
There’s an energy and aliveness that is exciting.
Enter the Wizards
From the outside looking in—the vantage point of well educated folk—it looks all too much like there’s a great product here, a nice shoe, a terrific new supplement in an amazing round bottle with a lid. That’s to say, they “smells like money.”
But what this well-educated yet partially blind eye doesn’t see is the Mojo—the real magic that is propelling the phenomenon; the wave of energy we’re all surfing.
The “soul wave,” is the 3rd and 4th dimensions of the product or service that doesn’t show up on paper, and can’t be weighed, measured, picked up or packaged and thus escapes the perception of most of the people who wear their ties too tight.
The Soul of a person, product, community or company is the invisible, intangible source of magic, energy, attraction—that thing which made it extraordinary. It’s the 21 grams that makes you and I, you and I.
Tragically, because it’s invisible to most people it’s the first thing to be extracted when the “new regime” comes marching in with their calculators and spreadsheets—or when the current leaders are being “coached to profits.” Profits, profits, profits is the motto of as the once soulful, inspired company is quickly “exercised.” Out comes the new, soulless entity often with a new tag-line or logo in its place.
Fast forward months later…Sales plummeting, consumers no longer excited, the "Exorcists" are puzzled. "What happened to our perfect profit machine?,” they mumble as they stagger in a daze.
They have no clue what happened. All their “indicators” point to success. They can’t see for they see but two-dimensions; the black and red ink of a PL statement.
This sort of “Soul Exorcism” has happened to thousands of products you know and have at one time liked and trusted. It may even have happened at a company you worked—I’ve seen it myself, first-hand.
Where have you felt the “Elvis leave the building” on one of your favorite brands?
Tell me your stories: here.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Do Nothing - A guided meditation by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
Do NothingA guided meditation by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
I’m going to talk a little about shamatha meditation, and I thought it would be good to try and actually do the meditation as we go along. The actual technique is very simple. All the great meditators of the past advised us to sit up straight when we meditate. When we sit up straight, there is a sense of alertness, a sense of importance—it produces the right atmosphere. In this particular instruction, I’m going to suggest we don’t use an external object, such as a flower, but instead follow the standard Theravada tradition of using our breath as the object. So we concentrate on our breathing: we simply follow our breath in and out. That’s it. Our mind is focused on the breathing, our posture is straight, our eyes are open. That’s the essential technique: basically doing nothing.
Let’s do that for a while.
Short meditation session
We simply sit straight and we watch our breathing. We are not concerned with distractions, with all the thoughts that occupy our mind. We just sit—alone, by ourselves, no reference at all. Us, the breathing, and the concentration. That’s all we have.
Short meditation session
So we sit, we concentrate on the breathing, nothing else. Then some thoughts may come, and any number of distractions: things you talked about yesterday, movies you watched last week, a conversation you just had, things you need to do tomorrow, a sudden panic—did I switch off the gas in the kitchen this morning? All of this will come, and when it does, go back to the breathing. This is the slogan of shamatha instruction: just come back. Every time we notice that we’ve gotten distracted, we remember the instruction and we come back to the breath. Let’s do this for a while.
Short meditation session
If we have ambitions—even if our aim is enlightenment— then there is no meditation, because we are thinking about it, craving it, fantasizing, imagining things. That is not meditation. This is why an important characteristic of shamatha meditation is to let go of any goal and simply sit for the sake of sitting. We breathe in and out, and we just watch that. Nothing else. It doesn’t matter if we get enlightenment or not. It doesn’t matter if our friends get enlightened faster. Who cares? We are just breathing. We just sit straight and watch the breath in and out. Nothing else. We let go of our ambitions. This includes trying to do a perfect shamatha meditation. We should get rid of even that. Just sit.
The beautiful thing about having less obsessions and ambitions—and just sitting straight and watching the breathing—is that nothing will disturb us. Things only disturb us when we have an aim. When we have an aim, we become obsessed. Say our aim is to go somewhere, but somebody parks right in front of our car, blocking us. If something gets in the way of our aim, it becomes a terrible thing. If we don’t have an aim, though, it doesn’t matter.
Meditators often have a strong ambition to achieve something with their meditation. But when meditators get distracted, they go through all kinds of hell: they lose their confidence, they get frustrated, they condemn themselves, they condemn the technique. This is why, at least during the first few moments of meditation, it doesn’t matter whether we are getting enlightened or not, it doesn’t matter whether the hot water is boiling in the kettle, it doesn’t matter whether the telephone is ringing, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s one of our friends. For a few moments, things don’t matter.Short meditation session
You don’t have to meditate for the sake of attaining enlightenment. If you are not interested in enlightenment, you can practice shamatha to be natural—to not be so swayed by circumstances. Most of the time we are not in control of ourselves; our mind is always attracted to, or distracted by, something—our enemies, our lovers, our friends, hope, fear, jealousy, pride, attachment, aggression. In other words, all these objects and these phenomena control our mind. Maybe we can control it for a split second, but when we are in an extreme emotional state, we lose it.
Letting go of ambition is a bit like the renunciation that Buddhists talk about. The Buddha renounced his palace, his queen, his son, and his parents, and went out in search of enlightenment. You can say that the Buddha was trying to diminish his ambition. At least, he was trying to see the futility of it, and he was letting go. Letting go is quite important if you want to become a shamatha practitioner. We do shamatha meditation so we can achieve this power to let go.
Meditation is one of the rare occasions when we’re not doing anything. Otherwise, we’re always doing something, we’re always thinking something, we’re always occupied. We get lost in millions of obsessions or fixations. But by meditating—by not doing anything—all these fixations are revealed. Beginners might find this a little frightening, but slowly they will gain inner confidence, and these fixations will automatically lessen. The classical meditationinstruction texts say our obsessions will undo themselves like a snake uncoiling itself.
Short meditation session
Thoughts are coming and I’m telling you to go back to the breathing. You automatically interpret this as “We should stop the thoughts.” This is not what I mean. I’m not saying you should stop thinking. All I’m saying is, concentrate on the breathing. When thoughts come, don’t stop them, don’t increase them, don’t encourage them, don’t discourage them. Your job is to concentrate on the breathing. That’s it. Stopping the thoughts is not your job. It’s important to understand the difference: thoughts are going to come; all you do is just concentrate on the breathing. That’s it.
Short meditation session
Lord Maitreya has some really good advice for shamatha practice: When we are doing shamatha and the mind gets distracted, it is important that we remember the antidote. The antidote here is very simply to go back to the breath. We call this “Applying the antidote.” But sometimes we apply the antidote too much, which can cause both dullness and agitation. You got that? If you keep applying the antidote—antidote, antidote, antidote—it’s like applying the antidote when there’s no poison. That becomes a problem.
Short meditation session
Always do short but frequent shamatha sessions. I’m talking especially to beginners. If you’re going to meditate for fifteen minutes, start fresh at least thirty times. Over time we can start doing longer sessions—in a fifteenminute session, we can do it fifteen times with a break in between. And when you take a break, take a real break— walk, stand up, do something else. Don’t just linger there half meditating, half not meditating. After a while, you can practice seven times within fifteen minutes.
Keeping it short is important because if you do too much at the beginning, you’ll get fed up with the technique. We are human beings—we don’t like to get bored. We like to change what we eat, we like changing our clothes. We like change.
Likewise, the spiritual path is a long process, and we need a lot of patience. We need to like the path, so keep the meditation short and precise and frequent. That way we develop strong habits. Later on, it becomes part of us. It’s like drinking alcohol: when we first start drinking, we drink a little; we don’t drink two or three bottles at one time. If we did, we’d get so sick we’d never touch it again. So practice shamatha for a short time but many times. That way you’ll get habituated. This is necessary. Shamatha should become part of your life.
And during the off sessions, also, if it’s possible, remember you are breathing. We always forget that we are breathing.
Also, you should not limit your meditation to only in the morning or only in the evening: you should do it any time, all the time. Practice time is always now—it’s never in the future. Don’t ever leave your shamatha thinking, “I’m going to do it next weekend, next month, or next year.” Do it now. Anyway, you’re only doing it for about forty-five seconds, if you’re a beginner. It’s easy. You can do it anywhere. It only requires this: to sit straight.Short meditation session
As we meditate, we simply sit straight and watch the breath. So what does that do? It creates space. In fact, the technique itself is just a trick. The main point is to recognize all these thoughts and distractions that are constantly bombarding us. We still get angry, but we know that we are angry—this kind of anger has so much humor. We can actually drive it in certain directions—we have more control.
The frustrating thing about our life is that there is no control over these emotions. That’s why there’s no fun. The whole purpose of Buddhism is to have fun, isn’t it? And in order to have fun you have to have control. If someone else has control over you, that’s it: there’s no fun.
Short meditation session
Shamatha involves a lot of discipline. Lamas often advise us to do meditation in a group, because when we are doing meditation in a group, we want to be the best, the fastest; we have so much pride and ego, and we’re so competitive—why not use this competitiveness as a tool on the path? It’s like working out—if you buy the machines and bring them home, you do three or four days and the machines end up in the garage. But if you go to a gym, you see the other people who are diligently doing it, and all the other beautiful bodies, and it gives you inspiration. What a wrong motivation! But at least it will lead you somewhere.
Keep it simple, don’t make it complicated. Concentrate on the breathing, sit straight—that’s all. Every day, do a few minutes, and, on top of that, do it spontaneously in different places—not just in front of the shrine, but everywhere. There’s so much merit in just sitting there.
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche was born in Bhutan in 1961 and is recognized as the main incarnation of Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (18941959). From early childhood, he has studied with some of the greatest contemporary masters, including His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He has established dharma centers in Asia, North America, Australia, and Europe.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Ernesto Fernandez - Man Knowledge: The Greek Philosophers (Art of Manliness)
It's sad that no one reads philosophy anymore, and sadder that it is not taught in our universities unless you happen to be silly enough to pick that as your major (good luck finding a job).
Back when I was 18-19, my life bottomed out for a variety of reasons (mostly of my own doing - drugs, alcohol, etc). When I began to regroup, sober for the first time in years, I had no idea who I was or what I believed. I had spent the last few years just trying to get along, and trying to be as numb as humanly possible. All I wanted was to fit in.
So what did I do with this second chance?
I read Plato. I read Aristotle. I read Shakespeare. I read Francis Bacon. I read St. Augustine. I read Plotinus. I read Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, e.e. cummings, and William Carlos Williams. I read and read and read, and then I spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains, thinking.
During this time I also went back to school (after flunking out of Oregon State following one drunken and stoned quarter) and I was reborn, filled with questions and curiosity about myself and my world.
Philosophy and literature saved my life.
Man Knowledge: The Greek Philosophers
by on February 4, 2010
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Ernesto Fernandez. Ernesto is a graduate student in the Philosophy Department of Biscayne College at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, FL.
So there you are, deadlocked in the men’s underwear section, torn between the solid and striped cotton boxer-briefs and wondering which one Chuck Norris would buy. And then you remember: Chuck Norris doesn’t wear underwear, just two pairs of pants.
Oh, how low we’ve fallen. Once upon a time, men called on their knowledge of the great, introspective minds of history to inform their decisions, not internet humor. These great men of the past made up an essential field for the man claiming any level of education or sophistication: philosophy.
In the heyday of American education, before schools became training centers for standardized tests, subjects like philosophy were indispensable parts of school curriculum. In fact, bachelor’s degrees until the 1950s meant a philosophy based curriculum, and it wasn’t until graduate school that an aspiring professional entered into his specific subject matter.
What Defines Philosophy?
The word philosophy comes from the Greek words for “love” and “wisdom” and generally refer to the pursuit of wisdom, moral discipline and knowledge through logic. Don’t be fooled, however, as philosophy is not just a place for high-minded, abstract thinking and hypothetical irrelevancy (though there’s certainly plenty of that, too).
Philosophy is the historical mother of all disciplines, the stomping grounds for exploring ideas too new for testing and observation until a whole new field breaks away dedicated to that particular subject; biology, physics, psychology, and even chemistry all originated as philosophy before becoming fields of their own. Isaac Newton and Sigmund Freud studied philosophy before moving on to their particular fields. Adam Smith and Karl Marx studied and became tenured professors of philosophy in England before pioneering the independent field of economics as we know it today.
Philosophy is the forward offensive line of human understanding; it is the highest calling of the thinking man, because his philosophy governs his every action. In short, philosophy is not just for bearded wisemen but a gentleman’s preoccupation, and I think its high time we brushed up on some of the great thinking men whose manly voices have come down to us as the baddest and burliest in history’s Great Conversation.
The Greeks
The ancient Greeks are the cornerstone of Western philosophy. If you were born in a country in Europe, a country settled by Europeans, or a country at any point ruled by a European power, the essence of Greek philosophy has found its way into your worldview in one way or the other, and that’s a fact. Capitalist or communist, liberal or conservative, Coke or Pepsi, the people who have had the greatest influence on the way we think and how we live in the Western world took their cues at some point from a Greek. Over 9 times out of 10 this Greek will be Plato or Aristotle of Athens, the city-state which was to philosophy in ancient Greece what Sparta was to kicking ass.
Plato
Plato the Greek was born in 428-429 BC, though Plato was not his real name. In fact, Plato is Greek for “broad” or “flat,” a nom de guerre he gave himself as a wrestler in the Isthmian Games due to his unusually broad shoulders. Really. This makes him first on the list of celebrities with one-word aliases, way before the likes of Prince and Sting. Alas, history had other plans for The Broad, as his failure to qualify for the Olympic Games necessitated an immediate career change.
Plato fell in with a wandering philosopher by the name of Socrates, of whom you may have heard, who encouraged his students to challenge conventional wisdom to the point that he was finally executed in 399 BC for corrupting the youth. This, Plato would say, was a major turning point in his life, and he fled Athens to avoid a similar fate by association. He wound up in Sicily, where he joined an order of Pythagoreans (something along the line of celibate math mystics), whose fixation with numbers would inspire the cosmology Plato would become famous for.
Truth with a capital T was abstract and eternal like numbers, which is to say it is immaterial and thus does not experience degeneration, and everything in the world was an expression of this abstract Truth. Plato effectively invented the word “perfection” as it is used today. A beer, for instance, was only a poor imitation of a beer; a mere knockoff of a more perfect beer that he called an ide (the Greek root of “idea”) that existed in the heavens. This is to say that these Ideas are literally up in the sky, among the stars, sun, and moon. In turn, that “more perfect” idea of a beer was a similarly cheap imitation of the even more perfect Idea of “Deliciousness.” Plato’s universe continues this way all the way up, up to the most perfect idea of “Goodness,” which was the common Idea in all things, including humans.
Plato also explains human existence in these terms, as humans are Good beings “fallen” from “the heavens” and trapped in the lowest, most imperfect level of the Universe, which is the world he and you and I and all of us live in. Plato believed that when a human being deduces or learns something they are in fact remembering something they already know by virtue of our eternal, divine nature, which is why we are attracted to certain things in this world; we recognize the Idea of “Goodness” in it from our time in the ether.
Thus, by denying our Passions with our Courage, which is governed by our Thinking (these three Plato believed to be the three levels of human nature), we could dust off all our Divine knowledge and return to the heavens upon death, avoiding another birth in the material world.
If all of this sounds strangely familiar to you, it ought to. St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther are just some of the Neo-Platonists who borrowed from Plato when developing their worldview and theology. Another influential Neo-Platonist was the philosopher-psychologist Freud, who based his “Id, Ego, Superego” theory on Plato’s “Passion, Courage, Thinking” model.
What made them Neo-Platonists and not just plain old Platonists, you ask? Because they (or their teachers) all learned about Plato from Arab philosophers after the end of the Dark Ages – which, historically speaking, officially began when the early Christian Emperor Justinian closed Plato’s “Academy” in 529 A.D. Ironic, dontcha think?
Plato did have a way of overextending himself, however, which led him to apply the idea of the three separate levels of a human being to society in general. In The Republic he outlined a plan for what he believed to be a perfect society, one in which all children would be raised by the state, taught to see it as their only parent, and continuously evaluated and sorted as they grew up.
The weak and not-so-bright kids were allowed to live by their Passion. This group, which Plato called the Mob, were intended for unwitting servitude and strict control and assigned to be farmers and laborers. Distracted with jewelry and other frivolous things, they worked their lives away for the good of the whole society.
The strong and bright kids got to be warriors and live by their Courage. Without worldly possessions to distract them, these warriors would be able to focus on their duty of keeping order in society (they would be the only ones with swords or, say, MP40s). These Warrior-Guardians would be a completely male force. Plato did not have a high opinion of women.
The sharpest tools in the armory, meanwhile, would be promoted to the highest caste after demonstrating their superior intellectual ability and go on to study… you guessed it…
Philosophy! The Philosophers would live and love together, sharing all their belongings (and themselves) to keep free of corruption, and would be wise governors of a society ruled by pure thoughts.
Finally, from these specially selected philosopher-governors, a single Philosopher King would be chosen to act as the supreme authority over Plato’s fascist, homoerotic dystopia, in which the entire, perfect society was oriented to satisfy the will of the rulers in the way the entire soul should be oriented to satisfy the will of the rational mind.
This aspiration was more or less the end of Plato’s professional reputation. After failing in two separate stints as court philosopher to implement his Republic in the Kingdom of Syracuse, and ending up in prison both times, Plato retired from public life to the Academy, where he died in 347 BC.
Aristotle
When Plato died, he left his nephew Speusippus as his successor to run the Academy and secure the proper education of young minds in his philosophy. He was apparently quite right in doing so; his brightest and most famous student, Aristotle, who later became the private tutor of Alexander the Great, had no intention of continuing Plato’s legacy and ultimately undermined him with or without the Academy.
Aristotle was a scientist in the truest sense of his day and when good, scientific information was unavailable, he insisted on strict logic. Relativism, or the belief that the Truth is whatever most people believe it to be, had created a huge market for professional bullshit artists in Athens who instructed their students on how to effectively convince crowds with sneaky and faulty arguments, a practice called Sophistry (now an insult of the first degree).
So unforgiving was Aristotle’s nose for BS that he invented the first formal system of logic in the West, still in use to this day, which allows philosophical arguments to be written out as semi-mathematical formulas that can be easily examined, evaluated, then accepted or dismissed, and boy did he dismiss.
Aristotle also wrote a huge – and consequently unknown – number of books of scientific observations in biology, chemistry, and medicine in addition to his impressive amount of philosophical writing.
Aristotle’s fascination with the sciences, in contrast to Plato’s obsession with mathematics, logically produced a very different worldview, one which directly contradicted Plato’s. Aristotle rejected the Forms (the Ideas in the sky) and thereby the belief that “Perfection” exists in some heavenly realm above, separate from the material world we live in. In Aristotle’s universe, a thing was perfect when it did what that thing does naturally. Moment to moment, a thing lives out a natural life which is innately part of that thing’s DNA, so to speak. The better it lives out that nature, the more perfect it is.
Thus, a frog is not an imperfect imitation of some Superfrog in the sky; so long as it sits on its lily pad, swims in the pond, and does Budweiser commercials, it is essentially perfect.
Aristotle’s perfect man, consequently, does not deny his humanity the way Plato recommended; he perfects it.
In order for a man to perfect his humanity, he must be the best man he can be. To be his manly best, a man not only needed to cultivate proper intentions and an appropriate disposition, but put those intentions into real virtuous action. Aristotle called his hands-on form of constructive self-perfection eudaimonia, a word defined and redefined by virtually every Greek thinker, coming from the Greek words for “good” or “well” (eu) and “spirit” or “soul” (daimon).
Often translated as “happiness,” Aristotle’s eudaimonia is concerned most of all with the exercise of good actions. What makes actions good, you ask? Well, keeping in mind the relationship between Goodness and Perfection set forth by Aristotle’s teacher, Mr. Broad, it is clear that for a thing to be good it must strive “up the ladder” of perfection.
The frog on the lily pad again illustrates the point as it sits sagely, wades in the water and eats mosquitoes. What it is doing is what a frog naturally does, so it is perfect and its actions are good. It is that simple: a man who strives to achieve his potential as a man is doing good and, so long as he keeps up the fight, he is perfect.
With this understanding, we can see that eudaimonia is best understood simply as “natural potential” while eudaimon is best understood as living up to that potential. Aristotle believes that a man who is eudaimon is virtuous. So, to Aristotle, man’s natural function is to exercise virtue. So that means that, by Aristotle’s understanding, a man who strives to live up to his potential is excelling in a man’s functions.
Aristotle believed that all knowledge was accumulated memories, collected through a long series of observations and connected by the mind into a single experience, like many pictures forming a single movie. Each picture leads into the next, following a progression we make sense of in our minds, until we reach a logical conclusion. Having seen certain actions lead to certain consequences before, an experienced man can see a particular picture and conclude what will happen next. A man who can explain why one thing precedes the next thing and can invent an appropriate conclusion, on the other hand, is wise according to Aristotle.
For example, an apprentice who knows that stacking blocks that were given to him in a specific order will produce an arch is skilled and has experience. The master mason who knows that cutting blocks of that type stacked in that order will always produce an arch and understands how the whole device works is virtuous, because he is artistic and he possesses wisdom.
The pursuit of knowledge being a desirable and justified end in itself to Aristotle and the ancient Athenians in general, the highest calling of men was therefore to amass wisdom, becoming greater and greater artists in their own right through their ability to understand the universal application of knowledge (the “Why” and “How” of things) over the simple, practical function of actions (the inglorious “What”).
In another in-your-face contradiction of Plato, Aristotle insisted this knowledge had to be learned through firsthand experience – through observation with the senses and physical participation in the naturally perfect and good world – and not by denying the physical world. Where Plato would say that one could uncover their innate knowledge of how to play baseball by carefully reading a well-written book on the subject, Aristotle would reject the idea that anyone was born knowing how to play baseball and that there is any other way to learn other than to get out on the diamond, play the game, and create the new knowledge in your mind.
Why all this preoccupation with the kinesthetic nature of learning and knowledge? Because where Plato draws sharp lines between the physical man and the rational, spiritual man, Aristotle sees no such distinction. Ever the scientist, Aristotle saw the obvious leap of faith in Plato’s theories, in which a duality – or inherent double-nature – is accepted on Plato’s word alone. Aristotle asserts that the physical and the rational are not two parts of men but two dimensions of men. Thus, the exercise in good actions is as essential to the virtuous life as exercise in strength is to the physically healthy life.
Recommended Reading:
Great Dialogues of Plato by Plato, W. H. D. Rouse (Translator)
A valuable anthology of Plato’s works in a convenient and relatively (and I stress relatively) lighter package than more complete texts. Sorry, but I just can’t endorse any “Intro to” book over the man himself.
A hefty guide to philosophical governance, ideological totalitarianism or drop on the head of home invaders from your second-floor balcony. Large print recommended.
Aristotle for Everybody by Mortimer J. Adler
A somewhat academic book providing as much Aristotle as the average person will need in a lifetime (and then some) in a surprisingly easy to read package by the author of the not-so-light “How to Read a Book.”
Looking at Philosophy by Donald Palmer
An extremely readable, accessible, and – dare I say – enjoyable textbook highly recommended to novice as well as intermediate students of philosophy. Great reference book with masterfully hand-drawn illustrations.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Feministing - The Daily Show Takes on the Crisis of Dudes
Some thoughts below the article/video.
This is lame (even though I appreciate the humor) - not so much for its bashing of men's groups and Warren Farrell (who I have issues with anyway) - but because men (and GLBT people) are the only group left in this country that can be openly mocked and belittled.I realize it's become the day of the man, but so be it. Check out this segment from last night's show on the crisis of masculinity, hosted by none other than Samantha Bee:
Bee gets major points for her outfit, creative use of language ("pusswads?" amazing), and making that sociologist look like the bozo that he is, but she also missed out on some awesome opportunities with this subject matter (MRAs? Superbowl controversy? Glenn Beck?).
The Daily Show's deal, of course, particularly in these kinds of segments, is to point out the hypocrisies, ridiculousness, and stereotypes that we so often accept in our social and political worlds. But sometimes it feels like they go after the wrong goat, as in this segment, where they're making fun of guys who actually seem invested in making masculinity less defined by violence and domination.
These guys aren't the oversimplified narrative; they are the ones trying to redefine it. Sure their never ending circle formations are funny and they seem sort of clueless out there in the woods, but that's all easy. It would have been more challenging, and more interesting, to go after organizations that purport to care about masculinity, but only end up reinforcing dysfunctional, oppressive male behavior. The guys featured in this clip, are already being made fun of, I would guess, by people who find them too radical or feminized. The Daily Show's best comedic opportunities aren't in going after the people already challenging the status quo, but addressing those firmly convinced of their own right to stay firmly positioned within it.
One might argue that Bee was trying to position herself as the un-evolved woman--a parody of the kind of lady who doesn't want her man to cry for fear it will challenge the gender role duality and the world will come crashing down. But I'm not so sure that's how people read it. Instead it becomes one more way to laugh at guys who aren't "tough enough."
Your thoughts?
Samantha Bee is usually pretty funny, and she usually does not go for the easy laugh. But this time she did.
I have issues with some of the "banging a drum in the woods" version of men's groups, but we should not be making humor out of the few men who are actually trying to change how men behave and are perceived in this culture.
The true target should be the manly men, the hyper-masculine, the gun-totting, Budweiser swilling, pick-up truck driving, Wrangler wearing stereotypes of traditional masculinity. They deserve to be the target of humor.
Here's the deal:
* I cry from time to time.
* I would rather read a book than shoot a gun.
* I eat quiche.
* I use moisturizer.
* I drive a four-door sedan.
* I think John Wayne made horrible movies.
* I make love far more often than I have sex.
* I watch the History Channel as much (or more) as I watch ESPN.
* I squat 395 lbs.
* I do dips with 135 lbs hanging from my waist.
* I look damn good naked.
* I am masculine without being a stereotype.
* I am sensitive without being soft.
I could go on and on. There are a lot of other guys like me out there, and we are trying to redefine what it means to be a man in this culture. We are smart, we are fit, we have emotions, and we are not stereotypes.
We need to speak up and be more visible. We need to lead by example - there are many men who would be glad to know they do not have to be a stereotype, either as hyper-masculine or too feminine. We can bridge the two and be authentic men, integrated men, whole men.