The B Spot

Building a Home

2011-08-31T18:09:00.000-06:00

Laying a Foundation

To prevent your home from falling due to rains, floods, and winds, you must build your house upon a sturdy foundation. “A well-built foundation provides the fundamental stability for the future of the house,” says builder Jared Jackson (link). In St. Matthew, Jesus explains that it is a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand instead of a rock. I am no longer Christian, but the advice is sound.

What have you based your life upon? Does it suggest a promising future that will not be washed away?

Framing Walls

Once your foundation is set, you may begin constructing walls. The walls will help protect you from the harshness of the winds. Walls can be made from many different materials, just like your foundation. Keep in mind that the walls will be the framework for the final piece of your home.

Some people choose to reinforce their life with straw. This material is flimsy and shallow. People use straw, however, because it is the easiest thing to do.

Sticks are another popular choice. They are sturdier than straw, but they bend and break under any serious issue.

By far the best material to use is brick. Bricks come at a cost, however, and for this reason many people avoid them. Bricks are heavy and thus difficult to carry. But those who do not mind a little heavy lifting will find their walls resilient, strong, and unwavering.

When big, bad life huffs and puffs at your walls, will it blow your house down? How have you framed your life?

Roofing

The roof is the capstone to your home. In psychology, Maslow places ‘self-actualization’ at the top of his pyramid of needs. This final piece, creating the roof over his pyramid, includes items such as creativity, spontaneity, lack of prejudice, and an acceptance of facts. If you were to roof your home with any of these ideas, dreary rain storms would surely be kept out.

Helpful Suggestion

Remember, if your house falls, you can always build again. Be mindful of the materials you choose as you construct your home. There is a reason the pyramids still stand today.

Mental Acrobatics

2011-07-29T06:04:00.000-06:00

I’ve dabbled in vegetarianism for some time, and not long ago I decided I was okay with killing and eating our animal friends so long as they were caught in the wild. I figured wild was okay, since no poor creature was locked up all her life and stuck with needles to fatten her.

Life feeds on life, and predators balance an ecosystem. But, as a human who believes in enlightenment, is it enlightened to realize I don’t need to kill any of my animal friends? I could easily survive on just plant life. Then again, I'm still killing, but plants instead of animals. Does that matter?

Animals eat other animals, and this behavior appears natural, but does my uniquely developed frontal cortex allow me to see that I don’t have to kill? I don’t even serve as a beneficial predator. I’m not balancing any ecosystems. If anything, I’m helping to destroy them.

Right and wrong often times seem very relative to me. Viewed from one angle, something is right. Seen from another, the thing is wrong.

Maybe my reasoning for eating wild game is wrong. Unless, that is, I am truly okay with a human shooting me tomorrow and putting me on his dinner table. He didn’t have to kill me. He could’ve eaten plants. But he did catch me in the wild and I got to live a good life. Is this ethical? Is it fair? Enlightened?

Happiness

2011-07-20T22:14:00.002-06:00

Happiness—the pursuit of mankind. So sought after, so elusive, and so misunderstood.

Life is filled with suffering and tragedy. We all know this fact.

Our unhappiness is the result of unsatisfied egotistical desires. We expect so much from life. We feel entitled to happiness, but not just happiness, our version of happiness.

We expect our waiter to remember to bring an extra glass of water. We believe everyone should drive the way we do. We demand that people behave according to our expectations.

I am one of the worst offenders. I expect so much from my fellow humans. I expect my roommates to put their dirty dishes away. I expect people will want to protect the environment, worry about how we treat animals, and so on. Because these expectations often go unfulfilled, it is easy to become unhappy.

Intellectually, we know life is in motion and constantly changing. Nothing is constant, except perhaps change. But we haven’t accepted this truth in our hearts. We still demand that things stay as we want them. We think relationships will last forever, death is unfair, and unexpected tragedies are unjust.

The fact is, although we intellectually grasp change and un-constants, we don’t truly understand them. If we understood them, accepted them, and embraced them, we would have no reason to be unhappy. Remember when your friend lashed out at you and you did not become angry, because you understood she was going through a hard time? You understood.

We do not understand.

By understanding that our egotistical desires are causing our unhappiness, we can rise above them. We can let go of our expectations and behold reality. We don’t truly know why anyone is behaving the way they do. We don’t know what life will bring, or how any situation will develop. We must be willing to accept life’s unknown course and discontinue trying to make life conform to our selfish desires.

Life is neither fair nor unfair. Life is in motion. If we can let go of expectations, we will see the beauty of life’s ever-altering course and learn to flow with it. We will understand. We will be happy.

Unified

2011-07-13T23:36:00.000-06:00

It’s funny. We all have so much to say, and have so much on our minds, that when we speak, no one listens. As “listeners” we have so much on our minds, and so much we want to say, that when someone speaks, we don't really listen. Maybe it’s not funny.

There’s a real joy in unity, such as when two individuals have quieted the background noise in their minds and have joined together in concentration on a topic. There’s an even greater joy when those two individuals not only concentrate on the topic together without distraction, but feel the same way about it. For me, it is bliss.

I’m not sure what experiences you’ve had, but the times I’ve been unified with someone in thought, emotion, and action, those moments have been the most beautiful to me.

Arrogance vs. Self-realization

2011-06-19T01:52:00.008-06:00

I’m not sure how to write this blog. I don’t know how open I should be, or how to express myself without looking like the Master of Arrogance that I am.

Trance music reminds me of the perfect home—a paradise not yet realized. Trance is so stunningly beautiful and uplifting. But this planet is so chaotic, so unsure, and so shrouded in lies and manipulation. I feel like most everyone has swallowed the blue pill (Matrix reference). Not even my closest friends strive after the red pill (truth, philanthropy, self-improvement, achieving dreams, etc.) because they're too strung out on the blue drug (entertainment, money, sex, self-pity, drugs, and so forth).

How can I feel unified with friends who continue to choose the blue pill? We have such different goals. I care about you, but you don’t understand me and I don’t understand you. The real problem is that there is nothing a human wants more than to be understood, and we don't understand each other.

I realize everyone is trying their best. I know we are. All humans are doing the best we can and I don’t doubt this fact. It would be nice if we could upgrade a person's software like with a computer. Human 2.0--check.

I feel like some people are still running the Child.exe program. I keep expecting people to conduct themselves with the Grownup file. The egotistical truth is that I often see myself as a teenage babysitter. If only we could all install Adult.exe.

I know I’m not an adult. I’m too impatient, too demanding, too young. I haven’t mastered my emotions, my insecurities, or my teenage angst. But some of you… you’re children with simple pleasures, inadequate understanding, and constant temper tantrums. You don’t even realize you’re a child. In fact, you think you’re an adult. It would be laughable if it weren’t so depressing.

Anyway… I’ll stop here. I know what I mean.

Seeing Through A Glass More Clearly?

2011-05-23T01:13:00.004-06:00

My parents are devout followers of the LDS Church. So are half of my siblings (three out of six). There have been many times when I’ve wished they believed differently, and more like me.

But there’s something I really like about the way my LDS family lives. I enjoy coming home to a place with no alcohol and yet our family dinners are lively, entertaining, and full of laughter. I like knowing that my parents will not make fools of themselves by spewing alcohol-induced nonsense or by behaving in other inappropriate ways. It’s awesome my family can enjoy each other’s company without the aid of a mind-altering substance.

I like that my LDS family is dedicated to noble ideas. They continually strive to become more than they are, give unto others, and keep themselves unstained from life’s vulgarity. How many people can truly say the same?

Because of how they are, my parents’ home is like a sanctuary. I like having an abode that is free from the world’s vices, and dedicated to honorable notions.

I’m so fixated with Right vs. Wrong and Truth vs. Untruth that this fixation is the lens through which I view my entire world.

Even if I am right and they are wrong, does it matter? They live happy lives, they are genuine and caring, they positively contribute to society, and it’s not like I’ve unraveled life’s mysteries. A part of me wishes I could lift the veil I deem as ignorance from off their eyes, but ya know what… Perhaps I need to adjust my lenses. I like who they are. Would I really want to change them?

One Song

2011-04-23T03:58:00.001-06:00

In my crazier moments, I feel like this is all one big song. Life, planet Earth, the Milky Way, our universe—all of it, a song. I think of string theory, everything attached together with strings, all vibrating at different frequencies. Whether the strings are producing music like the strings on a harp, piano, or violin, or whether the strings are the actual sound waves themselves, it still seems like a song to me. I look at the order in planets circling suns, or electrons circling protons. Somehow it’s all in harmony with each other, perfectly orchestrated, singing triumphantly of their existence.

As humans, I think we’re trying to learn to play our music together. Some of us sing soprano, tenor, bass, or alto. Some smash the drums, others strum a guitar, and a few blow on the tsungi horn. Like a well-orchestrated symphony, we could learn to play in tune together. Sometimes the strings would take the lead, other times the vocals, next the woodwinds. And maybe, for the grand finale, we could all play together. Harmoniously. At the same time.

Uni-verse. One-song.

(Read that somewhere. I like it.)

An Abstract Battle

2011-04-17T21:21:00.000-06:00

“I want to fight.” I find myself saying this regularly, my blood feeling it even more.

But I cannot smash my enemy with a medieval mace. I cannot meet him on a battlefield and cut him down with a masterful stroke from a battle axe. Fighting ideas is different.

I look at a person. Her concrete brain filled with abstract ideas called thoughts and beliefs. Some of those thoughts, and some of those beliefs, I would like to do battle with. I wish I could simply strike down greed, cruelty, or conceit with the swing of a morningstar.

But ideas cannot be destroyed thus, so I have to fight in an abstract, intangible war. I think it would be easier if I could just duke it out with the idea in the physical plane, with me wildly swinging a halberd and lopping off its head. If only it were that easy. I need different and better weapons to do battle inside the mental plane.

So I sharpen compassion. I wield understanding. I exercise empathy. Well, at least I try to. I want to flood the battlefield with better ideas in hopes that the superior ones will come out victor. I better start practicing.

The Aviary

2011-04-17T16:19:00.003-06:00

Are you content? Earth is gorgeous. Opportunities abound. And civilization makes staying alive easy.

It is a complex system, and sometimes a complicated system, we’re a part of. I am dependent upon others for my food. My food is grown elsewhere, brought to supermarkets, and I purchase it with money.

In order to have money, I must participate in this contrived system. I feel like this required participation is the proverbial sword with two edges. On one side, I completely support it. I love the idea of people working together, forming a community, and laboring for the benefit of all. It’s beautiful.

However, the other side of the sword’s blade is the problem with forced participation. In order to survive, you must participate. But what if you don’t like the communities you see? What if you don’t want to join in their endeavors because their causes are not causes you can believe in? In such a scenario, you might feel like you are caged—trapped and chained to a system you want no part of, but must take part in to survive.

I could place a cockatiel in a large aviary filled with trees, bugs, and plant life. The cockatiel may not fully realize, or even care, that she is in a cage—a cage operated by beings with more power than her. But what if the cockatiel did notice, and wanted out?

I feel like we are the birds in the aviary, trapped in a system run by corrupt corporations, money-loving banks, and backdoor politics. We labor away in our vast aviary, many of us content to have the quaint comforts it provides. But some of us see the bars and wires preventing our path to freedom. Some of us realize there are people running and maintaining our cage. I see the bars. Do you?

Do you care?

Straight Speak

2011-04-01T00:32:00.000-06:00

A guy sits at a wooden table, gently sipping a cappuccino. Across from him, he notices a pretty girl sitting alone. He decides to make his move.

Guy: Hey, I’m Frank. You’re attractive, so I wanted to get to know you.

Girl: Okay. My name is Truth. I like dressing up in whorish outfits on the weekend and partying with my girlfriends. I hate it when guys hit on me—but only when they’re ugly. I can’t stand having an ug try to talk to me. But if he’s cute, well, that’s fine. I mean, I do like attention—but just from the cute ones.

Guy: I hear ya. I’m the same way. Do you like guys who compliment you, or go out of their way for you?

Girl: No, I see that as a weakness. A guy being nice to you is just trying to buy your affection. I grew up in a dysfunctional family where acting like jerks to each other was the norm. So to feel at home, I like a guy who talks down to me. Blowing me off from time to time is also a plus.

Guy: Oh, see that doesn’t work for me. My family was all about showing respect to each other. Kindness is a strength—you know, like controlling your emotions and understanding where people are coming from.

Girl: That’s a shame. You’re really cute, but yeah, it sounds like we wouldn’t be a good fit.

Guy: True. It was great talking with you. Enjoy your coffee.

Girl: Thanks!

I would pay money to see a conversation like this.

Are We Better?

2011-03-06T00:56:00.003-07:00

I will write this controversial blog from two points of view. The first, religious. The second, scientific.

If you’re religious, do you think God is happy you’re destroying animals’ habitats, putting His creations on the brink of extinction? Does God smile when you pollute His streams, the air, or the land He created? Do you think God expects you to behave differently since you are created in His image? Might He really smile if you were a more careful steward of the majestic world He created?

If you’re scientific, have you forgotten you are also an animal? Do you realize you’re a part of a global community, and that you descend from a common ancestor that makes the creatures around you your brothers, sisters, and cousins? Why is it okay to enslave your family for your selfish benefit? Why do you declare war on the world at large, submitting it to your single benefit? Is there not room for your brother, sister, and cousin animals to live beside you?

I write this blog because I have finished the book “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn. I believe he makes some powerful points regarding humanity’s assumption that we are superior, and that the world was created for us. I reject that notion, just as Quinn has. The solar system no more revolves around humanity than the world does. As humans who pride ourselves on our intelligence and awareness, I ask, “Could we not do better?"

I ask you, whether religious or scientific, do we really need to colonize every centimeter of Earth? When do we start thinking about population control, and using our rational brains to consider the consequences of our unchecked expansion?

Are we cancerous--uncontrolled growth that eventually kills its host? When will we humble ourselves and accept that we are not more important than the rest of God’s/the Universe’s creations?

Jim Bridger So Did Not

2011-03-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

I drove past a billboard today on my way home from school that said, "Jim Bridger discovered the Great Salt Lake."

I laughed.

Jim Bridger did not discover the Great Salt Lake. If we're going to attribute the discovery of the Great Salt Lake to a human, then let's give credit to the Native Americans who found it first.

I wish I could put up a billboard that said, "Native Americans discovered the Great Salt Lake--suck it, Jim Bridger."

Eurocentrism, when will you die?

I Heart Contradictions

2011-02-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

While walking my awesome black lab Deena this morning, I saw a bumper sticker that made me smirk.

"Love All. Worship One."

If you read inbetween the lines, you can see the reason for my amusement.

Anyone who demands you worship one person obviously does not understand what love means.

Gotta love contradictions.

If Cupid's Arrow Fell Short

2011-02-15T01:46:00.000-07:00

Your lips express your distaste for Valentine’s Day,

But instead I hear your heart… aching.

My heart begins to ache with yours.

Oh that I were an angel,

And you could have the wish of your heart,

You would experience the love you rightly deserve.

To you, those of you, missing your valentine,

I love you.

Happy Valentine’s Day… next time.

Low Salary - High Benefit?

2011-01-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I think I’m glad teachers get paid poorly. If being a teacher paid the BIG BUCKS, perhaps it would attract teachers who were there for the wrong reason. Education might suffer as a result.

At least with the barely-above-poverty pay, teachers who are passionate about teaching still go into teaching. They are there for the students’ sake–not for the money’s sake.

Why am I making this argument? I will be teaching in a few years and I definitely wouldn’t mind having my own Scrooge McDuck vault filled with enough money I could swim in it. Perhaps I should argue that higher salaries would bring back the passionate would-be teachers who never went into the field because they didn’t see a teacher’s salary as a feasible means of living. We may be missing out on a lot of potentially powerful teachers!

Then again, maybe not.

Your thoughts?

My Goddess

2011-01-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

My eyes peer into yours, and already I’m lost. Your attentively styled hair, the subtle grace with which you move, and the delicate curves of your body, I am helpless against them.

Your femininity enflames my spirit, and sears my heart. I almost hate that I love you.

You, the entity of my veneration—my goddess, the woman.

A Haven

2011-01-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I want to listen to some good music, you know, the kind your soul immediately identifies with—the kind that expresses what’s in your heart and on your mind. For me, it’s about finding a haven, finding the song that takes you away to that quiet place where you feel grounded and at home. Inner peace. Tranquility.

I like the word haven, and that it’s commonly referred to as a “safe haven”. To me, a haven is a home. A peaceful place where you can rejuvenate, let your guard down, and feel at ease. I also like the word because it sounds similar to heaven but lacks the religious connotations. A haven is your oasis, your escape, the place you can retreat to and relax. It is your sanctuary—another word I really like. A sanctuary is just like a haven. I like how sanctuary sounds like it has something to do with sanctity, and being sacred. Cleanliness. Innocence. Purity. Refreshing.

In my mind’s eye, it would be like walking up several wide, gently-carved stone steps, the rocks a gleaming white, and entering into a gorgeous city with stunning architecture, and exquisite gardening. Around you, you would find compassionate caring friends and neighbors. You would walk in, all your troubles slinking away, and here in this haven, your friends would smile at you and invite you to stay as long as you’d like. You might enjoy some of the delicious foods there, engage your friends in stimulating conversations, or go down by a clear blue lake, sitting upon a lush green landscape, and gaze out at the beauty of nature—trees and all manner of plants off in the distance, and even further back, majestic blue and purple mountains.

Ah, a sanctuary. No cares. No worries. No fears or stifling demands. Here you are enveloped with love, surrounded by like-minded individuals, yet filled with diversity, a mutual sense of respect and compassion permeating the atmosphere.

When I dream, it is like being in that sanctuary. I love the song “Dreaming” by the talented artist BT. “No words. No talk. We’ll go dreaming. No pain. No hurt. We’ll go dreaming.” The song is like the haven I speak of, the sanctuary where you can heal, and be calm. Serenity.

I’m a dreamer. I like dreaming of a haven, a sanctuary. The trick is to be able to create this haven inside you, wherever you go. But imagine actually having this haven in the physical world. Ahh, paradise.

Shadow Existence

2011-01-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

I once took an ethnic studies class at the U (Jan. 2005), where we focused on studying Native Americans. I learned that at one point in America’s spotless history the government stole very young Native Americans from their tribes, and forced them into boarding schools to try and civilize the savages. Obviously the result was a disaster, and what ended up happening is that these poor Native American boys (and girls? Can’t remember now) would be released after years of boarding school, and expected to function in white society.

Naturally, white Americans were still eff-tards (technical term), so even if these Native Americans did speak (poor) English, and even had useful skills, they still were not accepted/integrated into white society as was the intended goal. (The pathway to hell is paved with good intentions, right?)

Many of these traumatized youth returned to their tribes, where they found they also did not fit in. They could not speak their tribe’s language, nor did they have a proper understanding of their ancestors’ way of life.

According to the movie we watched, I believe the narrator used the term “shadow existence.” Basically, these Native Americans lived as shadows. They were just kind of there, with no real home, and no way to function in either society. (God bless America, but I digress)

The movie had a deep impact on me. I had no idea America created those boarding schools, nor how they destroyed the lives of so many young Native Americans. It is truly a tragedy.

What’s strange is that I can now relate to those Native Americans. I often feel like I’m living in a similar shadow existence. I don’t fit in with the Mormons, and I don’t fit in with the “worldly world”. I’m caught in No-Man’s-Land, homeless and left to my own devices. It’s not always fun, and now my sympathy for the Native American youth is amplified even more. My advantage, however, is that I can at least blend in. The unfortunate, kidnapped Native Americans could not.

I’m really not sure what the point of this blog is. I guess it’s just been something on my mind, particularly as I’ve restarted my education at the U. Whelp, this is where I end my writing because I don’t know what else to say. There’s probably a lesson somewhere in here about not forcing people to do things, and also accepting other ppl’s ways of life and loving them for who they are.

The Fight

2011-01-10T00:57:00.001-07:00

(Below is obviously symbolic)

You’re marching along, your steel armor gleaming in the sun, your sword and shield in hand when suddenly two forms jump out and begin slinging stones and arrows at you.

You’re not sure how you provoked the attack, but immediately you raise your shield in your defense. Supposing your armor can withstand the onslaught, do you resort to the sword, or do you attempt to reason with your attackers? And if so, for how long do you endeavor?

Methinks you try until it becomes clear they won’t be reasoned with. Then you walk away.

Wandering Medic

2011-01-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

I wish I were a wandering medic. In my purest moments, I see myself traveling along a road, the flow of life guiding my footsteps. If I happened upon a man or woman who was wounded, I would stop to clean and bind their injuries. Perhaps afterwards we would share a cup of tea together, and he or she would tell me something about who they are, where they’ve been, and what they hold dear to them. We would finish our tea, smile at each other, perhaps even hug goodbye, and then I would continue my journey, pondering upon who else I might chance by.

J.D. Salinger said he wished he could be a catcher in the rye—catching children running through the rye field, and stopping them from falling off the cliff they could not see. I would like to do this too, except I want to wander from field to field, and cliff to cliff, carrying with me a medicine bag and beautiful memories.

“I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to” do.

(The phrase marked in quotations is taken directly from The Catcher in the Rye).

I Am Techno

2011-01-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

Who am I? The ultimate question.

So said God, “I AM THAT I AM.”

Who are you? The world wants to know.

I am that I am, and I am techno.

I am the House of the Lord. House music that is.

I am the transcendent melody, heightening consciousness.

I am the steady, unrelenting beat that never quits.

I am the haunting female voice, caressing your spirit.

So said God, “I AM THAT I AM.”

I am techno, and I am that I am.

I am Tiesto. I am Benassi.

I am Kaskade. I am BT.

Infected Mushroom, Zoltar, and Corsten,

Oakenfold, Acosta, and Van Buuren.

I am Ringo and atb.

I am Pendulum and Irene.

I am Deadmau5. I am Schulz.

I am your life. I am your pulse.

I am the buildup. Then the thumping stops.

You think I’ve faltered, but the beat’s just dropped.

I am your ecstasy. I am your heaven.

I am techno. I am that I am.

-Brent Hartley

Exodus 3:14

Anything

2011-01-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

I realize I could accomplish just about anything I desired if I'd just stop being a baby.

But for whatever reason, a child I remain. Choice? Biochemistry? Need more time to develop? Probably all three.

I need to exercise my adult muscles more.

If

2010-12-29T00:22:00.000-07:00

If only you existed.

If only you listened.

If only you understood.

If only we connected.

If only we admired each other.

If only we thought less about ourselves.

If only I were simpler.

If only I judged less.

If only I could find you.

If.

If only.

Unity

2010-12-20T03:20:00.000-07:00

I’ve lived long enough to realize the things that matter most to me are personal connections. I’m not motivated by power, greed, lust, or fame. Rather, charity, love, beauty, and emotional connections drive and inspire me. I love unity, and I love the feeling of being united with someone toward a common purpose.

I’m fortunate to have experienced several forms of unity. I understand the beauty, and power, of joining yourself to a cause, a religious affiliation, a community, and a lover.

I don’t think many people understand the real power and joy of unity. Do you remember the conversation you had with that one friend, where the two of you connected on that one special night? Do you remember the power of having someone not only understand you, but feel the same way as you? It’s beautiful. It’s godly.

Regarding God, church-goers experience the power of unity at their religious services. What is more beautiful than believing the same thing, aspiring after the same goals, and coming together in brother and sisterhood to help one other? While I’m not religious, the power of unity is still present at these religious functions. It is a palpable and pleasurable feeling, which is why so many people get so much from religion.

Taking things in an opposite direction, if you’ve ever been to a rock concert, or a techno show, you’ve probably felt the raw energy there. You are all in the same place, for the same band, with equal excitement, dancing or head bobbing to the magical experience together. It’s exhilarating. It’s surreal.

As for me, I suffer from the ability to think. And because I think, I desire to share my thoughts with others. But unfortunately, I want more than simply to be understood. I crave unity. I wish I could join with those who think and feel similarly. And I long for a beauty who will gladly link her hand in mine.

Dearest unity, you are missed.

The Nightmare

2010-12-19T10:47:00.002-07:00

I like to write ideas using my own words, but when someone else has already expressed the idea perfectly, I see no reason to change it.

"...We have constructed a system we can't control. It imposes itself on us, and we become its slaves and victims. For most of us who want to have a house, a car, a refrigerator, a television, and so on, we must sacrifice our time and our lives in exchange. We are constantly under the pressure of time.

In former times, we could afford three hours to drink one cup of tea, enjoying the company of our friends in a serene and spiritual atmosphere. We could organize a party to celebrate the blossoming of one orchid in our garden. But today we can no longer afford these things.

We say that time is money. We have created a society in which the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, and in which we are so caught up in our own immediate problems that we cannot afford to be aware of what is going on with the rest of the human family or our planet Earth.

In my mind I see a group of chickens in a cage disputing over a few seeds of grain, unaware that in a few hours they will all be killed."

-Thich Nhat Hanh "The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology"