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GEIFN | MIXING | Media | January 2022

Best wishes for less Suffering, more Happiness with Good Health and Time to Enjoy it. Welcome to Assyrian calendar 6771 as we proceed into Gregorian New Year 2022.

Recapping that in a globalised world, this Gregorian calendar is increasingly known as Common Era (CE), but let us also consider how New Year depends on the country of origin, ethnic background or calendar of the people.

For example: In countries Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Lao, the new year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon day in April. In countries China, Korea and Vietnam celebrations are late January or early February according to the lunar calendar, whilst Tibetans usually celebrate about one month later.

Tashi Delek! 
We begin with a traditional Tibetan expression used for all occasions in greeting, congratulation, and wishing good fortune.

Attributed to 17th CE English theologian and historian Thomas Fuller is the saying “The darkest hour of night is just before the dawn”.

So, with this spirit in mind, the following is offered.

Every day one wakes with a pulse is good news. It means there is a possibility to be loving, to be loved or in love. When our own cup is full or overflowing and we know not everyone has the same privilege, it is easier to grow beneficiaries until including all. This is good news.

As humans, we tend to be blind to the things out of sight out of mind. With internet, we can now reach across the world with a few clicks, be informed, be educated or be outraged. If channeled mindfully, information can be turned into knowledge, education can be turned into practice, and outrage can be turned into justice. This is good news.

Seeking purpose in one’s life use to mean special places at special times doing special things. Even under pandemic lockdowns, internet, social media, online video can connect us with our passions, supportive groups or family reconciliations. This is good news.

People discriminate, COVID-19 doesn’t. So while the global pandemic continues to wreak havoc to lives, livelihoods, families and societies, it has also united the world in a common cause with unlimited potential. The old boundaries are dissolving or being renegotiated between ideologies and others, citizens and their Governments, commercial and privates, rich and poor, medical and distributors, neighbour and neighbour. This is good news.

Or not. We are also aware more fully than ever of the disadvantages, inequalities and violence playing out in the homes, religions and societies of others.

History shows us that humanity has faced such 1 in 100 year difficulties before. The enduring victor is always truth, reconciliation and public benefit. Our existence today is living proof and continues the endearing human legacy around the world of wanting to live free from present Suffering, to be able to make personal choices easily and love and be loved skilfully.

Best wishes to all the many individuals, families and Organisations steering humanity through difficult times. Thankyou for being part of this ongoing big bold blue-planet experiment.

May all our beneficial energy today
Extend out like a great ocean
Bringing less Suffering, peace and happiness to all.
May less Suffering and greater peace begin here.

We’ll end with a traditional Ancient Indian Pali expression used to indicate “good", “excellent" or “good fortune". Or in Ancient Indian Sanskrit to mean "straight, right, leading straight to the goal” or "reaching one's goal”.

Sadhu. Sadhu. Sadhu.

And in case no-one has said it lately, thankyou for being you.

The following monthly curation from publicly available information is offered below for consideration.


    Topics

    • Guest Sings
    • Street Jives
    • Wisdom Reconciles
    • Media Writes
    • TED Talks
    • Music Challenges
    • Acknowledgments

    Guest Sings

    Approx 5 min presentation
     

    Street Jives

    Approx 2 min presentation 

    Wisdom Reconciles


    Media Writes

    Approx 5 min reads

    Intro
    Benjamin Law talks dicey topics money, religion and politics, revealing "When in doubt, Larissa Behrendt asks: ‘What would Linda Burney do?’” via The Age

    Sarah Garone explores being present cultivates joy in everyday moments, recounting when "I was unhappy. Here’s how I started peeling away my layers of anger” via The Sydney Morning Herald

    Sarah Berry explores individuals discovering their inner reservoir of calm, wishing to "Feel 10 per cent better? Start by forgetting your preconceptions about meditation” via The Brisbane Times


    Intra
    Benjamin Law explores dicey topics body, religion and money, revealing why "‘Thou shalt not just give up’: author Holly Ringland’s writing commandments” via The Brisbane Times

    Susan Horsburgh explores having children, gaining perspective and nurturing love, reasons why "‘I think my son’s deadly’: How Gail Mabo and son William healed their relationship” via WA Today

    Hannah Bent explores challenges to conceive and friends and helpers along the way, recounting why "‘I liken living with this disease to being submerged underwater’” via The Age


    Inter
    AJ Clementine explores identity, gender and feeling comfortable in one’s skin, recounting "Desperate for gender confirmation surgery, I was terrified they’d say no” via WA Today

    Jess Hill explores gender, power and equity, issuing a report card on "Rights, wrongs and revolution: #MeToo still raging against the patriarchy” via The Age

    Natasha Mitchell explores gendered violence, individual toll and liberation from the suffering, reviewing why "In a frank memoir, a writer tackles how trauma shows up in the body” via The Sydney Morning Herald


    Multi
    Jason Steger explores people, place and publishing, revealing "Why writing is an act of resistance for author Maxine Beneba Clarke” via The Age

    Barry Divola explores transmission of heritage, morality stories and ancient life, reasons to be "Gobsmacked, tearful, I climbed it: Ancient Greeks thrill still” via WA Today

    Jane Caro explores overcoming isolation by revelling in interconnectedness and nature, counting some reasons "Why happiness lies somewhere between boredom and fear” via The Age


    All
    Jane Wheatley explores family, belonging and legacy with novelist Hanya Yanagihara, revealing why "She said she might have written her last book – then along came Trump” via WA Today

    Jessie Tu explores the beauty that comes from awakening listening without judgment when reviewing a memoir demonstrating "The sheer grace of radio host Ed Ayres and his love of music” via The Age

    Stuart Layt explores theoretical, scientific and measurable outcomes as "Scientists prove Einstein right with 16-year pulsar experiment” via The Brisbane Times

    Shane Wright and Jennifer Duke explores value, currency and methods, explaining "‘You have to believe it’s worth something’: What is money?” Via WA Today


    Togather
    Alice Pung explores how the art of sharing leads to a greater happiness in her new book, reasoning how "You can have a rich interior existence despite outward circumstances” via The Sydney Morning Herald

    Jordan Baker explores how contextualised content improves reading and comprehension scores, discovering "‘What’s an avocado?’: Localising NAPLAN questions lifts scores” via The Sydney Morning Herald

    Associated Press explores race, gender, economics and politics saluting the life, times and passing of  "bell hooks, groundbreaking feminist thinker, dies at 69” via WA Today


    Nobly
    Waleed Aly explores living through pandemic times, relative government responses and evidence-based reasons why "It’s not fashionable but I’m looking back on 2021 with gratitude” via The Brisbane Times

    Jewel Topsfield explores youth disadvantage, homelessness and individual centred support, citing reasons why "‘They don’t treat you like a problem child’: Foyers a fix for youth homelessness” via The Age

    Adam Carey explores valuing early identification of symptoms, focusing on individual causes and collective team work as "Former struggle school stuns with two-year turnaround” via The Age


    Music Challenges

    Approx 30 min presentation + reflection times

    If desired, a short selection of publicly available material on a chosen theme for personal reflection. 

    For best results, sit comfortably with a straight back, have headphones in a shared space, after each clicked link, allow a little reflection with your personally-held view before clicking on the next link.

    Get ready to Reflect!
    Choose your playing level:
    Be introduced at 1.
    Be soothed at 2-4.
    Be shocked at 5.
    Be inspired at 6.
    Fuller illumination 1-6.
    You be the judge. Or not.

    Cryptic Clue:
    What are three qualities deserving in the every day?
    1. Inspire
    2. Perspire
    3. Collaborate
    4. Engage: Test for personal circumstances, if useful keep, if unuseful discard, if exceeds needs, share mindfully
    5. Endure: Adapt for present times without sacrificing intent
    6. Endear: (Inspiring Others To Tend the Flame) live/ demonstrate/ inspire/ teach experience with others
    This challenge reflects on attributes of belonging – love, mercy and compassion.

    love
    From Old English lufu, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit lubhyati = desires, Latin libet = it is pleasing, libido = desire, also Germanic leaf = permission and lief = dear, pleasant.
    1. an intense feeling of deep affection. Ie, babies fill parents with feelings of love. Ie, their love for their country. 
    2. a feeling of deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone. Ie, they were both in love with her. Ie, we were slowly falling in love. Ie, it was love at first sight. Ie, love songs. 
    3. affectionate greetings conveyed to someone on one's behalf. Ie, give her my love. 
    4. a formula for ending an affectionate letter. Ie, take care, lots of love, Judy. 
    5. a personified figure of love, often represented as Cupid. 
    6. a great interest and pleasure in something, Ie, the fan's love for football. Ie, we share a love of music. 
    7. a person or thing that one loves. Ie, she was the love of his life. Ie, their two great loves are music and dancing.
    8. (British informal) a friendly form of address. Ie, it's all right, love. 
    9. (informal) used in affectionate requests. Ie, don't fret, there's a love. 
    10. (in tennis, squash, and some other sports) a score of zero; nil. Ie, love fifteen. (Apparently from the phrase play for love (i.e. the love of the game, not for money); folk etymology has connected the word with French l’oeuf = egg, from the resemblance in shape between an egg and a zero.)

    mercy
    From Middle English: from Old French merci = pity, thanks, from Latin merces, merced- = reward, from ecclesiastical Latin = pity, favour, heavenly reward.
    1. compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Ie, the child was screaming and begging for mercy. Ie, the mercies of God. 
    2. an event to be grateful for, because it prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering. Ie, the long suffering patient's death was in a way a mercy. 
    3. (especially of a journey or mission) performed out of a desire to relieve suffering. Ie, mercy missions to refugees caught up in the fighting.


    compassion
    From Middle English: via Old French from ecclesiastical Latin compassio(n-), from compati = suffer with.
    Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. Ie, victims should be treated with compassion. 
    [Practice]

    Optional
    -- Chant Mantrastyle

    Adapted from Longchenpa (1308-1364 CE):
    "Love is the bright lamp dispelling the darkness of blind ignorance.
    Mercy is the wish-granting tree from which comes the happiness of everyone alive.
    Compassion is the countless rays of the sun of great kindness."

    Why? Why not?
    Start today. 
    As the case may be.
    Or not.


    Same Difference Equals


    Acknowledgments

    Reconciliation
    Acknowledging traditional inhabitants of Cities of Port Phillip and Glen Eira are the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation. Respect is offered to past, present and future elders of all spiritual traditions. May we find together a generous way to accommodate those in need of refuge. Let us be cool, strive individually and together to overcome inequality, violence, disengagement, tragedy and injustice wherever it may be. Let us honour, savor and enjoy results of mindful effort so more thrive peacefully with less effort in our place called home.

    Invitation to Support Content Creators
    The music/stories/videos have been sourced from public domain. If you like any of the content, please consider buying directly from online marketplaces to support creators and truth telling in the public interest.

    Caretaker Disclosure
    Words and concepts are conditional things that point to a 'reflection of experience'. They are limited and do not adequately describe the 'full lived experience'. Like the moon's reflection on a lake's surface, it is not the moon, nor the experience of gazing up at the darkened sky transformed by the presence of a full moon. It is in the eyes/ears/nose/mouth/touch/cognisance of the beholder.

    This curation is an interpretation of the universal basis of re:lig:ion (Latin = again:uniting:energy). This email invites a sharing of countless thoughts, words and actions wishing, causing and receiving less Suffering and more Happiness. For benefit initially of the individual increasing in beneficiaries until it includes all across the 3 times and 10 directions. As each case may be. Or not.

    It is not personal, it just the way things are.