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GEIFN | MIXING | Media | November 2025

[Edited extract from public address]

Best wishes for less Suffering, more Happiness with Good Health and Time to Enjoy it. Welcome to Coptic calendar 12 Paopi, AM 1742.

Sharing a timely aspiration:
“In the deluded mind, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, shame and distraction are predominant. In the awakened mind, equanimity, love and joy predominate and wisdom emerges – the ability to make appropriate responses to life which are based on seeing life as a whole, not on a perception which is narrowed down to self interest. The transformation does not annihilate the negative emotions… It shifts them from self-centered motivation to a life-centered motivation...”
– Attributed to Bhikshuni Wendy Finster

If having no reason to celebrate this month, here are 3 prepared earlier:

This edition, we explore qualities required to deal with difficulties in life as viewed through Ten Pāramī/Paramitas/virtues and skilful actions (Pali/Sanskrit/English)

Pāramī/Paramitas are positive virtues and skilful actions that are practised to guarantee happier trouble-free living and support the development of the enlightened mind.

Here they are explained simply: 

  1. Loving kindness (Pali: metta) can also be compassion. All positive and moral conduct is a form of kindness to self and others. 
  2. Giving or generosity (Pali: dana) does not always mean material aid. Giving can be in the form of good conduct, such as care and patience, and wishing benefit to others. 
  3. Equal love or joy with others is also related to equanimity, being even tempered and learning to love all creatures as dearly as oneself.
  4. Renunciation or finding the Middle Way by not going to extremes and not holding tightly to fixed ideas, objects and people. 
  5. Patience is about remaining calm and good tempered in annoying and difficult situations. It is a form of being kind to oneself and to others. 
  6. Effort is maintaining energy to learn and do things well, but with kindly and mindful application according to the Middle Way. 
  7. Wisdom is apparent in all Sage teachings across cultures and over millennia. In the Buddha’s teachings, it is about understanding the way things are and the way the world works. It is based on interconnectedness and cause and effect relationships.
  8. Honesty requires courage to seek truth, uphold what is true and to value truth and honesty in personal conduct, with others and society. 
  9. Perseverance is the will to keep going and not to give up. 
  10. Right action is moral conduct by avoiding harmful actions. It can also be viewed as forms of kindness to oneself because harmful results from actions are also avoided. For lay Buddhists the first rule, or precept, is to avoid killing, and then to avoid lying and stealing. The fourth precept is interpreted simply here as avoiding disloyalty or unfaithfulness or non-sexual harm, and avoiding intoxicants can also be linked to avoiding extreme behaviours and the Middle Way. 

We don't have to be a Buddhist to work with these. You may already know these qualities by different names, methods or languages. In all cases, it is actions speaking louder than words. If peace is to prevail, we must think, say and do things to cause less Suffering until peaceful coexistence prevails.

Remember: information may contain misunderstandings, deliberate omissions and complete fabrications. Accept nothing blindly. Test for usefulness: if useful keep; adapt for personal circumstances if necessary; or if unuseful discard. Be your own guiding light.

Read on intrepid Mixers, and let's see what is to discover this edition. Subscribers decide if anything is useful.

Topics List

  1. Guest Sings
  2. Street Jives
  3. Wisdom Reconciles
  4. Media Writes
  5. TED Talks
  6. Music Challenges
  7. Acknowledgments


1. Guest Sings

Approx 5 min presentation

 

2. Street Jives

Approx 2 min presentation

 

3. Wisdom Reconciles

 

4. Media Writes

Approx 5 min reads

Intro
Benjamin Law explores dicey topics Religion, Death and Sex with Denise Scott who "Diagnosed with cancer and terrified of dying, asked her husband to do one thing” via The Age

Nicole Precel explores education, engagement and encouraging in "The schools with some of Victoria’s best teachers – and how they’ve improved results” via The Age

Julietta Jameson explores place, people and positioning in "There she blows: Great Ocean Road’s new attraction opens” via The Age


Intra
Benjamin Law talks dicey topics Money, Religion and Bodies with Ellyse Perry in "It’s really easy to overestimate your importance as an athlete” via The Age

Elizabeth Flux explores movement, passion and energy in "Wait, why are there people dancing in Fed Square?” via The Age 

Kylie Northover explores place, people and history revealing "Australia’s richest genre literary prize a tie between Tasma Walton and Robbie Arnott” via The Brisbane Times


Inter
Dani Valent explores illness, acceptance and managing when “‘He won’t be able to talk soon’: Facing a high-flying husband’s incurable disease” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Tim Elliott explores conflict, fleeing and asylum when "Mohammed asked Shamikh to save his family in Gaza. His friend went one better” via The Age

Lulu Garcia-Navarro explores gender, opportunity and leadership in "‘I had to rewire my brain’: How Reese Witherspoon recovered from a bad relationship” via WA Today


Multi
Victoria Laurie explores native, nature and nurture in "The humble scientist who became the world’s greatest eucalypt expert” via The Brisbane Times

John Bailey explores identity, representation and belonging when "They wanted a new kind of musical. Its success had nothing to do with luck” via The Age

Tony Wright explores atrocity, enduring and legacy revealing why "‘There is nothing intelligent to be said after a massacre’” via WA Today


All
Greg Callaghan explores environmentalism, activism and optimism in “Bob Brown: What ‘the biggest herd of mammals’ can do to save the planet” via The Age

Liam Mannix, Kostya Manekov and Stefanie Dazio explore mind, matter and materialisation when "They said his work was ‘a load of rubbish’. Now this Melbourne professor has a Nobel Prize” via The Brisbane Times

Jamila Rizvi explores connection, belonging and goodbyes in "If we could know a moment was going to be a ‘last’, what would we do differently?” via WA Today 


Togather
Louise Southerden "Jo has lived without money for 10 years. Her best friend says it makes perfect sense” via The Age

Michael Dwyer explores race, relations and rhythms with Baker Boy and why "‘I know what it’s like to be a trending topic’: gets real on his new album” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Shona Hendley explores gender, practice and passion in "‘It brings out my inner show-off’: Why Marian, 75, can’t get enough of the circus” via The Age


Nobly
Mick Brown explores wisdom, experience and non-selfish generosity in "‘No armies, no budgets’: The quiet power of the planet’s most private peacemakers" via WA Today

Henrietta Cook explores health, safety and accessibility with "The hospital at the forefront of tackling homelessness” via The Sydney Morning Herald

Tony Wright explores place, people and passion in "The country boy with polio who became Australia’s most famous GP” via The Sydney Morning Herald

  

5. TED Talks

5-20 min presentations

  

6. 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 is the train we should all be catching?
        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 is supporting, reciprocate, sponsor, advocate, empathy & sympathy.

        supporting 
        [sup’port’ing]
        From Middle English (originally in the sense ‘tolerating’): from Old French supporter, from Latin supportare, from sub- = from below + portare carry.

        adjective
        1. bearing all or part of the weight of something. Ie, supporting structures for the elevated roads will be brought to site by huge trailers.
        2. serving to corroborate something. Ie, they offered supporting evidence for their recommendations.
        3. (of an actor or role) important in a play or film but of lesser importance than the leading parts. Ie, the actor's performance is excellent and is more than matched by the supporting cast.

        reciprocate 
        [reh’cih’pro’kate]
        From late 16th century: from Latin reciprocat- = moved backwards and forwards; from the verb reciprocare, from reciprocus: re- = back + pro- forward + ate = forming nouns denoting status

        verb
        1. respond to (a gesture or action) by making a corresponding one. Ie, the favour was reciprocated. Ie, perhaps I was expected to reciprocate with some remark of my own.
          • feel (affection or love) for someone in the same way that they feel it for oneself. Ie, their passion for him was not reciprocated.
        2. (of a part of a machine) move backwards and forwards in a straight line. Ie, when you're shooting most semi-automatic handguns, the slide reciprocates as part of the firing cycle.

        sponsor 
        [spon’sore]
        From mid 17th century (as a noun): from Latin, from spondere = promise solemnly. The verb dates from the late 19th century.

        noun
        1. a person or organization that pays for or contributes to the costs involved in staging a sporting or artistic event in return for advertising. Ie, the production cost $50,000, most coming from local sponsors.
          • a person who pledges to donate a certain amount of money to another person after they have participated in a fundraising event organized on behalf of a charity.
          • (mainly US English) a business or organization that pays for or contributes to the costs of a radio or television programme in return for advertising. Ie, The TV station found a sponsor willing to put the election up on prime time.
        2. a person who introduces and supports a proposal for legislation. Ie, a leading sponsor of the bill.
          • a person taking official responsibility for the actions of another. Ie, they act as sponsors and contacts for new immigrants.
          • a godparent at a child's baptism.
          • (especially in the Roman Catholic Church) a person presenting a candidate for confirmation. Ie, the child asked me to be their sponsor for confirmation next month.
        verb
        1. 1 provide funds for (a project or activity or the person carrying it out). Ie, the new employee is being sponsored by a government training scheme.
          • pay some or all of the costs involved in staging (a sporting or artistic event) in return for advertising. Ie, the event is sponsored by an airline.
          • pledge to donate a certain sum of money to (someone) after they have participated in a fundraising event for charity. Ie, the participant wishes to thank all those people who sponsored their efforts.
        2. introduce and support (a proposal) in a legislative assembly. Ie, an independent MP sponsored the bill.
          • propose and organize (negotiations or talks) between other people or groups. Ie, the USA sponsored negotiations between the two sides.

        advocate
        [ad’vo’kate]
        From Middle English: from Old French avocat, from Latin advocatus, past participle (used as a noun) of advocare = call (to one's aid), from ad- = to + vocare = to call.

        noun
        1. a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. Ie, they were an untiring advocate of economic reform. Ie,  a tireless advocate for women's organizations and causes.
        2. a person who puts a case on someone else's behalf. Ie, care managers can become advocates for their clients.
          • a professional pleader in a court of justice. Ie, solicitors may act as advocates in Crown Courts.
          • (Scottish English, South African English) a barrister.
        verb
        • publicly recommend or support. Ie, voters supported candidates who advocated an Assembly. Ie, they advocated an ethical foreign policy. Ie, I advocated for the right to vote for decades.

        empathy 
        [em’pah’thee]
        From early 20th century: from Greek empatheia, from em- = in + pathos = feeling, translating German Einfühlung.

        noun
        • the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Ie, they had empathy for the latest refugees.

        sympathy
        [sim’pah’thee]
        From late 16th century via Latin from Greek sumpatheia, from sumpathēs, from sun- = with + pathos feeling.

        noun (plural sympathies) [mass noun]
        1. feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune. Ie, they had great sympathy for the war victims.
          • the formal expression of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune. Ie, the deceased's friends joined in sending their sympathies to the bereaved family.
        2. understanding between people; common feeling. Ie, the special sympathy between the two children was obvious to all.
          • support in the form of shared feelings or opinions. Ie, their sympathies lay with their constituents.
          • agreement with or approval of an opinion or aim; a favourable attitude. Ie, I have some sympathy for this view.
          • relating harmoniously to something else; in keeping. Ie, repairs had to be in sympathy with the original structure.
        3. the state or fact of responding in a way similar or corresponding to an action elsewhere. Ie, the magnetic field oscillates in sympathy.
        [Practice]

        Optional
        -- Chant Mantrastyle

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


        7. Acknowledgments

        Reconciliation
        • Acknowledging traditional inhabitants of City of Port Phillip are the Boonwurrung, Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. Respect is offered to past, present and future elders of all spiritual traditions.
        • Services and program delivery is culturally safe to people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, aesexual and questioning (LGBTIQA+).
        • 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) or bodhicitta (Sanskrit = Awakening Consciousness). 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. Or not. As each case may be.

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

        Jane Hutcheon, contemporary Hong Kong born Australian journalist & author


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