Christopher S. Penn – Marketing AI Keynote Speaker

Category: Buddhism

  • Buddhism shows up in the funniest places

    Go look for the lyrics to the Wu-Tang Clan’s “Life Changes” song, their tribute to ODB.

    Most of the sites on the Internet have “Asian language”, “Man speaks Mandarin” or something equivalent at the end of the song in lyrics transcription.

    It’s actually Sifu Shi Yan Ming, a refugee from China who escaped and sought asylum in the US in 1992. He’s reciting the Heart Sutra in Mandarin.

    When you think about it, that’s kind of funny. Millions of Wu-Tang fans are being exposed, if surreptitiously, to an age-old Buddhist text that some say has positive, life-changing effects even for those who hear it, but don’t understand it.

    Here’s the translation that I’ve learned, via Stephen K. Hayes:

    Kanon Bodhisattva
    Steeped in transcendental wisdom
    Saw five heaps as empty
    Knew this ended suffering
    Shariputra, form is empty
    Emptiness is form
    Form’s nothing but void
    Void’s nothing but form
    Feel, see, think, mind are the same
    Shariputra, empty aspects
    Birthless, endless
    No spoiled, no pure
    No gain, no loss
    Emptiness has no form, feel, see think, or mind
    No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind
    No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, think
    No vision on to
    No mind to think
    No delusion
    No making bright
    So forth to no age and death
    No conquering age and death
    No pain, cause, cure, path
    No wisdom to gain
    Nothing to attain
    Enlightened ones know
    Transcendent wisdom is key
    Mind is no block
    With no blocks there are no more fears
    On beyond delusion’s pull to enlightenment
    All enlightened ones grasp transcendent wisdom
    So attain perfect supreme unsurpassed enlightenment
    Perfect wisdom is found in the
    Great divine phrase
    Great bright mantra
    Unsurpassed phrase
    Matchless mantra phrase
    That ends all suffering
    All truth
    Nothing false
    Transcendent wisdom mantra is the mantra that goes
    Going
    Going
    Going beyond
    Going on beyond
    Wakened to all
    Heart of wisdom

    Translation by Stephen K. Hayes

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Fridays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Fridays

    Friday is about protection. Protection, in the traditional sense, is the mental state of actively burning away all of the negative influences you’re aware of in your life. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes shielding and protecting against harm. Perhaps it’s a science fiction movie or a medieval setting in which an armored knight repels arrows, or the theme song of a superhero for whom bullets bounce off harmlessly.

    On Friday, as the week winds down, square away all your work for the week, tying up as many loose ends as you can. Reply to emails that need a reply, then archive them out of sight. If your messaging systems permit, turn on an out of office notification the moment you’re prepared to leave the office, informing those that would contact you during your weekend that you’re simply unavailable. If you work as an independent contractor, establish the expectation that if a client has needs during off hours, they should be prepared to pay a king’s ransom for your time, until your office reopens on Monday.

    Set and enforce boundaries rigorously. If you have an office phone or PDA, power it down entirely once you depart the office. Control which media you choose to allow in your life, which ways that news can arrive, as news is rarely good these days. Choose to replace mundane forms of media (thoughtless television, rambling radio, etc.) with the media that continues to inspire you, that builds inside of you a burning passion for accomplishment and meaning.

    Review your past week in your mind as you prepare to end your work week. You’ve focused on a fresh start, correct actions, communications, and thoughts, and expressed a willingness to blockade negativity from your life. Now you’re prepared to head into the weekend, into your private time, fresh and energized, knowing that your private time is truly yours and you’re protected from yourself and others who would influence you to outcomes that are not in your best interests.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Thursdays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Thursdays

    Thursday is about mental focus. Correct thought, in the traditional sense, means thinking clearly, unimpeded by runaway distractions of every kind. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes clarity of thought. Perhaps you have a detective hero who always sees the solution ahead, or maybe there’s a movie clip that epitomizes insight, an a-ha moment that never fails to inspire you.

    On Thursday, look for things in your life that focused thought can solve. Is there a particularly difficult problem that demands your focus? Is there an issue on your mind that requires diamond-like clarity of vision and thought? Work to create a situation for yourself in which you think best.

    At a bare minimum, go dark. Turn off phones, instant messengers, email and calendar reminders, close your door, or even leave your office. If you think best while moving, take the time to go for a walk, to get away from the distractions and diversions of your regular places. Head to a quiet coffee shop or a calming park bench. Bring with you a paper notepad and pen to jot down your thoughts as you have them.

    Take time throughout the day and night to shield your mind from distracting influences. Leave the television off for the day, shut off your phone when you arrive home, and avoid pointless agitation from things like news programs. Instead, use the day and evening to fill your mind with useful mental materials. Read a thought-provoking book, or go out to dinner and drinks with a friend you always enjoy rigorous, healthy discussion with.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Wednesdays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Wednesdays

    Wednesday is about communication. Correct communication, in the traditional sense, means speaking with purpose. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes ways of communicating effectively, powerfully, and helpfully. Maybe it’s a romantic clip from a favorite movie or a moving speech from an orator. Perhaps it’s part of an audio book or a memorable sermon from your religious service. Pick a communication example that shows communication that makes a difference, that inspires and helps.

    On Wednesday, look for things in your life that effective communication can make better. Are there a few emails in your inbox that have been waiting for replies? Hit Reply and boldly solve the problem. Is there a friend or family member you keep meaning to call? Pick up the phone! Is there a meeting you’ve been less than enthusiastic about attending? Go, and go with the intent of contributing as much as possible to it.

    Speak willfully and powerful on Wednesday to make the world just a little bit better. Leave a truthful but kind comment on someone’s blog. Write a letter to a political figure promoting a positive change you wish to see become reality in the world. Consider mentoring someone in your workplace or community, helping them become better.

    Guard your speech as well. Look for opportunities to reduce the negative things you say and write, and slowly whittle those out of your vocabulary.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Tuesdays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Tuesdays

    Tuesday is all about action. Correct action, in the traditional sense, means doing things with purpose. Clear your mind if your schedule permits, and grab your media library. Indulge in a short movie clip, song, or personal saying that emphasizes decisive action and reaching out to help someone in need, perhaps your favorite action hero saving the day.

    On Tuesday, look for things in your life you can take immediate, effective action on that will improve the quality of your life and help those around you. Is there a chore around the house you’ve been putting off? Get it done! Do you have a task that’s just been idling in your mental queue? Accomplish it! Eliminate the hesitation that holds you back from accomplishment by getting in the habit of doing.

    Take willful action on Tuesday to make the world just a little bit better. This is easier than it sounds. Look for a piece of litter and trash it. Find a bottle to recycle. Take a single can of a non-perishable food and leave it at a shelter or food back on your way home from work. Even a little, simple action like this, done consistently, can make the world a better place and help you sleep a little better at night.

    Look at your life and look for opportunities to reduce pointless idleness. Is there a habit you have that consumes time without benefit? Aim to eliminate it!

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Mondays

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences : Mondays

    Monday is the traditional start of the work week. It’s a great day to reboot, a great day to start fresh. If your schedule permits it, start off each Monday with a brief meditation session. Bear in mind meditation doesn’t need to be sitting on a mountaintop, chanting. A meditation session can be anything that wholly focuses your mind. Pick a favorite song, sit up straight, close your eyes, and sing along. (obviously, a positive, inspiring song is the best choice for this)

    Once you’ve cleared and focused your mind, take a few actions to reboot. If there’s a short movie clip, song, or personal saying you associate most with a fresh start, make sure you indulge in it. You’re taking a fresh start to the week, free of everything that happened the previous week.

    Turn off all your messaging systems – phones, instant messenger, services like Twitter, etc. Head into your inbox. Archive ruthlessly anything that’s left over from the previous week that doesn’t require immediate action. Use a system like Merlin Mann’s Inbox Zero first thing in the morning to prioritize and systematize communications you’ve received. Fire up your calendar, book any appointments and meetings you need to book for the week ahead and set your reminders.

    Take your fresh start point of view to all the work you face that day. If you’ve got a problem you need to solve, consider starting anew, or at least starting over the part that’s troubling you. Perhaps grab a coworker or friend and collaboratively brainstorm about the problem, as two heads often think better than one.

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  • Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences

    Five Step Method of Protecting Yourself From Negative Influences

    There’s a lot of chaos and negativity in the world; a quick glance at the evening news is practically enough to send anyone to the psychiatrist. Negative energy, negative thinking, can sap you of your energy and torpedo your motivation. There is, however, a proven five step method for reducing the influence of negative energy on you. Note that it won’t necessarily change the sources of negativity, but the method will reduce its impact on you, its ability to take your focus off the things that matter most. In this series, we’ll explore the method and how you can make it work for you.

    The method is derived from the teachings of Stephen K. Hayes, a master instructor of ninjutsu and founder of the To-Shin Do system of self-protection. For more information, be sure to visit his site.

    To use this method, try to focus on one part for each day of the week for a little while – use Step 1 on Mondays, Step 2 on Tuesdays, etc. until being able to perform each step is second nature. Once you can do each step successfully, begin to integrate all 5 steps every day.

    Day 1 will begin on Monday!

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  • The Horseradish of Julien Smith

    “To a worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish.”
    – Yiddish idiom

    Julien Smith writes about the implied violence in rap music and real violence:

    when this implied (though explicit) violence turns to real violence, we all of a sudden switch from being really impressed to being horrified.

    Why?

    This is an important question, because there’s a serious disconnect between media and reality – in both mainstream media and new media. The disconnect is even more powerful in new media because of its intimate nature.

    Why are people impressed with media violence? Media violence feeds on human flaws, human weaknesses. Male egos – and I fully and wholly admit to being an American guy with an American guy ego – have been trained since birth to believe that manliness and masculinity requires physical domination of someone else. That may even be hardwired into us, as evidenced by ten thousand years of nearly constant war. We believe that to be a man has violent implications, and the media, in its perfectly rational quest to sell more stuff (ads, merchandise, etc.) serves up things that reinforce our existing views.

    Think about it for a second. Why do newspapers serve up bad news? Why are so many forms of media infused with sex and violence? Because they sell. They sell, sell, sell, and if you’re the recipient of the money machine, you want it to keep cranking out money for you, even at the expense of the society you live in.

    Here’s the catch. Violence begets violence. Yes, it’s trite, it’s cliche, but it’s also very true. If you surround yourself with violent images and sounds, if you immerse yourself in violence ideas, words, and actions, you will act violently. You program your mind every time you pop the earbuds in, every time you turn on the TV or fire up the browser or boot up iTunes. When you need to solve a problem, your mind draws upon its knowledge like a carpenter opening up a toolbox. If the majority of your mind’s resources are based in violence, it should be no surprise to anyone that you resort to violent solutions to problems. As the expression goes, the world is horseradish to you.

    It’s amusing, in a dark sort of way, that our culture will spend billions of dollars and countless, obsessive hours on what we put in our mouths, but we give no thought to what we put in our minds.

    New media is doubly important in this respect. When you produce a podcast, a blog, or another form of consumable media, you have an intimate relationship with your audience. The earbuds and the iPod-sized screen require focus. I know lots of people who leave the TV on in the background but comparatively few who turn YouTube on in the background. New media asks and receives focus from the people who enjoy it – and because they’re focused on it, their minds are automatically more receptive to what they’re listening to, reading, or watching than traditional media. This means that new media producers have that much more influence over their audiences and that much more influence in the audience’s lives.

    If you produce new media, think carefully about what you produce. When you turn on the mic or uncap the lens, how are you going to change lives?

  • Awaken YOUR Superhero Powers : Power 10 of 10 – Realization

    Awaken YOUR Superhero Powers : Power 10 of 10 – Realization

    Chi
    Jnana Paramita
    Realization

    As part of my every thought, word, and action, I am inspired by the heroic ideal of spiritual intelligence. I pursue highest knowledge!

    The last aspect of the superhero is perhaps the most important, because it makes all the other powers make sense. The power of realization is the power of leaving behind everything that isn’t true, everything that clouds your vision and makes you doubt yourself, your powers, and your ability to make positive change in the world. The power of realization is the garden hose that washes the mud off the windows and lets us see things clearly.

    I reflect often on the motto given to Superman’s ultimate quest – a never ending battle for truth and justice. (the American way came later) If all the other powers describe things you’ll need on your heroic quest, the power of realization reveals to you where you’re going – or where you need to go, as well as what holds you back or threatens to steer you off course.

    Imagine what a reality of all truth, nothing false would be like. Your GPS would get you to your destination every time. The news would be timely, relevant, and completely accurate. Your thoughts, words, and actions would be in complete sync with reality – and how effortless life would be.

    Commit today and every day towards taking steps to achieve a life of all truth, nothing false, beyond the pull of distraction and confusion, knowing exactly where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. Bring all your powers, skills, and friends to your aid as your heroic quest begins.

    Thought: Where are you going? Where do you know, deep down inside your heart, that you need to go? Are they different?

    Word: Examine what you’ve said about your life. How can you use more accurate, more clear words to describe where you need to go?

    Action: Assemble your ten powers of a superhero and put them ALL into action today.

    Endnote: The powers themselves are translated by Senior Master Instructor Stephen K. Hayes from the Enlightened Warrior Gyoja Practitioner Recitation Handbook, published by the Kinryuzan Golden Dragon Mountain Kasumi-An Dojo.

  • Awaken YOUR Superhero Powers : Power 9 of 10 – Power

    Awaken YOUR Superhero Powers : Power 9 of 10 – Power

    Riki
    Bala Paramita
    Power

    As part of my every thought, word, and action, I am inspired by the heroic ideal of spiritual power. I allow nothing to stop me!

    If effort is the engine of your superhero work, and vow is your intent to get where you’re going, power is the gas. Power is the yellow sun orbiting the earth that gives Superman his abilities, the radioactive spider, the genetic mutations or the adamantium claws. Power is what puts electricity in the computer.

    How does a superhero of the modern era build power? Power starts with passion – a passion, a burning desire to accomplish, to investigate, to explore, to improve. No matter what your choice of focus in life, power is what motivates you and keeps you going long after the hobbyist or dabbler quits, long after even the veterans would give up. Passion leads to power, and one of the superhero’s greatest secrets is to find fellow members of the league of superheroes who are equally passionate about their powers. Like may attract like, but like definitely powers like. Even on a mundane level, we understand this – working out at the gym is easier with a buddy than alone.

    Commit today and every day to building your personal power, your spiritual power in your thoughts, words, and actions.

    Thought: Pause for a moment. Put aside your to-do lists, your must-not-forgets, and your obligations for just a few seconds, and remind yourself of your passion. Reinvigorate yourself by reminding yourself why you do what you do out of love and excitement.

    Word: Take a moment today and every day to talk to someone about your passions, about your discoveries and theirs, and share in the excitement of being fellow explorers on the path.

    Action: Take a hard look at your schedule and clear a block of time every day, even if for only 15 minutes, when you can indulge your passions. Mark that time as busy, out of the office, non-negotiable, turn off all forms of communications, lock the door, and dive into what your heart demands of you.

    Endnote: The powers themselves are translated by Senior Master Instructor Stephen K. Hayes from the Enlightened Warrior Gyoja Practitioner Recitation Handbook, published by the Kinryuzan Golden Dragon Mountain Kasumi-An Dojo.

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