Welcome! Be happy. You have reached The Real Janna Weiss.
Wisdom Heart promotes healthy minds based on science, secular ethics, generosity, kindness, compassion and universal responsibility so that we may all contribute to and help create a kind, peaceful, ethical and compassionate world together.
May all beings be happy.
Three main forms of ethics are distinguished: deontological, consequentialist (which includes utilitarianism), and ethics based on virtue. According to the form of ethics called deontological, which is related to the notion of duty or obligation, certain acts should not be committed under any circumstances, no matter what the consequences might be. Immanuel Kant is the most eminent advocate of this “categorical imperative,” which sometimes can have unacceptable implications. For example, Kant affirmed that we should never lie, even to a criminal who is asking us where his intended victim has fled to. By lying, according to Kant, we strike a blow against one of the foundations of society, the belief in the given word, especially within the framework of contracts. Thus by lying, in Kant’s view, we commit an injustice against humanity as a whole. Another vision of ethics consists in deciding whether an act is justified by considering its consequences. Main proponents of this utilitarian point of view are John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. More human than Kant’s outlook because closer to reality as we experience it, utilitarianism can nevertheless lead to excesses and deviations. It aims to bring about “the well-being of the greatest number” by aggregating the well-being of individuals, and thus as eminent Greek thinkers of old pointed out, can bring us to conclusions such as that it would be good to enslave a hundred people in order to make a thousand free citizens happier. We see what extremes this attitude can take us to, if it is not tempered by other factors such as justice, wisdom, and compassion. The ethics of virtue is the ethics proposed by Buddhism and some ancient Greek thinkers. It is based on a way of being that, confronted by different situations, spontaneously expresses itself either through altruistic or egoistic acts. As the neuroscientist and philosopher Francisco Varela wrote, a truly virtuous person “does not act out of ethics, but embodies it like any expert embodies his knowledge; the wise man is ethical, or more explicitly, his actions arise from inclinations that his disposition produces in response to specific situations. A purely abstract ethics that is not based on a manner of being and does not take into account the specific aspects of circumstances is of no use. In real life, we always work within a particular context that requires an appropriate reaction. According to Varela, “the quality of our availability will depend on the quality of our being and not on the correctness of our abstract moral principles.” We may remark along with the Canadian Charles Taylor that a good part of contemporary moral philosophy “has tended to focus on what it is right to do rather than on what it is good to be, on defining the content of obligation rather than the nature of the good life . . . . “ Ethics must be concrete, embodied, and integrated into experience as we live it. It must reflect the unique character of each being and each situation. In our time, the movement toward concern and care for others that has recently been on the rise, especially in the English-speaking world, provides us with an example of the ethics of virtue. According to Buddhism, ethics is part of the general project of seeking to relieve all forms of suffering. This process requires us to renounce whatever kinds of egoistic satisfaction that come at the expense of the suffering of others and to make every effort to bring about the happiness of others. To fulfill its ethical contract, altruism must, from this point of view, free itself from blindness and illuminate itself with a wisdom that is free from malevolence; it must enrich itself with altruistic love and compassion. Here, Buddhism agrees with Plato, who said, “The happiest man, then, is one who does not have evil in his soul.” ~
Educating the heart, also called Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), or even better: Social Emotional Ethical Learning (SEE Learning), is "in." Everyone, without exception, wants to be happy. No one wants suffering. That's a universal truth. What does it take to be happy? What are the causes of suffering we need to abandon? What are the causes of happiness we can adopt?
Happiness is a mental state, hence any solution to the conundrum of happiness will be internal, related to the mind, rather than external - "more stuff." "More stuff" doesn't lead to lasting happiness. Acquiring more stuff is like drinking salt water. The more you drink, the thirstier you get. The more stuff you acquire, the more you feel you lack. There's always more and more and more you can get. One ends up chronically dissatisfied. What's the solution?
Getting off the hamster wheel...
There are three essential conditions or necessary elements for cultivating lasting happiness, a profound sense of well-being, of inner contentment, of inner peace: single-pointed concentration, compassion and wisdom.
COMPASSION is a strong wish that all beings be free of suffering, a deep and sincere concern for others' well-being. The foundation for developing compassion is the practice of universal ethics. In this context, 'universal' means: applied to all without exception, a non-biased ethics. We abandon harming others and gradually adopt a loving and compassionate altruistic outlook, extending our concern beyond the familiar, those who are near to us, to include neutral people, strangers, people we have difficulty with, even our so-called "enemies." Love is the strong wish that all beings be happy, and is a prerequisite and counterpart to compassion, the strong wish that all beings be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
WISDOM is the profound understanding of selflessness, of the emptiness of inherent existence of self. In Thich Nhat Hanhs's words: interbeing. We exist interdependently and co-evolve. We ourselves and all compounded phenomena exist in this interdependent, impermanent, continual changing, selfless way.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou
hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
~ Matthew 7:3-5 King James Version (KJV)
The more our view of reality is in accord with reality, the less anxiety and the more happiness and well-being we experience. It is said that the ordinary mind perceives: suffering as happiness, impermanence as permanence, and selflessness as self. The wisdom mind perceives: suffering as suffering, impermanence as impermanence, and selflessness as selflessness. Wisdom mind has no confusion, no mistake, no exaggeration of positive or negative projection tacked onto the perceived object - the perception of reality accords with reality. Our mistaken perception of self, of "I," is the "speck in the eye" that gets in the way of clearly perceiving self and others.
In order to properly cultivate and internalize compassion and wisdom at the most subtle levels of mind, we must cultivate single-pointed concentration. Single-pointed concentration prepares the mind to be "serviceable and pliant." We can exercise our "mental muscle" in a way that is analogous to exercising our physical muscles. By continually bringing our wandering attention back to a consistent object of concentration - the breath, the body, the mind, or a mental image - we can train and tame our wild and unruly monkey mind, our wild horse mind, our wild elephant mind.
ETHICAL MINDFULNESS, mind training, taming the mind, is essential for happiness. Our mind colors every moment of our experience. In order to have a stable unwavering mind that perceives reality compassionately, yet without exaggeration, we must train our minds.
Excerpt by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on inner peace as our top priority.
His Holiness ranks 1. inner peace, 2. health, 3. friendship, 4. money, in that order.
Imagine All the People: A Conversation with the Dalai Lama on Money, Politics, and Life as It Could Be His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Fabien Ouaki Boston: Wisdom Publications, pp. 5-6. 1999.
Dalai Lama: Let me say this: money is good. It is important. Without money, daily survival - not to mention further development - is impossible. So we are not even questioning its importance. At the same time, it is wrong to consider money a god or a substance endowed with some power of its own. To think that money is everything, and that just by having lots of it all our problems will be solved is a serious mistake.
In the Buddhist approach, worldly happiness is based on what we call the four excellences: the Dharma, wealth, nirvana, and satisfaction. Nirvana, or freedom from suffering, is the ultimate goal. The satisfaction achieved from a successful temporal life is just a transient goal. The teachings are the means to achieve ultimate inner freedom, whereas money and wealth facilitate worldly happiness, temporary satisfaction. One strives to achieve that which is positive for all beings. To do so, one must attend to both ultimate and temporary goals. Well-being and money belong to the latter category. In fact, Buddhist texts mention the fruition of eight qualities, including wealth, health, and fame that define a 'fortunate" human existence.
To enjoy even temporary happiness, however, one must first have peace of mind. Next comes health, then good companions, and then money, in that order, though of course all four aspects are connected. For example, when we had to escape from Tibet, our first priority was to save our lives. Being penniless was secondary. If one is alive, it is always possible to make friends and earn money. Peace of mind must come first. Peace of mind generally attracts prosperity. Certainly someone who has a peaceful mind will use his or her money judiciously.
The mind is key. If anything should be considered a god, so to speak, it is the mind, not money. A healthy, positive mind is the utmost priority. But if we were to reverse the order of these priorities, what would happen? I find it hard to imagine how a person with great wealth, bad health, no friends, and no peace of mind could feel even slightly happy.
Fabien: But many people live that way.
Dalai Lama: Yes, especially rich people like you! And then alcohol becomes their best friend, doesn't it? In the end, their fortune is exhausted and their health is spoiled. That is why someone who grasps peace of mind but not the other three elements can still survive and be happy, even in poor health. Inner peace alone can be enough to define happiness. Following the same logic, if you are in peace, healthy and surrounded by trusted friends, surely you can survive without money. But reverse the situation and observe what happens. If someone has only money and not the other three elements, then they have nothing but problems. That is how I see it.
Analytical meditation on the selflessness of self - His Holiness the Dalai Lama
An Experiment in Single-Pointed Concentrative Meditation
Today's Adventure:
What is meditation? Why meditate?
How to meditate on the breath?
What did we learn experience or discover?
1. What is meditation?
Meditation is also called mind training, mindfulness or awareness. Meditation = Ethics (not harming others) + Single-pointed concentration We will learn concentrative single-pointed meditation on the breath.
Why meditate?
Meditation helps develop a calm and peaceful mind. By counting 10 or 20 breaths instead of reacting immediately when we're angry, we can deal better with our anger and the situation.
2. How to meditate on the breath?
Sit comfortably. Listen carefully and please follow my instructions....
5-10 minutes every morning upon waking, and every evening before going to sleep. Sit 1. cross legged, or in a chair, feet on floor, 2. straight back is most important, 3. hands on knees, 4. shoulders relaxed, 5. head straight and slightly bent forward, 6. eyes very slightly open, letting in a sliver of light, 7. tongue touches the upper palate. Bring attention to the tip of your nose, where the air comes in and goes out. Notice if you can feel the cooler air coming in and the warmer air going out. Count ten breaths, then repeat. Gradually bring the attention back to the body to end the meditation.
3. Please share aloud (and/or write down), in one or two words or a short sentence, what you learned, experienced or discovered about meditation?
Nurturing Mindfulness in Families, Schools and Youth - Mark Greenberg 45 min
Janna Weiss' cautionary note: Creativity is only useful if coupled with compassion, with a pure motivation to benefit others. The A bomb was also a creative endeavor.
Start 01:39:15 to 01:43:27 (04:12 min)
WBAI link expired on April 9, 2013
Hugh Hamilton:
And you're on the air. Good afternoon.
Hello. You're on the air. Yes.
Janna Weiss:
Hello, Mr. Hamilton.
It's a pleasure to speak to you.
I appreciate WBAI very much.
Hugh Hamilton:
Thank you.
Janna Weiss:
I'd like to talk to you about the Tibetan issue, which is one of the most critical and important global issues today, which is really absent from the public discourse.
Hugh Hamilton:
Yes...
Janna Weiss:
95* Tibetans have self-immolated within Tibet because they are suffering really brutal oppression for over fifty years with no freedom of religion and really a cultural genocide that is ongoing.
And there are 10,000 Tibetans living in New York, and it would be great to give voice, I think, to the issue.
The issue is a global issue for environmental reasons... for three main reasons. One is the environmental issue. Tibet is considered the Third Pole of the world. The Himalayan snow is the source water for the.. the ice caps of the Himalaya are the snow [source] for drinking water for about 10 major Asian rivers, for 60% of humanity, and they're melting at an extraordinary rate due to inappropriate human activity - mining and damming and so forth.
Hugh Hamilton:
Yes...
Janna Weiss:
They're in the process of displacing and settling 1.4 million nomads who live in harmony with the environment and tend the pasturelands of Tibet. And Tibet is beginning to undergo desertification and 1.4 million nomads will have nothing to do in cement houses.
Hugh Hamilton:
That's the first issue, you said. You said there are three reasons.
Janna Weiss:
There are three. Yeah.
Hugh Hamilton:
Right.
Janna Weiss:
The second one is non-violence, and if we really want to promote peace in the world, then we really need to stand behind the non-violent path, and the non-violent struggle of 6 million Tibetan people who live in the high plateau. And so.. to encourage dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflict, and to send a strong message also to communities where they may be less committed to non-violence as the Tibetans. That's the second issue.
And the third issue is the aspect of health.
Tibetans are world experts on mental health.
In fact, mental illness is rare in Tibet.
And they've been collaborating, the Tibetans, and Tibetan meditation masters, with neuroscientists, for over two decades now, with Mind and Life Institute, and The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education - CCARE at Stanford, and Richard Davidson's research at the University of Wisconsin Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) www.investigatinghealthyminds.org and so forth, and Harvard.
And there's no question that a practice of ethics stands at the foundation of mental health and peace of mind, and the less stress we have, as the result of meditation and the practice of ethics, then also, we have better physical health.
Hugh Hamilton:
I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what.
You've made a very... You've made a very compelling case, and you've articulated very well, and very clearly, several of the reasons why this is such an important issue, the Tibetan issue, and I have taken this on advisement. If you are able to do so and you can, send me a follow-up email, I'd be more than happy to... I'd be more than happy to communicate with you further on this...
Janna Weiss:
Thank you very much. (very softly)
Hugh Hamilton:
...Because it seems to me as well that you might be able to make a contribution to the conceptualization of such a segment based on your knowledge and expertise in the field. So, please do send me an email when you have a moment to do so. Put "Tibet" as your subject, and I look forward to hearing further and to working with you to bring the issue to the air. Okay?
Janna Weiss:
Thank you so very much.
Hugh Hamilton:
You are very welcome. Thank you very much indeed.
~ ~ ~
Follow-up email to Mr. Hugh Hamilton ~ embedded videos
From: Janna Weiss
Date: Fri, Jan 11, 2013
Subject: Tibet - Talkback follow-up
To: Hugh Hamilton
Dear Mr. Hamilton,
Thank you for the opportunity to share about Tibet yesterday on Talkback and for your kind response.
As I mentioned, Tibet is a major global issue. I believe that
resolution of the Tibetan issue is key to resolving global corruption,
from which we all suffer.
At least 95 Tibetans inside Tibet have self-immolated for the return of
the Dalai Lama, for freedom for the Tibetan people and for world peace.
6
million Tibetans reside on the Himalayan high plateau and have been
enduring a systematic cultural genocide for over 60 years.
About 1,200,000 Tibetans have been killed and over 6000 monasteries destroyed since the communist invasion began in 1950.
Environment
Tibet is a #1 environmental issue. Tibet
is considered the global Third Pole. Its glaciers are sourcewaters for
10 major Asian rivers, providing water to about 4 billion people, 60% of
humanity. The Tibetan glaciers are melting due to mining, military
activity, damming for hydroelectric power, deforestation, mass
decimation of wild herd animals, resettlement of 1.4 million nomadic yak
herders that graze Tibet's immense grasslands. Tibet is also
experiencing desertification.
Non-violence
Tibetans
are Tibetan Buddhists and are committed to non-violence. The
democratically elected Tibetan government in exile supports the Dalai
Lama's Middle Way approach to peaceful resolution of the longstanding
conflict with China through dialogue. Support for the Tibetan
non-violent struggle will send a strong message of support for
non-violent conflict resolution to communities around the world who may
be less committed to non-violence than the Tibetans.
Health
The Tibetans are experts on mental health who
mass produced enlightened teachers in a vast network of monasteries for
1300 years, since Buddhism came to Tibet.
The Habits of Happiness - Ven. Matthieu Ricard
Mental illness is rare in
Tibet. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan meditation adepts
have been collaborating with neuroscientists for close to three decades.
Neuroscientific findings conclusively show that Tibetan meditation
techniques lead to objective measures of happiness, for example, as
determined by strong activity in the left pre-frontal cortex. Ven.
Matthieu Ricard, once a molecular biologist and today a Tibetan Buddhist
monk, has been dubbed 'the happiest man in the world' and his happiness
measure is 4.5 standard deviations outside the bell curve of a control
group of 150 non-meditators, for left/right pre-frontal cortical
activity (right = unhappy, destructive emotions). Graph from The Habits
of Happiness by Matthieu Ricard http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbLEf4HR74E attached.
The two essentials of meditation are single pointed concentration and
ethics (concentrative and analytical meditation, respectively).
Better
mental health, greater peace of mind, a calm mind, less stress,
contribute to better physical health. The Dalai Lama prioritizes: peace
of mind, health, friends, money, in that order.
*As of today, more than 107 Tibetans have self-immolated for freedom. Please see what you can do:http://www.SolidaritywithTibet.org/outreach Updated December 1, 2013 - More than 123 Tibetans have self-immolated for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for the Tibetan people. Please see what you can do for Tibet: http://www.SolidaritywithTibet.org/outreach
