h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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Social ergonomics

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NEXUM.htm
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The new school
The Map and the Territory:Sport psychology as practiced by some focus the mind into spirit and makes connections with more than ordinary capacities. Since individual with greater capacities, confidence, control, calmness in the zone - win - people pay attention. It is a relationship with higher, greater, deeper, meaning - it is not a doctrine but a practice.
The territory is an experience, it is a known reality and relationship - people take the map for the reality - the doctrine for the practice - the guide as the experience - Wisdom and Religion is not the map but the territory - not a degree or doctrine but the good, the true and beautiful as we become different from what we think we are A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.Socrates (469–399 B.C.), Greek philosopher. Quoted in: Plato, Phaedo sct. 68c–69d.Socrates did not leave a written record of his teaching because he found that ideas and process were turned into dogma and doctrine. Great ideas are a process of intellectual and spiritual growth not a set of laws or recipes. It is a quality of being and understanding not just lesson plans and information transfer. Wisdom is a personal and collective connection between universals, understandings about the intrinsic or indispensable properties of things that serve to characterize the most important ingredients; the crucial elements in each time and place. Individuals and each society needs to develop its own relationship with the inherent, unchanging nature of a thing or class of things. Without knowledge we wander around without an anchor. A society needs wisdom to guide the growth of a good society and true values. So while the understands are relative the good, the true, and the beautiful are absolute.
The important point is that there are universals out there but we only can know them darkly as through a mirror - and our understanding is influenced by time and place. So while the universals remain unchanged the knowledge of them is relative. For example in science - the nature of the universe remains what it is. We as a species have improved our knowledge of the natural world. So while our knowledge and understanding changes the truth remains the same. Scientific wisdom is a method of sorting out impressions, observations, and ideas with training and discussion so we can pick the best from the rest.
The collection of good ideas becomes the base for further analysis and exploration.
The scientific method is an ongoing relationship between a social process and external universals. We have a need to understand because it reduces uncertainty and increases power. When there is no rational explanation we turn to magic which produces a sense of false control but emotional benefits. Storms and death bring out prayers.
The Spirit is a ongoing relationship that exists with a incorporeal entity and can not be put into a bottle or into a doctrine. Plato took the teaching and used dialogs in an effort to maintain the open nature of intellectual and spiritual growth. He started a school where a person strives, by the help of dialectic, to start in pursuit of every reality by a simple process of reason, independent of all sensuous information—never flinching, until by an act of the pure intelligence he has grasped the real nature of good—he arrives at the very end of the intellectual world. Platonic educational and spiritual process spread within the Hellenic world and by Alexander’s empire. Mixed with other ancient beliefs Christians became the dominate middle eastern cult that spread to the Western World.
The Sufi tradition has many Platonic elements mixed with oriental practices. In Christian doctrine Individual responsibility for analysis, difficult learning, thoughtful contemplation, rigorous education was replaced by the miracle of faith alone. Jesus believed it was too hard, too much to expect
What could an relevant on-line school be like.
Color is better than black and white.
Three dimensions is better than two.
Round is better than flat.
Fast is more successful than slow.

Civilization progresses with greater literacy, greater attention to the laws of man and nature, and greater freedom of participation.
Current instruction is gray and flat - it needs to be colorful and round. Instruction is slow, knowledge is cut into fragments and reassembled, creative participation is discouraged at all levels.
The iron law of bureaucracy operates freely in almost all schools.

Students in rows reviewing text books under the control of an instructor is clearly colorless and flat. Every once in awhile there is a little burst of color or a dark pit but the surface is mostly two dimensional and the colors are black and white.

There are several clear themes as we move from two dimensions to many:

1. ) Knowledge is not only transferred but invented a lot of learning takes place in the process of invention
2.)
The organizing themes are tasks not subjects , Knowledge is organized around functions not disciplines
3.) there is creative interaction between teachers and learners and less distinctions between actors and classes.

The word is
convergence - Technology, communications, human organization, marketing, finance, and further explorations of the future rushing in upon us.
BROADBAND IS HERE

chello broadband n.v. (chello), www.chello.com, Europe's first and leading broadband internet service provider and an operating company of United Pan-Europe Communications (UPC), chello broadband allows cable customers throughout Europe to benefit from the m@ximum internet experience; always on, super-fast broadband internet service for a flat fee each month running across AORTA, Europe's first and largest broadband IP network and the largest European distributed caching service. Near CD quality sound, pin sharp pictures and a full range of global, national and local content partners are offered -- all in the language of the country in which the service is offered.
http://www.inside-cable.co.uk/n98q4apg.htm

The NEXUM project:
nexum.htm

The design of the general communications and computing device.

Design teams of teachers ( from around the world ) and students from anywhere working on the interface of communications technology, processing capacity, storage and data transfer compression, marketing, finance, human machine interface ( ergonomics
ergonomics.htm ) because the specialist now has to consider bandwidth, chip capacities, applications, service systems, distribution systems, content and market demand factors all in one organized package.

Management, information technology, marketing, human resources and production need to work together. Traditional products such as automobiles and space rockets and atomic ships has advanced some in design integration but computers still have a way to go - the

NEXUM must leap frog current compartment thinking into new dimensions of systems analysis.

How is systems analysis different

from what has been used in the last 40 years. It is more colorful and has more dimensions.

It becomes much more complex where there are many clients, with many applications, using different languages and protocols. A great server should ask and how do we establish an interface, what language do you use, what program do you want, what operating system does it use, and can I remember all this the next time we make contact ?

Amazon.com has shown the way within one set of protocols of how to be client centric. Every store both e and non-e, should be able to track several open ended data bases - inventory, catalog, store, client, sales person, so as to show what exists and who is buying it. Wal-mart and Builders Square, Office supply and Sears should have a the catalog and inventory on line at the cash registrar and on-line for the buyers with items, pictures, prices as well as complete lists of any clients or sales person’s recorded sales. It world make it a lot easier for contractors or anyone buying many different items.

A friendly server would connect such data bases to user applications such as financial records and market research. Can any client using different tools access open records for different purposes, in different languages ? Can suppliers or comparative shoppers or programs that search for best buys ? How would the Nexum, a simple communications device, use server software to find the best buy ? Who do you compare features ? Models, grades, standards, ? All kinds of applications not invented need to glide easily into existing systems.

The invention of credit, degrees, payment systems is easy
Color is better than black and white. Three dimensions is better than two. Round in better than flat. Current instruction is gray and flat - it needs to be colorful and round. Students in rows reviewing text books under the control of an instructor is clearly colorless and flat. Every once in awhile there is a little burst of color or a dark pit but the surface is mostly two dimensional and the colors are black and white.
In short why Global Warming issues will become central in the election - the spirit moves in mysterious ways.
We have bodies, ( Blue ) which include a mind ( Yellow ). Being aware and thinking we have ideas about who we are ( brown ) and feeling about how others treat us ( red ). We think and feel as we learn about our physical ( brown ) and social environment - reacting with passions of the body-mind ( thoughts, chemistry and electrical energy fields which define or mood ) ( Red ) - We are aware of something outside ourselves that causes thoughts on the inside. Feeling, passions within us ( white) as love and hate ( black ). We dream of things that never were ( Green ) and imagine a golden place.


The history of human development and civilization and organizations of all kinds from the church, state and business follow patters in these primary colors.
The physical body come first ( blue ) when people find they can be better off within a group, they need society for survival or want to gain power, wealth, position, control, comfort, and use their minds to ( yellow ) get organized. This is the habits of the mind vs. body, feeling vs. reason - the church and state, the divine and secular. But it is only the beginning.

When groups are organized the iron law of bureaucracy takes over.
"Robert Michels"
The Iron Law of Oligarchy
Michels believed that the people in this group would become enthralled with their elite positions and more and more inclined to make decisions that protect their power rather than represent the will of the group they are supposed to serve.
http://www.au.spunk.anarki.net/texts/places/germany/sp000711.txt
"Michels (1911) came to the conclusion that the formal organization of bureaucracies inevitably leads to oligarchy, under which organizations originally idealistic and democratic eventually come to be dominated by a small, self-serving group of people who achieved positions of power and responsibility. This can occur in large organizations because it becomes physically impossible for everyone to get together every time a decision has to be made. Consequently, a small group is given the responsibility of making decisions.
Those in command do not share - there is a failure of synergy. Those that do but are not rewarded get angry ( red ).
The early church was a synergy group but became a bureaucracy with conflicts between the clergy, the state and the people. When people get mad enough they became Protestants. When citizens became angry enough at the divine rights of kings they formed parliaments.
They claimed the victory of mind OVER body. But that doesn't work.


The church or state or company then claimed a greater good based on interests. That sort of works.
Then they appealed to the mystery ( green ) and called on the spirits ( white ).
They promised the golden kingdom in the sky.
They turned love into hate and hate into love.
They discovered the art of commercials and the skills of marketing.

Now we are drifting between synergy ( shared rewards ) and the iron law of bureaucracy.

Why has the National Education and Teachers Unions fail to promote education and teaching ? Why does the congress fail to reflect the simple needs of the majority of the people. Why does talk, media and art disconnect from passion, truth or reason ? Why does it all seem so false and thin - a ghost in a machine. Where is the spirit that connects people, institutions, fostering enlightenment and responsibility ? Has religion captured or confused our souls but failed to organize our being ? Has civic culture become a captive of marketing ?

In short why Global Warming issues will become central in the election - the spirit moves in mysterious ways.
NETWORK the seven step, color coded, way to knowledge in the electronic age PAGE
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GURDJEF.TXT

5 Brief View BOOK - Record 5 of 6 Entries FoundUniversity of Florida Screen 1 of 1 AUTHR: Ichazo, Oscar, 1931- TITLE : Psychocalisthenics PUBLISHED : New York : Simon and Schuster, c



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BLUE Welcome Prepare your self, sit down, get yourself ready for the class, church, life, business, change, learning and doing
Blue is the first step, showing up and willing to listen and learn.
YELLOW Now pay attention to the lesson

the lesson is the content but people need more that just information.


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RE: It's a matter of choice:

The Grand Illusion

The only point is to live with a constructive happy illusions and avoid destructive unhappy ones. Beyond our common illusions is a magnificent illusion. We are not the center of the Universe.
The sun does not stand still. We are a part of the animal kingdom, descended from the apes. We act on all kinds of impulses below our awareness, we confuse dreams, stories, and wishes with external reality. Our societies are often determined by social class, ruled by special interests, oppressive and unfair. Even the most hard nosed science has the illusion of power and understanding of profound mysteries, and the false belief in control and progress.
There are great and wonderful benefits of all the illusions, of freedom, of justice, or "truth", and what good comes from shattering these dreams ? If one can choice ones illusion, or be retrained or programmed into beliefs, should they not be happy ones. Can I not prefer to avoid and ignore unhappy "truth" ? Where does mercy and the law error on the side of the angels.
A.H. Maslow in "
The Farther Reaches of Human Nature" article "Synergy in the Society and Individual" An Esalen, Penguin Books 1976 ISBN 0 14 00.4265 2 Chapter 14, Page 191
Ruth Benedict (Patterns of Culture; Race, Science and Politics) an essay on holism, invented and developed the idea of synergy at lectures at Bryn Mawr College in 1941. Maslow had the only copy which was to be published with the assistance of Margaret Mead in 1970.
Benedict tried to overcome the idea of cultural equality ( not everything is equal or right ) and the doctrine of cultural relativity, what ever works for you is OK by me. Societies she said have a flavor, character and are not all equally functional. Some societies are "anxious", surly, nasty, aggressive, and hateful, this come from insecurity and causes low morale. ( such as the Chuckchee, the Ojibwa,
The Dobu, and the Kwakiutl) Other societies were "nice" people, affectionate, kind, secure and with high morale. ( Zuni, Arapesh,
The L(d)eKota, Eskimo ).

The critical element in the concept of synergy is aggression vs. cooperation. Synergy is where individual benefit and groups welfare are in sink. Farming, fishing, hunting can product mutual benefits of cooperation. Selfish self-interest (winner/losers) vs. unselfish, altruism (win/win).
Siphoning vs. funneling of wealth, use vs. ownership, Comforting vs. Frightening Religion, high energy or low energy institutions, are characteristics of synergy, where are we ? We have had a out break of win/lose - me and mine - the hell with the hind most, winner take all, activity. This discourages the losers, causes aggression, and is socially dysfunctional. A few institutions maintain high energy but the society is winding down. Synergy is spirit and systems for successful cooperation, institutional means of using aggression (learning for conflict), and rewards for all from social success (tide lifts all boats).
RE: Personal responsibility: (and character)
In the Brothers Karamazov, Dostoevski describes a scene where the Grand Inquisitor interviews Christ who has returned to Earth in the 16th Century. He tell Jesus that ordinary people just aren't up to the challenge of making up their own minds and finding their own way to salvation.

Therefore, the Church takes it upon itself, at the sure loss of their own souls - to giving them only part of the way.
The Inquisitor knows he can't save souls by formulas and ritual. But this is all people understand and it would be cruel and dangerous to take illusions away from them. Jesus is just going to have to die again - maybe it can be different next time.
All Ideologies say the same thing - we know better - do this or that and all will be well. People like that. Freedom is not much fun it carries responsibilities.
No one can impose freedom on another.
Their is no solution from above - right - left - center -
The freedom is a state of mind. I think, at the moment, it takes magic.
The other text is Wallace the Death and Rebirth of the Seneca.
When the current power structure doesn't work there are ghost cults and belief in magic.
The way of the Sufi - is to be in the world but not of it - people need - leadership - hope - guidance - but also freedom to be stupid and wrong.
The "fakir" can be different things to different people and appear to be what is not - and at the same time not have any doubts about what is real and what is "illusion".
The magician know its a trick and doesn't belief in magic. This is the way to power - but it's not easy.
Martin Luther King says in the I have a Dream speech - One day my little children will be judged - not by the color of their skin but the contents of their character. For those that want rights (back, gay, women, fat, etc) I say that day has come. I do not judge you by the color of your skin, who you sleep with, your sex or gender but the contents of your charter.
The Rodney King (no relative) rule "Can't we just get along."
The planet and our souls need attention.
The moral and political system needs leaders - let's focus on the prize, folks.
The current word is "Sustainable";

The only point is constructive happy illusions and destructive unhappy ones, beyond our illusions is a greater illusion. - In general system terms biological systems tend to exponential growth only restricted by negative feedback - (Like in Central Africa). Balance is a dynamic process of each genetic organism pushing its limits and being pushed back by environmental factors and competition. Human evolution through social technology has temporarily pushed the limits on a planetary scale.
The Club of Rome report in the 1960's may not be wrong only a little off in timing. (Limits to Growth = sudden collapse of whole systems )

There are no moral problems, or political problems, or economic problems, scientific or technical problems but real problems - which come with all these considerations. For academic and technical reasons, we have divided reality up into departments. (one problem is that the liberal arts have been pushed out by specialist)
The blind are feeling the elephant - with CAT scanners, satellites, remote probes, macro and micro models - but they do not understand the nature of elephants?
Edward O. Wilson - Socio-biology argues that there are genetic programmed groves - like language. One major grove in the troop or clan or human group.
The natural size of this group us under 80 members. Groups over a certain size become impersonal.
The solution to almost everything is decentralization. A Global economy and ecology but people making decision in small groups, in neighborhoods, in regional organizations, as small as possible. This was called community action and self help projects.
Intervention - receivership - mandate - what ever you call is an answer when all else fails. We do not live in and Island home - but are part of all humanity - a community of nations. Global problems will not go away and can not solve themselves.
The General Assemble has been very shy of intervention - there are a number of members in bad shape themselves - but without the cold war a East-West agreement is hard to stop. Russia wants UN cover for intervention in areas of the USS-was that are in chaos. We want UN cover in Haiti, and international caretakers after we take over. Such a caretaking operation needs to be in place for years -
Their are no easy and quick answers in a country without independent institutions - infrastructure - tradition of law and civil administration - poor - illiterate and independent.

The ecological - environment conditions in Haiti and parts of Central Africa - can be the cause -
The reason for intervention is not just political, or refugees, or humanitarian but to stem a ecological disaster.

There are good people working today in Rwanda and Haiti - they are doing what they can - what more could be expected of them. What more do we expect of ourselves? I have suggested there are first principles and they can be applied to work toward improvements in real situations (there are no answers or solutions only some actions that do more good than harm). I would like to work on this is a non-directive group of about a dozen.
RE: Books and materials a REVIEW:
Covey, S.R. "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" Record (1991), Covey Leadership Center PO BOX 19008, Provo, UT, 84605-9925 1-800-655-6839 Audio Tapes and video tape materials
Wallace, Anthony F.C "
The Death and Rebirth of the Seneca," New York Vintage Books 1972
Bennett, William John "
The De-valuing of America New York Summit Books 1992
Deming, W. E. (1986). Out of the Crisis. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Handy, Charles
The Age of Unreason - Harvard Business school Press 1989
Maslow, National Training Center Higher Reaches of Human Behavior and Motivation B-values
Fiske, Edward B. Smart Schools, Smart Kids, Why Do Some Schools Work (Simon & Schuster, New York 1991)
Frankl, Victor "Man's Search for Meaning"
Reich, Robert B.
The Work of Nations: preparing ourselves for the 21 st Century capitalism (New York, A.A. Knopf 1991)
The Next American Frontier(New York, Times Books, 1983)
Senge, P.M.
The Fifth Discipline:
The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization (New York, Doubleday 1990)
Sergiovanni, T.J. Moral Leadership, Getting to the Heart of School Improvement (San Francisco Jossey-Bass 1992) and Moore, J.H. Schooling for Tomorrow (Boston: Allyn & Bacon) 1989
- Facts follow vision -
Logos, pathos, ethos - the bringing together of brain knowledge (ideas in the head - many of which are illusions ) body knowledge ( feeling safe and secure enough to explore new worlds) being in touch - and spirit - that which motivates us beyond ourselves and give meaning and purpose to all activity.

The global context - Earth values?
How much of our time, our lives is spent on activities of our own determination, doing what we determined to do, actions selected with our own purposes and goals in mind, time and effort spent with a firmness, perseverance, sense of mission, based on our own volition and choice. Not much !
The question is how to expand the area where we govern ourselves, where we have control, where we have a real free choice.
We are controlled by socialization. We filter our world with many screens. We understand only the information, propaganda, greed, desires, passions, needs, loves, hates, fears, false ideas, demands and expectations of others; by their prejudice and limited perceptions, by the limits of our knowledge and skills, by events, the environment, biology, mortgages, car payments, and the boss and society's demands. It's not so easy to gain command of our selves and our lives. We are in a waking dream, sleep walking, unaware of whole ranges of choices and possibilities.
For the 35,000 years of human culture, people knew the forces that controlled their lives and went with the flow.
They knew in their glands and in their entrails that they were part of a larger force field, one element of the life force, a part of a tradition going before and coming after. It would be crazy to think you could force your will on nature and the gods, on the spirits that surround you.
The `spirit man' taps into a flow of the universe, he does not make personal choices. If he uses `the force' for himself it doesn't work and he loses `the power'.

The industrial, political, social, scientific revolution of modern times is based on a false, too thin idea of freedom, choice, power and control.
The more we try to force our petty needs and desires as THE be all and end all of social and ecological existence the less power and less control we have and the system breaks down. Most of our problems, crime, poor schools, un-wed mothers, dysfunctional families, stupid politics, dumb media, decline in the meaning of language, thought and action; all this is do to the breaking of the bands of biology. We have tried over reaching evolution for temporal and false hopes. We all know that.
Power comes from integration, from mobilization of focus, of facing ourselves as we are, from finding true self beyond self, from sounds, from music, from being rock, water, air, sky, stars, plants, reptile, hunter, mixed bag of biology that we are. We all know we get jerked around, get our strings pulled, put up a false front, pretend, avoid, become angry, lose control. For 35,000 years culture has built systems of integration of the human spirit into larger wholes. That is the power of Japan, that is the force field of good schools, communities, and larger spirits. Freedom comes for within the bands but not of the bands. Tribal limitations need to be integrated not ignored. That's not easy but has been done a 1000 times in a 1000 ways.
Go to directory, categories, education, page 5, synergy: Since we will maybe here only a month or so, I would really really like it if you would use the ForumForum. Go in and set up conference, documents, newspaper, mess around. We will only learn by doing. You can find out what this conference program has to offer and we can see how people can use it.

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Copies of the SYNERGY documents/ JOURNAL sent by request: [email protected] SYNERGY-NET on Peter E. Pflaum Ph.D. , Headmaster GLOBAL_VILLAGE_SCHOOLHOUSE 225 Robinson Road, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169-2176 (904) 428-7924 [email protected] http://forum.trevista.com/ or join #synergy on IRC.
Understanding comes from practice of good habits, caring about the result, wanting to do better so we need the next step
RED Think again - there maybe new ideas, challenges, confessions; remorse the act of contrition

if you think you have all the answers, that there is only one right way, are afraid to go out on your own or speak up, nothing interesting is going to happen. We all need a little humble pie, a little perspective on what's important. To get perspective we need the next step:
BROWN It's OK, forgive yourself and others, the act of absolution grounding, centered I'm OK, your OK.


I know who I am, what's important to me, my family, my community and country, my values. I can't be jerked around and will hang in there for what I believe. In order to get a well grounded set of valuesSEE STYLES PAGE we need the next step:
WHITE

The peace that passes all understanding, you have come into the family of believers.
We can't just make up anything that suits us at the moment. We need some universal and long lasting truth, beauty and wisdom. We need to place ourselves in a meaningful relationship with the universe so we mirror reality from out there, inside out, we become a mirror. To make the wine the grapes must be squashed, emptied. To be a mirror, a true reflection requires a smooth surface, ground down. To learn new habits we must empty ourselves of false belief but to do that we need the next step.


BLACK, reunion, union, quiet means over coming the fear of failing, failing, even death itself.

GREEN remember - you have courage, see you have a medal, a testimonial, a degree, honors to remind you to be honorable, because sometimes we forget
CLEAR beyond reminders, rewards, living in a corrupt and petty world without becoming that way - being in the world but not of the world.
What does the Mass of St. Benedict, the book of common prayer, boot camp, the Canterbury tales, Stephen Covey, and the Blue Lodge have in common ?

To the Main Index Page

The Seven steps...
Hermes of Egypt, Mary the Hebrew, Democritus of Greece, Morienus
of Rome, Avicenna (Ibn Sina) of Arabia, Albertus Magnus of Germany, Arnold of Villaneuve of France, Thomas Aquinas of Italy, Raymond Lully of Spain, Roger Bacon of England, Melchoir Cibienis of Hungary, Anonymous Sarmata (Michael Sendivogius ) of Poland. Christians associated with St. Augustine and St. John of the Cross (Palacios) St. John the Baptist - the wool carter and Jesus as a Teacher. (Hallaj)
Dante, Robinson Crusoe, Chaucer, William Tell, Freemasons, Tarot Cards,
Arabist School of Montpellier (Jews from Spain) Medicine - Dr. D. Campbell)
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Lawrence of Arabia) Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali, Bilal, Ibn Riyah, Abu Abdullah, Salman the Persian (Zoroastrians)
The Rose, Rosicrucians, Rosary from the Spanish illuminist (Saracens the Reciter) Jungian archetypal from Ibn El-Arabi (Modern Man in Search of a Soul" C.C. Jung) Robert Graves "
The Crowning Privilege"
"Mankinds' moral sense is not a strong beacon light, radiating outward to illuminate in sharp outline all that it touches. It is, rather, a small candle flame, casting vague and multiple shadows, flickering and sputtering in the strong winds of power and passion, greed and ideology. But brought close to the heart and cupped it one's hands, it dispels the darkness and warms the soul." James Q. Wilson ************************************************************ RE: Humor #1 Scholars I am asked "are you the secret teacher?" "Yes, I am." I say "But you don't know anything about Sufi teaching." they say. "That's right - but that's the secret."
A Sufi camping one night put a bottle under his head for a pillow. His student said "surely that is going to be too hard?" "as an ordinary bottle, Yes," the Sufi said " but I am going to stuff it with straw before I put my head on it."
A computer translation system is set up for the Russian Republic - the message is sent "
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."
The terminal in Moscow quickly types "
The Vodka is ready but the meat is devitalized."
Time fly s like an arrow but
Fruit Flies like Bananas (Chompsky)
Unconsidered Trifles = Neglected Puddings
A famous Professor was demonstrating, before fellow-members of the learned Academy, a remarkable discovery. First he took three flies out of a match box.
Then he commanded them to fly three times around the table.
Then. on his command, they jumped five times. Finally they danced a silent tap dance on the table, their /images magnified through a gigantic apparatus devised for the purpose of making such demonstrations visible to a large audience.

The onlookers were spellbound. "and now," said the scholar, "I will give you the real demonstration. It is the illustration of my discovery." He took the flies and placed drops of honey on their feet, sticking them to the table.
Then he shouted "FLIES JUMP!"
The flies went on licking the stick stuff. "And that ladies and gentlemen," concluded the Professor "demonstrates that flies, when their feet are covered in honey, cannot hear!"
A whole band of Sufis were being admitted to heaven. Each was admitted without any ceremony, the doors simply closed and open for the next. Right at the end came a scholar, with a reverent look and majestic gait, full of confidence. He was the most respected academic of his age. As he step forward the gates swing wide, the trumpets sounded, there was tremendous applause from the assembled multitude.
The shining figure of St. Michael himself came to escort him within. "This is most gratifying", said the scholar, " to know that the learned are recognized for their importance. But why all this ceremony?" "Well", said St. Michael, "it is something of an occasion. You see, this is the first time that we have had an academic among us.."
Idries Shah - Octagon Press ******* WELLNESS SEMINARS Issue No. 1 August 1994 INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES 225 Robinson Road New Smyrna Beach (P.O. Box 2176) FL 32069 (904) 428-7924
DR. PETER E. PFLAUM
Human Potential Training and Education: This is a unique and highly successful program of human development. Participants learn how to integrate their personalities, solves personal problems and develop more powerful interrelations with others. Who should attend? Anyone who wants to live a better life and gain control over their lives will benefit from these programs. Counselors, teachers, supervisors, parents, religious people, couples, students, just interested people.
The Teacher (Guide) is Peter E. Pflaum, Ph.D. who has twenty years of experience and practice with his unique system. Others will enrich the Yoga, and other special methods (Zen).
WELLNESS SEMINAR: THE BODY - Summary: Stage one:
The practice is to work directly on the stoppages - the blocks - then rational thought can begin to solve problems - not before. People didn't talk their way into blocks and can't talk them selves out of their problems.
The words such as; centered, balance, grounded, mean some thing in practice. You do it, not talk about it.
The Way to Vibrant Health by Alex and Leslie Lowen is based on the process of increasing the life force. New energy is released by proper respiration and metabolism.
The new energy is great for lasting weight control.

The mind and body are identical, one is a reflection of the other. How you feel effects how you think and how you think effects how you feel. ( Norman Cousins interesting book on Health - Bill Moyers series on public T.V. Benison on Stress are good examples.) Level One (Steps 1 to 9) Each session contains a warm up, a lesson from a 350-page work book, individual and group exercises.
· 1.) Getting in touch - breath

· 2.) Getting in Touch - metabolism - (great for weigh control)

· 3.) Bioenergetics - (Alexander Lowen) grounding - charging

· 4.) Self-possession and self- expression - being in touch

· 5.)

The Exercises - getting loose - getting the energy flows unblocked.
· 6.)

The expressive Exercises and Gestalt - Feelings (mind - the body)
· 7.) Sexual exercises (optional) massage and setting up a regular schedule.

· 8.) Autogenic - relaxation techniques


9.) Meditation and Imagination *


Alexander Lowen, Bioenergetics - (Harper & Row) a form of Gestalt - Autogenic and other names (Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer by Pelletier, Kenneth) and Wilhelm Reich - Every "Shaman" I know has a simple and direct approach.
Emotions are feeling - feelings are NOT thoughts - they are physical. (Thoughts exist in the brain but I am talking about the fight/flight syndrome, a series of body reaction to emotions, This has been called the Stress syndrome - )
THE MIND - Stage two: IN TOUCH WITH FEELINGS -
INDEPENDENT TO INTERDEPENDENT Out of touch means not only with our feeling but with reality. We are not conscious of how uptight we are, how afraid, how uncertain. As in a popular ad with the kid inside who wants the frosted side, we are out of touch with the "child within ," we fail to communicate with our spouses, our kids, our students, or communities. Our behavior is established in the "dream world" - the sub or un-awareness - most of the forces that controls our lives are out of sight and out of mind.

The "real" world is an illusion created by social norms, language, advertising, political interests, etc.
The real world is in our dreams. For those who don't know, this is hard to believe but when known is obvious. Did you ever have a tightness that you only identified when it let go? You say, I didn't know it was so tight. You get used to being in knots, off balance, out of tune.
Stress and THOUGHT control:
Level two - getting control of your thoughts -
10.) Thought stopping - assertiveness training
11.) More effective - listening - parent - teacher - person
12.) Dealing with Irrational ideas and passions
13.) Coping skills - proactive
14.)
The seven habits of Effective People (Stephen Covey)
15.) Biofeedback - nutrition - advanced exercises (Yoga)
16.) Getting unstuck - independence - freedom from reactions
17.) Yoga (Shalom) Love - cloud - visualizations and breath
18.) No Fatigue, no sore muscles, perfect posture, the sounds
19.) Introduction to Zen and the art of paying attention
Stage Three: BEYOND SELF -
four - DREAMS and UNION Magic is real - real is magic. THE SOUL - Magic is the perception of forces AND REALITIES that we may not be aware of today. Life is full of tricks - things are different from what they appear to be. For example physical matter - the stars - other people often give false impressions -
The President - social conventions - et al. How do I know? I don't. You have to practice - gain body knowledge - and feel what you feel. How do we treat the problems and the world - by practice - by example - by doing - not talking? We will work directly on the emotional base of behavior and the nature of being.
STUDIES ON THE WAY - the path of knowing Level three -
The path to knowledge 20.)
The world of illusions and /images
21.)
The Aesop fables and Sufi tales - the three levels of knowledge. Reading and meditations 22.) Morals, character, independence - beyond self - loves
23.) Total experience - peak experiences Discovering Values: To learn new values you will experiences new feelings or remember feeling you have forgotten.
24.) See twice - Peter Weir's "
The Last Wave" - Rhino-Home
25.) Wallace's "
The Death and Rebirth of the Seneca," (In paper reprint from Random House about $10) read it, twice? This will be our introduction to the dream world.
26.) Steven Halpern - Music Halpern Sounds, Visualization of the perfect self -
27.) Relaxation tape - to take home 28.) Yogi Shalom - Charles Schoelen, a set of tapes.
The first one is on LOVE, then the rock, the cloud and other meditations.
29.) Herrigel, Eugen ZEN (Zen in the Art of Archery).
The Method of ZEN (McGraw-Hill)- and/or OM Creative Meditations - by Alan Watts - (Celestial Arts, MillBrae, CA) Electronic Education Program P.O. Box, Mill Valley, CA 94941 A couple of Sufi books -
THE ANSWER IS MAGIC: Level four: THE DREAM TIME - 30.) Out of touch -
The dream world - reality - illusions When people have profound psychological problems - the general belief is that you need to deal with the emotional basis as the cause. While there are many theories of Psychological practice, we focus on direct experience - by exercises and psychodrama, rather than analysis, talking or running away. To help someone with a stutter you practice the stutter until it is under control.
We are going to learn mind control. Certainty for our Time:

To the Main Index Page
31.) LAWS OF PHYSICS: Imagine the atom; the core of particles held together by great force, the fields of electrons vibrating in their courses.
The electrons can only operate in certain fixed Quantum, they can be in only certain ways in relationship to each other and the nucleus.
These fixed ways allow for chemistry.
The elements can combine with Certainty depending on the fixed nature of physics. God cannot do things against his nature.
The laws of nature are not imposed from outside but re side within the nature of things.
32.) SCIENCE:
The ways the elements combine, the very order of the Cosmos itself defines the possible. Science and technology are doing the possible.
The difference between alchemy and chemistry, astronomy and astrology, is the knowledge of the possible. Knowing, some thing of the ways of nature is knowledge.
33.) IDEOLOGY:
The evil and false pride that people have when they think their ideas are equal to the ways of nature.
The ways of the universes exist in a grain of sand.
The natural processes in a drop of water are infinitely more powerful than any human belief. Science endeavors to put our beliefs in tune with reality.
The electrons change their quanta in fixed patterns.
They do not move through the intermediate space. We cannot go from here to there without passing through the intermediate space. Particles do not conform to our concepts but we try to understand the reality as best we can.
34.) FALSE PRIDE: It is a source of evil and false pride to foolishly believe our ideas of nature are just relative.
The " anything goes approach" and "do you own thing," encourages the belief that anything is possible. We must live with the really possible not in illusions and fancy.
The covenant is the fixed law of nature where possible becomes real. Reality is the wisdom of Gods' creation, his own presence. Human wisdom shrinks before the infinite.
The unity of all things appears in the billions of stars and atoms, the Eternal essence. I am God, you are Gods also is a rather special way. We are perfect in harmony with the universe and nothing, a small spark outside the rules of nature. Is there a contradiction here - our ideas are not reality - so how can we know God?
RE: Arrogant and foolish: I have false pride and am immensely stupid. I believe that my pathetic ideas are a authentic representation of reality. How could my shallow thoughts reflect the order of nature itself. How could my thoughts comprehend the true nature of life, physics, the cosmos, time, and even my own being. To think my ideas are reality, is indeed most arrogant and foolish. It is said that the beginning of wisdom is awareness of ones ignorance. I am worse than rocks, than beasts and savages because I try to impose my foolishness on the world.
I come to believe that what I think is - it is indeed a "grand Illusion" of false power and fake glory. I even believe that - that is all there is - nothing more! I could try to allow my being, mind, body and spirit rest in its own existence. I could come to terms with myself but I am too busy with needs and desires. I could come into some kind of meaningful relationship with creation if... I could feel the proper respect for the other but I am too afraid of letting go of my false faces, defenses, passions, and hidden doubts. Sophist are those who adjust, subconsciously perhaps, their ideas to their interests.
They reflect the popular beliefs and glow in reflected self-admiration.
They think they are smart because of the praise of fools. I am a sophist, and bask in the false light of praise. I think the thoughts that will be rewarded and reject hard truths that will get me into trouble. I am devious, untrue to my self or others, can not be trusted, I forget the little wisdom, I once knew, I flounder in new and fashionable theories.
I could be more than a beast and less than an angel but am afraid of what others might think. I am caught up in angers, prejudices, tricks, and overwhelming greed. I want things my way are refuse to listen to advice. I will do anything to get what I want, first my self deception then by fooling others. I subdue or seduce the unwary and fool myself. I am indeed arrogant and foolish - I am humanity.
35.) REMEMBER -
The particles of corporal existence do not have a personality. Reality is not confined to man. If we are transformed into vanquished space and are no longer self but a new being, we can come close to looking into the face of God. If this is not clear it is because it is very difficult to express.
The truth is said often and many different ways but while many hear only a few, listen. 36.) It is difficult to explain to the Bat who lives only at night and avoids the bright sun what shadows are like. Maybe some time in your life you knew you were in tune - had certain know ledge of being - Being just what you are, MASLOW in the Further Reaches of Human Behavior explored this aptitude. He called it transcendence, beyond self to being or B values. He said it gave life meaning and purpose. Effective people knew the meaning of B-values and therefore had focus and energy that created a successful life. Beyond self. So simple and so hard. Can you explain to the blind about the colors of the world?
The drunken, desire their drunkenness and do not desire the truth. If is not this or that: then what is it?
37.)
The Perfect Truth: To go from the possible (the ways of nature ) to the essential is the spring of reason. First we gain true perception and then a sense of being and passing through and beyond personality to real character. We can be worse than beasts, fiends, stones or storms - we have the avarice, envy, pride opposes knowledge. We do not overcome these by an act of will but by rites of passage. In Joseph Campbell's hero with 1000 Faces, these "all too human" passions and monsters are passed in the mythical documents/JOURneys in the underworld (clearly a representation of our reptile unconscious minds).
The Hero emerges from thinking and feeling to being and knowing.
38.) BEING READY:
There are few shortcuts. If you love God, God will love you. You are beloved, the union with all exists in you and all around you. In pure obedience, there is true freedom. When you are master then you are slave. You are the sweet fruit in the shell, ready to ripen, the suns warm beams has put us into the right stage of life. Our estate is prepared and we are ready. 39.) If this is obscure to you, it is meant to be clear.
The vail of metempsychosis passes and you sees clearly the obvious - AH HA!
The circle is complete, I am what I am, and feel good about it. (Union)
The seal is broken and the secret reveled - it was here all the time but you weren't looking, you did not listen, I guess you were too busy with more important business. Faith and peace, and eternal wisdom are not so important?
They require truth and justice and cannot be used for personal gain.
They have no market value.
40.)
The dream that becomes reality is in the union of mystic lore and the way.
The doors are open, are you ready for no-existence. If you give up existence you will find it. If you cling to the things of life, you cannot pass this way. That is the myth of the "grateful dead." To win you must surrender, to triumph, give up. You all know that.
The phantoms pass away, nothing but the truth remains. THE UNION Comes when the possible have passed its ordered limits and become the essential - science has become knowledge and certainty. (This is beyond 40 and me at the moment). Who firmly grasps the mystic meaning of the union of possible and the promise of the essential has a higher wisdom than plain mortals. More is less, far is near, we are no longer afraid of our own shadows, the fire has no terror and the book of changes.
(To be continued - Mahmud Shabistri "

The Secret Garden," only 57 pages - A Dutton Paperback) Be Careful - Notes from
The Secret Garden: Mahmud Shabistari, (E.P. Dutton & Co, 1974)
Sufism is not a religion.
The Sufi practice is a the science of man, or the "Science of Certainty." In most societies, most of the time, the Sufi could not find acceptance or a fair hearing. Any ideas that were not devoted to the service of the state and the prevailing ideology were regarded as not only odd but dangerous treason, and was feared as subversive.
The Moslem cults, the brotherhood, and many others are mixtures. Will the real Sufi please stand up. Sufi cloaked their teaching and activities in the outward garb of religion.

The ability to pretend and remember what is image and what is real, is a critical Sufi art - but many cults came to believe the outside as inside. Sufis focused on cultural pursuits which in authoritian societies allows certain freedoms and contacts with different people.
The Persian-speaking Sufi's dominated the classics, which became convert Sufi text books.
The public forms of Sufism are imitations.
The desire for fantasies led to groups and activities that are popular and acceptable to the dogmatic climate.
Imitation Sufis abounded. Scholars and the public are naturally confused on what is true Sufism and what is mystic popular imitations.
The Christians have the same problem - the unreal imitations of Christ and popular but weaken practices. People want to believe that their "cult" has a special and secret way. Spain became a Sufi center in the Middle Ages, and still in the south reverberates in songs and stories.
The spread of Culture from Spain and the Renascence brought Sufi practice to Europe.
The Freemasons were partly based on these traditions.
The Sufi have a special science in psychology and the study of man. All Sufi activity in the West until after WWI was private. Sir Richard Burton (1001 Nights) only saw imitation cults and did not know of the small private non-cultist Sufis.
The Russo-Armenian philosopher Gurdjief published the first western text about a origin in Central Asia with links to the distant past, early forms of Christianity and the monasteries in the Hindu Kirsh. Ouspensky, a disciple, transmitted these ideas in lectures, demonstrations, and books. This became popular with the Kennedy crowd and actors.
Dr. Maurice Nicholl and Dr. Kenneth Walker used the psychologically-oriented to attempt a system of practice.
The authors of the Blooms bury group brought Sufi ideas to literature which continues today by many writers - Borges, Lesing, Kipling and many more.
The true Sufi potential was largely untouched. Sufi does not have authority figures, a or a set of customs or habits. It is more open than Zen and even more difficult to fix in place. Hadrat *Sayed Idries Shah in the major book "
The Sifis" brought light to the confused situation. His work has brought the Sufi tradition back into focus for the West.
The all too human desire to have a talisman, a messianic figure who would transform the world is not true Sufi but many cults still seek such a ideal. Idries Shah would not confine himself to closed groups who thought they had key to wisdom.
The desire to feel special, to have secrets, ceremonies and special knowledge is not unique to these Sufi cults.
It is tribal. Poets, scientist, professors of literature and physics, anthropologist claimed something of value in Idries Shah's work. Serious sociological documents/ JOURNAL found the ideas of prime importance in solving current human problems in advanced societies. It's vital importance to education and learning became more widely known. *****************************************************