Today Todd and Paul led the group in the annual spiritual practice of Sloof Lirpa.Todd announced that he had received a transmission from the Kjöxprz (Jolly) Lama that he wants the r put back in Lipa so that it is truely Lirpa. Last year the problem was with the f in Sloof, but this year the r must be put back in Lirpa. After this announcement, we all placed ourselves in the proper frame of mind, emotions controlled (sort of ). Timed to the sound of the Meditation bell manned by Paul, we chanted Awa Tagoo Siam, Awa Tagoo Siam, repetitively, the pitch going higher and the intensity building. Many members of the group were moved to tears, myself included, (mostly from clenching the jaws to keep from laughing). At the end of the practice, we all felt expanded in consciousness knowing that we were now thoroughly protected for one year from any threats or encounters with yeti.
During the Bake Off, Sue presented Phillip Chard's recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article about how we tend to narrow our stragedy of recognition and treatment of psychological issues. We either talk of a person having a clinical depression, as though the depression is a disease and doesn't have anything to do with the person. We also tend to think that using meds to treat the condition because it is is only a neurochemical imbalance and nothing more. Chard emphasized that we need to regard the person as a whole, not just a disease. The treatment needs to be broad and take the whole person and his environment into account. It may include behavioral changes, differnet ways to look at the problem, counseling, a holistic view including spiritual views, and may also include medication. But typically a holistic approach works better. The group spent some time discussing the effect of this tendency for doctors to simply hand out a prescription for meds during each office visit to save time and to avoid actually confronting the problem with discussion and counseling. Both practicioners and their patients tend to think that any symptoms need medicating. Just prescribing pills can be very reductionistic and isolating. There is nothing personal about a medication. Todd mentioned that just as in our mindfulness practice, we practicioners need to stop and consider what we are doing. In general, the group agreed that patients should be responsible for themselves in their care--should be part of the team. But also people need to be heard and there's good and healing in that.
Various ideas came forth about medical care in these days of time and money pressures. The 7 minute doctor's visit certainly eliminates compassion as meant in the quote below. Concierge medicine was discussed. The plus of this style of medicine is that there might be time for compassionate discussion. In a typical practice if the doctor takes time to discuss, he hurts himself financially. But with the concierge style, there may be downsides in terms of healthcare utilization, obtaining more tests than necessary and obtaining them as emergent rather than with the normal waiting time.
Sharleen emphasized the virtues: compassion and responsibility. She presented two quotes from a book entitled: Sacred Moments - Daily meditations on the Virtues.
"To 'listen' another's soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another." Douglas V. Steere This quote reflects the compassion that becomes so important in interpersonal dealings.
"No one purifies another. Never neglect your work for another's, however great his need, your work is to discover your work, and then with all your heart, to give yourself to it." From the Dhammapada 12
The discussion briefly considered how isolationism is also present in all of our social media. Facebook, twitter, Myspace, even email itself all allow people to communicate with other people in a very impersonal way. They are not face to face so that the effect of the communication can be observed and so that there is a direct visible consequence to the communication. A tragic example of this is the girl who committed suicide after being bullied incessantly by these impersonal messaging devices. Certain of our members who are active in teaching and counseling children described various ways to teach and eliminate bullying. A culture needs to be established in the schools, and on the playground that does not condone or allow the bullying. Children themselves should be taught how to stand up against such practices. There have been projects such as the Capsule Project, restorative justice, peer mediation, and playground pairs-- all of which may help children to learn that bullying should not be tolerated, that children should learn to not be a bystander to bullying.
One member told how bringing misbehaving children and their family before a counsel at the school sometimes impresses upon them the results of their behavior. The misdeed is personalized. I told of how we learned about tribal justice in South Africa. In the case of misdeeds of milder degree such as placing graffiti or minor assault, disturbing the peace, etc the accused is brought before the tribal elders. He/she and his whole family up to and including aged grandmother appear on their knees before the council. Somehow that event is so impressive and so memorable that there is little ricidivism.
Next week, Ann S. will present La Folia, a musical program.
No comments:
Post a Comment