“Man…. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
“Inner peace is the key: if you have inner peace, the external problems do not affect your deep sense of peace and tranquility...without this inner peace, no matter how comfortable your life is materially, you may still be worried, disturbed, or unhappy because of circumstances.”
I found these quotes by the Dalai Lama on the internet... I never met his Holiness personally, but these statements touch me personally and profoundly just the same.
I found these quotes by the Dalai Lama on the internet... I never met his Holiness personally, but these statements touch me personally and profoundly just the same.
Modern Media -- the Internet, TV/Cable, Radio, Cinema and Print, have profound effects on our daily lives. It keeps us constantly informed and in touch with an extended world beyond our immediate environment (social circle/neighborhood). World events now have a sense of intimacy and urgency about them, that was not palpable less than a century ago, before TV and the Internet were widely present in most households.
I have nothing against Media. As a matter of fact, I am a rabid consumer of information in the form of books, movies, cable TV (Discovery, History, TLC) and the internet. There are a lot of great information that can be gleaned from these media sources. But I cannot help but wonder if Media, specifically the News and information giants like CNN, FOX, NBC, etc., are actually doing more harm than good by propagating "sensationalism." Their practice of hyping stories to attract the maximum number of viewers, have a multiplyer effect that create media driven crises-- What would have been contained and manageable before a media frenzy, becomes more astronomical and uncontrollable.
It makes me wonder if the crises in "hot spots" around the world would become as big as they eventually turn out to be without media magnification. The current World Economic Crisis for example or the global proliferation of terrorism, would they be as serious as they are now without constant media attention?
But it is not all bad. Constant media focus on humanitarian and environmental issues for example, would not get the proper forum without media interest. So in the end, it all balances out one way or another. Like everything else in Life, there is a good and there is a bad in everything. Media is a part of the evolution of humanity, it is here to stay whether we want it or not.
But like everything else that is potent and powerful, we must treat it with respect. Let us be mindful of its ability to alter people's consciousness and opinions. We should not be solely motivated by monetary or political considerations when we use media, the mental and spiritual well-being of our fellowmen (and women) must also be factored in, to avoid the degeneration and destruction of "soul" caused by irresponsible "sensationalism"-- which promotes fearfulness, excessive consumerism and egocentrism.
The well-being of our "soul" is the key to our overall health in the long-run. Information and media might be useful in our day to day lives, but inner peace is the only thing that will bring true happiness and wellness.
