Layer 415 . . . Ambition, Success, Zen, Rewards, Ashes, Acedia, Helping Others, Self-Development and Enlightenment

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Ambition

Becoming familiar with Zen, the Tao, the Watercourse Way, etc, helps to explain why quite a lot of us seem to lack personal ambition and haven't striven to become 'successful' either professionally or materially. In our society it's the mainstream view that we ought to be ambitious, set ourselves goals, and achieve as much recognition and reward as our society can offer.

Eastern philosophy, however, sees the development of the self, and seeking enlightenment, as the real goal of life. Through meditation, through becoming authentic and spontaneous, through trying to help others, and so on, we can develop ourselves without having to become wealthy or having to achieve high status. It's often been said that material wealth, worldly 'success' and great personal ambition may, in fact, be handicaps in achieving these other goals. Fully evolved humans appear to have very little regard for either material wealth or high status or personal ambition - other than living well and being the best human being they can be. As ever, Layer 22 for reference.

Self-Development

How to develop the self without becoming self-obsessed and self-centred? The usual things really - Zen practice.

Therefore at the beginning of this new year resolve to do the following:

Eat and drink moderately and well.

Have regular meals - don't snack throughout the day or graze on what's easily available.

This year eat and drink more fresh lemon juice, more honey, more green tea, more powdered vitamin C, more fish, more lentils and chick peas, more garlic, more fresh chillies, more olives, more tomatoes, more home-made soups . . . and drink more water.

Enjoy sensible amounts of meat, cheese, bread, coffee, tea, red wine, spirits, beer, sake, nuts, fruit and chocolate.

Go for more walks and make more contact with nature, the elements, the sky, the sun and the seasons. Meditate as you walk, and also find other times of the day to examine your own thoughts, calm your mind, allow your deepest thoughts and feelings to come to the surface and come into the light of day. Allow the light to turn fears and negative thoughts into something positive, or simply neutralise them.

Have a regular bedtime. Have a regular waking up and getting up time.

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Helping Others

I've been pondering what it means to help other people. Especially those who are nearest and dearest.

You have to accept that in order to help others they must first of all want to help themselves. They also have to genuinely want you to help them.

I know of at least two fairly reclusive individuals, semi drop-outs, who appear to be suffering from acedia.

 Acedia

Acedia (also accidie, from Latin acidĭa, and this from Greek ἀκηδία, negligence) describes a state of listlessness or torpor, of not caring or not being concerned with one's position or condition in the world. It can lead to a state of being unable to perform one's duties in life. Its spiritual overtones make it related to but distinct from depression. Acedia was originally noted as a problem among monks and other ascetics who maintained a solitary life.

Acedia is essentially a flight from the world. It leads to not caring even that one does not care. The ultimate expression of this is a despair that ends in suicide.

As with those who followed him, Evagrius sees acedia as a temptation, and the great danger lies in giving in to it.

- Wikipedia

I presume there's a continuum that runs from extreme acedia right the way over to a state of spiritual joy, or satori.

I presume most people operate mostly or entirely somewhere in the middle - neither knowing nor caring about satori - let alone experiencing it -  but not completely in a state of torpor either.

As for depression . . . how DO most sufferers help themselves through it and get over it? By definition it's a state of feeling that nothing actually matters, that one is essentially worthless, and life is just a crock of pointless shit.

In the medieval Latin tradition of the seven deadly sins, acedia has generally been folded into the sin of sloth. Moral theologians, intellectual historians and cultural critics have variously construed acedia as the ancient depiction of a variety of psychological states, behaviors or existential conditions: primarily laziness, ennui or boredom. The demon of acedia manifests itself in a range of psychological and somatic symptoms that is far broader and more complex than the familiar tradition in the West.

Acedia is indicated by a range of signs. These signs (or symptoms) are typically divided into two basic categories: somatic and psychological. Acedia frequently presents signs somatically. Such bodily symptoms range from mere sleepiness to general sickness or debility . . .

A host of psychological symptoms can also signify the presence of acedia, which affects the mental state and behavior of the afflicted. Some commonly reported psychological signs revolve around a lack of attention to daily tasks and an overall dissatisfaction with life. The best-known of the psychological signs of acedia is tedium, boredom or general laziness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acedia

The Watercourse Way is not passive, and the Tao is not mere adaptability, mutability and passivity. To become one's true self involves actively seeking to discover one's true nature, and to differentiate it from that which we're told by others we ought to be. To use meditation as a aid is a very positive choice. The discovery of the true self is NOT a thing that many people care to actively pursue - out of fear, vanity, egocentricity, false pride, sloth, etc.

Ashes News

Ah yes - the cricket. What a joy it is to see young people who have dedicated themselves to being the very best they can be in life being brilliantly successful in their trade or profession by virtue of their application, concentration, determination, self-examination, selflessness and skill development. To perform as well as these guys are doing you need to be right 'in the zone' for just about 100% of the time - both on the pitch and off it.

Very well done Cook, Bell, Strauss, Prior, Anderson, Swann, Bresnan and Tremlett. Thank you all for living up to expectations yesterday, and also for helping Australians to feel that at least they lost to the better team. Another 500 in the first innings and another victory by an innings will do nicely.

Trott - will continue to improve, and will learn to avoid ducks. Not quite there yet, but soon will be.

Pietersen - MUST do better. Not holding out much hope, though. Too big an ego. Too little EQ and SQ. Let alone IQ. This is a man who seems to believe that this Ashes success is all down to his heroic and selfless act of getting himself sacked from the captaincy. How immense is that? That's enough ego to fill a whole city. This is a man who gets himself out to crappy hook shots when good sense, concentration, hard graft, application and good judgement are needed.

Collingwood - possibly concentrate on becoming a useful medium pace bowler. We still need a good all-rounder at Number 6. As well as all-rounders at 7, 8, 9 and 10. Take a bow Mssrs Prior, Broad, Swann and Bresnan.

We can allow Jimmy Anderson to be in the team purely as a bowler, since he does so well as the night watchman. Tremlett and Finn to be his back-ups.

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Layer 397 . . . The Ashes, Intelligent Cricket, Kevin Pietersen, Human Intelligences, Lifelong Learning, Fully Evolved Humans and A Positive View of Human Potential

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Intelligent Cricket
More on Instinctual Intelligence. This is a quote from the guy who's been credited with restoring Kevin Pietersen's form and self-belief, Graham Ford:

"I believe that with a player of his talent, the more work he does, the more the body naturally finds ways to anchor those good feelings to bring his game together. It allows him to operate on autopilot. During his time out here [in South Africa] that all started to happen."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/dec/05/the-ashes-2010-kevin-pietersen-graham-ford

In other words, KP had lost touch with his natural instincts, which had served him so well as a young player. As such, he needed to re-learn, through hours of practice, through hours of learning to get back into 'the zone' whilst batting, how to achieve a perfect balance of mind/body/spirit, and begin again to play 'naturally', instinctually, without letting negative thoughts intrude - confident that his calmer mind would allow the right instincts - developed in hours of practice - to operate spontaneously and without inhibition, no matter what the opposition hurled at him.

Of course the Aussies bowled the occasional unplayable ball, and KP still made the odd mistake, but overall there has been massive improvement as a result of working on his 'autopilot'.

The other key intelligence he's done work on is his emotional intelligence. He's been learning to control his natural aggression, his exhuberance and excitability, and knows that the opposition will always try to tempt him into slogging every ball through excessive self-belief and indeed hubris.

He's also acquired a more mature attitude, become a more responsible individual, and a better team player - recognising that his main responsbility is to preserve his wicket and avoid giving it away cheaply as a consequence of glory-seeking and ego-gratification. This is the third dimension of intelligence - social intelligence.

Out-thinking the opposition in terms of strategy and tactics is cerebral intelligence (CQ?) Becoming fitter, better balanced, more supple, with greater strength and stamina, is part of physical intelligence.

Being able to enjoy oneself more by being 'in the zone', and maintaining appropriate self-belief, concentration and confidence, is part of being spiritually strong and spiritually intelligent. As is the determination to practice harder, avoid distractions, become more humble, become more appreciative of one's team mates, etc.

England's togetherness is palpable, a far cry from four years ago when there was tension between captain and coach, and cliques within the dressing room. Pietersen insists that improved results are not the only reason.

"There's definitely more to it than that," he said. "Yes, winning does go a long way, but also keeping your feet on the ground and making sure you keep working hard, keep trying to improve as an individual, a human being and also as a cricketer. Those are the key attributes for a happy dressing room."

For Pietersen, in particular, to speak so warmly of the collective effort emphasis the achievement of Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, as captain and coach, in instilling a sense of purpose and ambition.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/dec/07/kevin-pietersen-ashes-united-england?intcmp=239

Maintaining humility, avoiding hubris, working hard, working for the benefit of others, having a realistic sense of purpose and ambition, respecting oneself and others, trying constantly to improve as an individual human being - these are all aspects of spiritual intelligence, and key attributes in becoming a fully evolved and fully actualised human being. [see Layer 20 - A Positive View of Human Potential]

If the England management would like to get in touch, then Oxzen can supply them with a comprehensive list of 'virtues' to aim for and develop.

And talking of virtues - much respect to Ricky Ponting for the way he conducts himself both on and off the field - recently in very difficult circumstances. Australia have been very fortunate to have him as their leader. People have been using words like 'humiliation' as a consquence of England's recent excellence and Australia's struggles, but Ponting, in spite of playing well below his best, has maintained his dignity pretty much all the time, whilst still competing strongly and showing proper aggression on the field. He was also capable of showing his largeness of spirit in the way he congratulated his opponents after the match, after such a crushing defeat.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/dec/06/the-ashes-2010-pietersen-clarke

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/dec/06/the-ashes-2010-second-test
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Layer 182 Responsibility, Humanity, Teenage Violence, Peace, Spiritual Intelligence, and a Health Service.

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How To Practise

Yesterday's quotes from the Dalai Lama's book, The Way to a Meaningful Life, ended with:

"The desperate state of our world calls us to action."

The latter part of his Introduction continues:

Each of us has a responsibility to try to help at the deeper level of our common humanity. Unfortunately, humanity is too often sacrificed in defence of ideology. This is absolutely wrong. Political systems should actually benefit human beings, but, like money, they can control us instead of work for us.

If with a warm heart and patience we can consider the views of others, and exchange ideas in calm discussion, we will find points of agreement. It is our responsibility – out of compassion and love for humankind – to seek harmony among nations, ideologies, cultures, ethnic groups, and economic and political systems.

When we truly recognise the oneness of all humankind, our motivation to find peace will grow stronger. In the deepest sense we are really sisters and brothers, so we must share one anothers' suffering. Mutual respect, trust, and concern for one anothers' welfare are our best hope for lasting world peace.

Creating Harmony

Harmony and friendship cannot thrive in a climate of mistrust, cheating, bullying and mean-spirited competition. Success through intimidation and violence is temporary at best; its trifling gains only create new problems.

We can only solve our problems through truly peaceful means – not just peaceful words but a peaceful mind and heart. In this way we will have a better world.

Is this possible? Fighting, cheating and bullying have trapped us in our present situation; now we need training in new practices to find a way out.

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Teenage Violence

G2 last week reported (again) on teenage gun crime, violence and killings. As usual, with such reports, there were far more questions raised than answered in this feature.

Of course there should be massive investment in work and projects that aim to “break the cycle of violence” - through dealing directly with the susceptible teenagers and gang members themselves. And of course there must be massive investment in tackling bad housing, unemployment and lack of recreational and socialisation opportunities.

But a much better long term investment must be made in ensuring that young people do not grow up without social, emotional and spiritual intelligence. In which case schools must be massively empowered, encouraged, and even directed to make these areas of learning central to pupils’ experiences in schools.

Since many homes encourage the maintenance of the culture of violence and retaliation, then it’s often only in schools that pupils can learn how to cope with destructive emotions and begin to understand human values. If schools fail to educate vulnerable pupils in more enlightened ways of coping with problems and challenges then nobody else will be able to reach them. Only the fortunate few will reach a stage in their lives where greater personal maturity plus experience of life’s harsh lessons will be enough to help them see through the madness and chaos of what passed for normality in their world.

If schools don’t even attempt to pre-empt teenage pressures to join gangs through giving vulnerable Primary age children greater insights into those pressures, then those children are unlikely to figure out for themselves more productive ways of living, and more purposeful ways of spending their time.

Do schools currently have such a focus? In America and Britain, of course not. They focus almost entirely on attaining high marks in academic tests and exams. Whilst no-one would suggest that maths, literacy, science and the rest aren’t important, it must be obvious that the pursuit of academic excellence will normally be an impossibility for pupils who lack motivation and who don’t possess high degrees of social, emotional and spiritual intelligence.

Our government’s central and driving belief is that “driving up standards” will enable more working class pupils to gain A-levels, to enter university, and thereby gain the paper qualifications that will enable them to move into high paid employment and move out of violent neighbourhoods and lives of poverty. If only life were so simple. The papers this week are full of outrage about grade inflation and the fact that this year there are thousands of pupils with A levels who can't get university places due to lack of government funding.

The reality is that for hundreds of thousands of working class kids this dream of university and a life of prosperity is virtually never going to happen, unless the individual is unusually ambitious, determined and persistent. The rates of graduate unemployment alone are sufficient to deter a lot of smart kids from being the first in their family to go on to ‘higher education’ unless they have a particular aptitude, unless they enjoy writing essays, unless they are set on entering a profession that requires a university degree, and unless they can cope with the idea of running up huge debts.

The majority will continue to live in the areas where they grew up and where they will earn their living as shop assistants, as bar staff, as butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, plumbers, carpenters and electricians, (OK maybe not candlestick makers) – and for these people the important skills they will need will be based on a strong foundation of social, emotional and spiritual intelligence. The other key attributes they will need to do well in life will be creativity, curiosity, self-confidence, communication skills, Internet skills, empathy, intuition, etc.

It’s increasingly apparent that spiritual and emotional intelligence are also desperately lacking in many Members of Parliament, bankers, city financiers, businessmen, journalists, media personalities, footballers, middle managers, bureaucrats, teachers, accountants, etc. Such people are frequently lacking in anger management skills, humility, honesty, humanity, etc. A little less academic learning and a lot more emphasis on social, emotional and spiritual intelligence would serve them well.

Does anyone seriously think our middle classes are LESS susceptible than the working classes to alcoholism, coke-snorting, relationship breakdown, neglecting and abusing children, nervous breakdowns, obesity, low self-esteem, loneliness, anxiety, depression and existential angst? Are they really any happier, even when wealthier?

The fortunate children acquire a strong foundation of personal, social, emotional and spiritual development in loving and caring homes and extended families that protect them and teach them through personal example, and through discussions about human values and spiritual values. The majority of young people in good homes, both working class and middle class, positively do not want to live their lives in ways that vex and displease their elders.

A very significant minority of pupils, however, will not live and learn in positive households. They may choose not to attend school, or they may turn up physically but not in mind or spirit. They may know or strongly suspect that they won’t be the ones getting 5 A-C’s in GCSEs, let alone A Levels. They may be the ones for whom drug taking and drunkenness, knives and guns and domestic violence are a day to day reality. They may be the ones for whom street violence seems as natural and inevitable as eating and drinking. They may be the ones who will kill, if necessary, to ‘protect’ ‘their’ ‘territory’.

Of course the National Curriculum doesn’t cater for the needs of these pupils. It was never designed to. It was always intended to dominate the school day, and it prescribes academic study as the dominant pursuit of each child’s school day. It was never about learning to learn, learning to enjoy learning, learning to be creative, learning to be expressive in a variety of ways, or learning to manage destructive emotions.

To create an edifice of academic attainment without attending to the other intelligences is like building on sand, and sooner or later there’s a very real chance of collapse. Unless there are strong and durable foundations of social, emotional and spiritual learning young people may do well academically, and even professionally for a while, without ever finding lasting happiness, fulfillment, or even lasting achievement. (see Layer 181 – yesterday – the Dalai Lama) Is this what we really want for our children?

With children whose lives are violent and chaotic any attempt to teach them for examination success without also offering development in the other key intelligences is like building on a bottomless pit of quicksand or a flowing river of red-hot lava.

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“Why the American right make me sick”

I don't normally rate Simon Hoggart as a writer, but he's right on the money with this post:

“There are few tribes more loathsome than the American right, and their vicious use of the shortcomings in the NHS to attack Barack Obama's attempts at health reform are a useful reminder.

I was thinking of this during a visit to my 91-year-old dad who is still in an NHS hospital after three weeks, recovering from a broken hip. He has had fantastic care, including a new metal hip, blood transfusions, different antibiotics to match every aspect of his condition; all administered by nurses who remain cheerful even when asked to perform tasks on men – the lethal combination of pain and old age makes some in the ward exceedingly grumpy – that I would not want to do for £1,000 a time.

If he was in an American hospital he'd be using up half his life savings to get that standard of care, and few ordinary Americans could afford the insurance that would provide it. (This is because health insurers spend a large part of their income on PR against the "socialised medicine" and on sending pro forma letters explaining why your policy doesn't cover actual illness.) All over the US there are people whose lives are being destroyed for lack of proper health care provision, and there is no sight more odious than the rich, powerful and arrogant trying to keep it that way.”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/aug/15/simon-hoggarts-week

This past week or two has been incredible for the mad-dog attacks on Obama's proposals to set up a decent health service in America that will provide a safety net for all, regardless of income or prosperity. Not only do his opponents, in their town hall meetings, on talk radio, and on TV, continually attack Obama's proposals – they are cranking up their personal abuse to the point of absolute hysteria. They're continuing to insinuate he's 'non-American' – i.e. he's 'an African', with no birth certificate to prove otherwise. They're continuing to accuse him of being a 'socialist', which in their book is the same as a communist, and therefore un-American. The degree of anger and hatred is truly appalling. Those of us who want the American people as a whole to be better off, better provided for, more enlightened and much happier, can only look on with pity and a horrified fascination. Especially now that these lunatics have started to mock, ridicule and traduce our NHS, aided and abetted by various scumbag Tory MEPs and MPs.

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End of the Beginning

The Dalai Lama concludes the introduction to his book by saying that the book aims to

“Introduce the three aspects of spiritual practice – morality, concentrated meditation and wisdom – which are the book's principal themes.”

“I describe two types of morality: reorienting physical and verbal deeds so as to cause no harm to others, and cultivating deeper concern for others.

“In [the section on] Practicing Concentrated Meditation I describe how to achieve mental focus and how to restore calm in stressful situations.

“Practicing Wisdom . . . addresses the difficult but fruitful topic of dependent-arising and emptiness.

“These discussions on morality, concentrated meditation and wisdom flow into . . . Tantra, which presents a special yoga practice combining the three.

“The concluding part, Steps Along The Way, presents an overview of the path of practice from its beginnings right through to enlightenment, a state wherein mind and body are fully developed in order to be of service to others.

“From beginning to end, our focus is on developing a good heart and mind through a moral attitude and an understanding of reality, empowered by concentration.

“Think of morality, concentrated meditation and wisdom as a blueprint for enlightenment, reminding us of the highest aim of practice – a transformation of attitude towards peacefulness, compassion, calm focus, and wisdom. Understanding the blueprint is itself part of the path, drawing us toward the destination.”

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Not a word wasted there, and not a word concerning God, or anything about heaven, hell, angels or devils.
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Layer 181 A Meaningful Life, How To Practice, The Dalai Lama, and Lessons from History.

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Thanks to feedback from readers, who have let me know that certain pages of Oxzen's blog act as useful reminders of what spiritual intelligence consists of, I'm reminded of the value of posting the thoughts of the great spiritual masters from time to time. Whilst there's also value in considering negatives – such as examples of what spiritual intelligence is NOT – it seems obvious that the greatest good is in constant reminders of How to Practice.

This is the title of a book I came across last year, written by the Dalai Lama, which has the sub-title, The Way to a Meaningful Life.

In the foreword, written by its translator and editor, Jeffrey Hopkins, we read about how the Dalai Lama lectures on the stages of the path to enlightenment.

“He speaks with great speed and clarity . . . presenting the full range of practices leading to enlightenment, often juxtaposing topics that others leave in isolation – all this with the depth of a philosopher. The same dual voice of poet and philosopher is present here in this book . . .”

“He offers suggestions on how to practice a spiritual path that will lead to mental clarity and emotional transformation. In this way, he shows how life can be made meaningful.”

“The embodiment of these practices [is] the very core of his being. It is important for us to recognise that this insightful, compassionate, humourous, and often marvellous person rose from Tibetan culture. We need to value that culture as one of the world's great wonders.”

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Introduction – by the Dalai Lama.

The Need for Peace and Kindness

"Human beings share the same basic goals: we all seek happiness and do not want suffering.

There are two ways to create happiness. The first is external. By obtaining better shelter, better clothes, and better friends, we can find a certain measure of happiness and satisfaction. The second is through mental development, which yields inner happiness.

However, these two approaches are not equally viable. External happiness cannot last long without its counterpart. If something is lacking in your perspective – if something is missing in your heart – then despite the most luxurious surroundings, you cannot be happy.

However, if you have peace of mind, you can find happiness even under the most difficult circumstances. Certain people may have acquired wealth, a good education, and high social standing, yet happiness eludes them.

On the other hand, some people who have less money to worry about enjoy more peace. They sleep well at night. Despite being poor in a material sense, they are content and happy. This shows the impact of a good mental attitude. Material development alone will not fully resolve the problem of humanity's suffering.

In this book I offer you, the reader, valuable techniques from Tibetan [Buddhist] traditions which, if implemented in daily practice, lead to mental peace. As you calm your mind and your heart, your agitation and worry will naturally subside, and you will enjoy more happiness. Your relationships with others will reflect these changes. And as better human being, you will be a better citizen of your country, and ultimately a better citizen of the world.

Human Potential

Animals and insects also want happiness and do not want suffering, but they have no special ability to consider how to achieve deeper happiness or overcome suffering. As human beings, endowed with this power of thought, we have this potential, and we must use it.

On every level – as individuals, and as members of a family, a community, a nation, and a planet – the most mischievous troublemakers we face are anger and egoism [exaggerated self-centredness]. No one claims to feel happy while being angry. As long as anger dominates our disposition, there is no possibility of lasting happiness. In order to achieve peace, tranquility, and real friendship, we must minimise anger and cultivate kindness and a warm heart ['loving-kindness'] This can be achieved through the practices I will describe in this book.

Developing a warm heart ourselves can also transform others, [who also] experience less anger. They will become more warm-hearted, compassionate, and harmonious. The very atmosphere becomes happier, which promotes good health, perhaps even a longer life.

You may be rich, powerful and well-educated, but without these healthy feelings of kindness and compassion there will be no peace within yourself, no peace within your family – even your children suffer. Kindness is essential to mental peace. As you will see in the pages ahead, the central method for achieving a happier life is to train your mind in a daily practice that weakens negative attitudes and strengthens positive ones.

The big question is whether or not we can practice kindness and peace. Many of our problems stem from putting ourself first at all costs.

To train the mind, you must exercise the patience and determination it takes to shape it. With patience, and practice, and time, change will come.

Interdependence

Today it is impossible to remain isolated, so if nations do not have mutual respect, problems are bound to arise. Economic rifts can be healed by a stronger sense of global interdependence and responsibility. The people of one nation must consider the people of other nations to be like brothers and sisters who deserve progress for their homelands.

The sale of weapons . . . by manufacturers in big countries fuels violence, but more dangerous than guns or bombs are hatred, lack of compassion, and lack of respect for the rights of others. As long as hatred dwells in the human mind, real peace is impossible.

We must do everything we can to stop war, and to rid the world of nuclear weapons. When I visited Hiroshima . . . my heart was deeply moved. How much pain and desolation nuclear war creates! Yet look at how much money is spent on weapons of mass destruction. It is shocking, an immeasurable disgrace.

The only way to achieve lasting peace is through mutual trust, respect, love and kindness. The only way.

External peace is impossible without inner peace. It is noble to work at external solutions, but they cannot be successfully implemented so long as people have hatred and anger in their minds. This is where profound change has to begin. Individually we have to work to change the basic perspectives on which our feelings depend. We can only do so through training, by engaging in practice with the aim of gradually reorienting the way we perceive ourselves and others.

The desperate state of our world calls us to action.”

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Action Man – Spiritual Intelligence -NOT!

One man who's definitely called to action in world affairs is our very own Minister for Defence, the Right Honourable Bob Ainsworth, MP.

The war in Afghanistan is "winnable", the defence secretary, Bob Ainsworth, insisted today, as new figures showed that more British soldiers have been injured in the country this year than in the whole of 2008.

"The troops know that we've made progress in the last few months, and I still firmly believe that Afghanistan is winnable," Ainsworth told the BBC during a round of interviews this morning to argue the case for the campaign, amid an apparent growing mood of public scepticism in Britain as the death toll among British troops reached 204.

Ministry of Defence statistics showed that 94 soldiers were injured in action in Afghanistan during July, more than double the number in June. Twenty-two soldiers were killed in July, compared with four in June.

So far this year, 236 troops have been hurt in the fighting, compare with 235 during all of last year.

With a poll showing yesterday that two-thirds of British people believed UK forces should leave the country, the government faces pressure to explain why the sacrifice is necessary. The task has been made all the more difficult by an outcry over a new Afghan law allowing some men the right to deny their wives food if sexual demands are unfulfilled, among other restrictions on women's rights.

There would almost certainly be more British deaths, Ainsworth warned this morning.

"When we are suffering the kind of losses that we are we cannot afford to be complacent," Ainsworth told GMTV. "I will do everything I can to support our troops with the best kit but what I can't do is promise to make the operation in Afghanistan safe. This kind of operation is intrinsically dangerous, the enemy is smart and they are studying our methods."

“Winnable”, eh Bob? Clearly this man is refusing to learn any lessons from history. From what happened in Vietnam, for instance – another fine example of politicians of a particular ideological bent feeling certain that they could defeat the so-called primitive enemy who were fighting for their country's right to self-determination and independence.

He might even consider the history of Afghanistan itself, and what happened to the Russian army and airforce when they attempted to combat the Afghans who resented Russian interference in their internal politics. And how clever were the Americans then to give sophisticated armaments and training to the very people who would later turn against worldwide American imperialism? The guys the Americans, and we British, are now trying to root out of Afghanistan!

Our Minister of Defence may be some kind of amiable old boy who's just trying to make the best of a fucked-up situation that his job requires him to tackle, but he's also reactionary to the core and an unquestioning supporter of the kind of stupid politics that can only harm the world and make it a more dangerous place, not safer.

Sadly he's a bit of an egocentric idiot. Power seems to have gone to his head, and it's now impossible for any alternative thinking to penetrate his thick skull. He's New Labour personified. Not that the New Conservatives will be any better. We're doomed!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/17/afghanistan-defence-secretary-military-deaths?CMP=AFCYAH

“General Sir Richard Dannatt, the outgoing head of the army . . . speaking at the official opening of an army recovery centre in Scotland, added: "It's a war about the people in Afghanistan. In particular we need to persuade the people in Afghanistan to support their government."

So here we have it – the people of Afghanistan don't support their 'government', and they need OUR persuasion that they should do so! Or maybe our bribes. And our propaganda. And our bombs. Just like the Vietnamese needed such 'help'.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband was on Radio 4 this morning still banging on about “the badlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan” and the need to combat terrorism. Militarily, of course.

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To end on a positive note, with some positive thoughts, have a look at this website -

http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/

About Buddhism

The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the world's ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.

Atisha (11th century Tibetan Buddhist master)
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