While our Guitar Gently Weeps

 

I was born a year after George Harrison, the Beatle.  In the 1960’s, fans of the Beatles often asked each other “Who is your favourite Beatle?” My favourite Beatle was George – years before he went to India. George died from cancer just 10 years ago on November 29, 2001.  Here is a poem to George. Facebook friends will recognise the inspiration for the lines.

While our Guitar Gently Weeps

Life flows on without you,

we know the space between us

we didn’t want you to leave us

now our guitar gently weeps.

 

You had to leave us now,

it was not our wish somehow,

in this long, cold, lonely winter,

it seems like years since you’ve been here.

 

Something in the way life moves

touches us like no other wonder

something in the way life grooves

we don’t want to leave it now,

you know we believe somehow.

 

Here comes  your son,

and we say he’s alright,

we didn’t want you  to leave him now,

it was not our wish somehow.

 

We glimpse the truth; you’re not so far away,

we talk about the love we all could share

while our peace of mind is waiting there

as life flows on without you.

 

Try to realise it’s all without yourself,

no one else can make us change,

we see we are all so very small,

and life flows on within and without you.

 

Oh sweet George

we really loved to see you,

we really loved to hear you,

it take so long, dear George, for you

to write but we will sing your song.

Here comes your son

and he’s alright.

while our guitar gently weeps

as life flows on within you

and without you.

(George Harrison. 25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001)

 

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GO HOME! Analysis of the USA’s Military Empire

I arrived in Australia on the same day in November, 2011, as President Barack Obomber of the USA arrived to speak to a compliant Australian Parliament in Canberra, the capital city. So I watched on television as he explained his motives behind his visit. …

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OCCUPY! A Season for Changes. Autumn 2011

We’ll occupy your banks as you write your cheques
we’ll occupy your bonuses and your stock exchange,
we’ll occupy your seats in the wine bars of the city
and occupy the board room of every committee.
Yes we can. …

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A Government Health Warning to Meditators

The Government has determined that meditation is harmful to your health.

The Government’s health warning states that early physical symptoms in the process of meditation include pain in the knees, sore ankles, tension in the shoulders, and various degrees of back pain.

Early mental symptoms arise in meditation include lust, negativity, boredom, restlessness, fear and doubts. Meditators are liable at any time to multiple hindrance attacks.

Meditators believe they can resolve these issues without recourse to  the National Health Service, medication and years of weekly analysis in the private sector.

As early symptoms abate, meditators will sit motionless for hours every day or will find themselves, at fixed times, walking up and down, repetitively, unable to offer reasons for their behaviour. Some meditators stand still for an hour or more unable to move. They appear catatonic. Other lies on their back for lengthy periods perfectly still with eyes open, half open or closed. They appear dead.

They show no interest in blind pursuits of pleasure, endless hours in shopping malls or building up debts on their credit cards.

Surveys from the government show that some meditators remain vulnerable to reaction.

It is advisable to avoid talking to meditators who are in meditation. Such an approach can provoke strong irritability from the meditator. Under no circumstances touch a meditator as it can release a sudden outburst of hostile reaction such as ‘Can’t you see that I’m meditating?’

Government inspectors said that such meditators will probably apologise for their reaction and spend days, morning, noon and night, developing more loving kindness meditation.

The ability of meditators to spend most of their lives in an office or studying for years for degrees is greatly reduced. Hard core meditators stop obsessing about sense objects – sights, sounds, smells, taste or touch – nor want to chat constantly about sex, money, sport, work, cars  or computers. They tend to explore a different way of life.

In advanced stages, meditators will intentionally cut off all memories and any associations with the past. Such meditators will show a complete unwillingness to plan for the future and a refusal to cling onto anything that is happening in the present.

The government firmly rejects a timeless way of living in accordance with the rhythmn of nature and in harmony with the necessities of daily life as well as the needs of others.

Some are willing to work up to one hour per day in a retreat centre but they are known to work very slowly; they barely accomplish anything. Some advanced meditators take an hour to slice a single carrot.  Meditation teachers will ask their meditation students why did they cut the carrot so quickly.

In the most advanced cases, meditators spend long periods in solitude and silence ranging from a few weeks to many months or even years. These meditators require total care and support from retreat centres.

More and more advanced meditators claim they have no self while others claim they are the self of all. In either case, these meditators develop loving kindness, compassion and appreciative joy and cease to be competitive and ruthless in the private and public sector.

After they leave these centres, they might teach meditation and engage in a way of life free from any drive for personal sucess. They believe in co-operation, sustainability and the happiness of simple living.

The Government has defined meditation as a serious mental health hazard and advises the public to take all precautions necessary to avoid exposure to this dangerous activity.

If meditation is not stopped immediately, it can cause an end to craving for consumerism, desire for wealth and a total loss of interest in the constant pursuit of recognition.

Meditation has become associated with street protests, Occupy! and action for revolutionary change.

If meditation continues, it will bring about an end of  to the rebirth of “I” ‘me” and “mine”  upon which capitalism, economic growth and  State/Corporate control over the lives of citizens depends.

The Government report makes it clear that meditation is putting an end to people’s freedom to suffer.

In its conclusion, the Government has determined meditation as a threat to our society and our way of life.

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The Buddha Wallah DVD available

Dear Friends,

I am writing to let you know that The Buddha Wallah is now available on DVD. It can be ordered through www.zinnober.de

Below there are links to  two minute clips about the film, as well as some background to making of the film.

The Buddha Wallah

A 90 minute documentary

by Dieter Zeppenfeld and Georg Maas

about Christopher Titmuss, his work

and the teachings of the Buddha

A two minute trailer of “The Buddha Wallah” is now on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Buddha-Wallah/240540865989196

Dear Facebook Friends, Would you kindly click “like” so that all your friends will get the message. Bless you.

Or you can watch the same trailer on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iixvx1odupk

I found out that the making of a documentary film requires an immense amount of work and dedication.

Around five years ago, I agreed with the kind invitation of  Dieter Zeppenfeld,and Georg Maas directors of  Zinnober Film Company in Germany, for a documentary film to be made about my work and teachings.

I requested that  the film communicate as much as possible the Dharma through meditation, inquiry, service, human rights and environmental initiatives, despite the thread of this wallah running through the film.

To their credit, Dieter and Georg kept faithfully to the remit. It was an immense undertaking. They travelled with me to Germany, France, India, Israel, Palestinian territories, Thailand, Burma, as well as at home here in Totnes, Devon, England. They arranged for filming to be made in Australia, New York and San Francisco.  Filming took place over four years with a total of 120 hours of filming.  Dieter, Georg and their editors spent months editing the film down to 90 minutes, plus extra scenes, for the DVD.

Various focus groups, including Sangha members and regular householders, watched the film to give feedback. The film went through several edits before the Premiere.

A company in Brighton, England bought the world distribution rights for television after the successful premiere in two cinemas in Germany.

Frankly, it was far easier to be on my side of the camera than their side. There is a lot of equipment, huge attention to detail,  plus music, colour enhancement and texts.

You will probably recognise a few people in the film, perhaps even yourselves.

Dieter told me that Mr and Mrs TV Watcher often imagine spiritual teachers are  not very down-to-earth, dressed in  silks, and appearing very holy with devotees attending to all their needs. Oh, I should be so  lucky. Very early in the film I am hanging out my clothes on the line inside a wooden building in Wat Sai Ngma monstery, Supanburi, Thailand.  Outside, it is the monsoon. Rain is pouring down. Stripped to the waist, I am explaining how long it takes for clothes to dry. Made of cotton, of course. Mr and Mrs. TV Watcher in the focus group said they could relate to this wallah.

Dieter is a mentor in our Mindfulness Training Course and a participant in the Dharma Facilitators Programme for the past 10 years. He has made more than 100 documentaries in the past 20 years or more.

After watching the two minute clip, I felt viewers could regard it as a study in the ageing process. Is it a coincidence that I have dropped jogging as my primary form of exercise and switched to the gym and the upper part of the body

I hope you get the opportunity to see the film.

Love

Christopher

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