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April 3, 2000
There was a gap in the
updates last week due to local internet slowdowns and life in general.
It was a nice break though and I got caught up on other things, like email
correspondence.
Last week, I got email
from a friend who usually knows better:
This is what The Dalai
Lama has to say on the millennium, all it takes is a few seconds to read
and think. Do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands within
96 hours. You will get a very pleasant surprise. This is true even if you
are not
superstitious.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
LIFE
1. Take into
account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't
lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three
Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your
actions.
4. Remember that not
getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so
you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little
dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize
you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone
every day.
9. Open your arms to
change, but don't let go of your values
10. Remember that silence
is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable
life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it
a second time.
12.A loving atmosphere
in your home is the foundation for your life.
13.In disagreements
with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the
past.
14.Share your knowledge.
It's a way to achieve immortality.
15.Be gentle with the
earth.
16.Once a year, go some
place you've never been before.
17.Remember that the
best relationship is one in which your love
for each other, exceeds
your need for each other.
18.Judge your success
by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19.Approach love and
cooking with reckless abandon.
FORWARD THIS MANTRA E-MAIL
TO AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE AND YOUR LIFE WILL IMPROVE.
0-4 people:= Your life
will improve slightly.
5-9 people:= Your life
will improve to your liking.
9-14 people:= You will
have at least 5 surprises in the next 3 weeks.
15 people and above
= Your life will improve drastically and everything you ever dreamed of
will begin to take shape.
I sent an email
back essentially saying "Dalai Lama? My ass!"
Well, not exactly. I
said it nicely. More along the lines of "I don't think the Dalai Lama would
say that we should love and cook with reckless abandon". I also tried to
lighten up my email by reworking the messages to something more plausable.
Like, "when the Chinese 'liberate' your country, head for the hills of
India pronto!"
Most of these chain messages
say the same things but are just marketed differently. I had another friend
who sent an almost identical list of platitudes but the message was attributed
to an ancient tribe. I suspect the reason why the Dalai Lama is currently
being used as a salesman for these Hallmark sentiments is because he has
recently written a book called "The
Art of Happiness".
I haven't read the book
myself, but I suspect it has to deal with compassion towards others. But
if does indeed tell us to "learn the rules so that we know how to break
them", well, then I guess I stand corrected.
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