Clash of Civilisations?

Dear Friends

I have realised that one of my functions if not specialities and joys is 'Bridge Building'...
Consequently I deteste the 'Clash of civilisations' discourse which is really a clash of a
couple of deranged egos.

Why can there be not be a 'Clash of Ideas' or 'Clash of Love' ?

Yes there will be challenges and misunderstanding but let us remember that what is at stake is bigger than any religion namely HUMANITY.  And Allah operates via Human Beings not Angels!

As my Sufi Teacher counselled me brilliantly about a decade ago; practice of Shariah will make you into a Muslim but practice of Sufism / Taswuff / Ihsan will make you into an Insaan / HUMAN BEING...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU2xnJF3rBY

''O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female,
and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other
(not that ye may despise (each other).
Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is)
the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).''
(Surah 49:Verse 13)

Faisal

Light Houses...

Dear Friends

Begin the New Year as you intend to do so...For we are all Light Houses in the making...

Shine good will to all especially your adversaries...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-LPkPkdZVY

Allah Dil meraye ander...Allah is in my heart...

Yaa Haq!

Faisal

Baby Logic!

Dear Friends

As 2010 draws to a close, and the Islamic New Year has begun, I am deeply reflecting about the last 12 months of my life.

There have been many momentous changes but the greatest was when I became a Dad. Zahra is the love of my life and it is such a joy to see this angelic flower unfold before my eyes. She is such a bundle of magic and laughter and has permanently scented mine and Robina’s lives. Mashallah.

Zahra if not every baby’s greatest asset is their innate motivation which knows no bounds. It is amazing that tears and tumbles do not stop her from moving forward. Whether it is learning to talk or sit she never gives up. Amazing!

So why does this innate motivation wither away as we grow older? Is it social conditioning? Or is it self-doubt? Whatever it is I augur that one of the functions of any authentic spiritual path is to take the aspirant back to that pure innate motivation. Inshallah.

Now I appreciate one of my all time favourite Sufi metaphors – The never giving up Salik / Spiritual Traveller. He or she falls down but gets up and keeps going...

Keep walking...

Faisal

Genius...Who!

Dear Friends

Today I attended a stunning workshop  that discussed various topics in Higher Education. One of the presentations began with a power point slide with pictures of the following giants:

Albert Einstein

Leonardo Divinci

Helen Keller

Thomas Edison

and Stephen Hawking.

And the following question was posed.

What do these people have in common?

Answer - All have or had some form of mental or physical disability.

With the exception of Stephen Hawking I was amazed about the others…

Moral of the story…Never underestimate anyone…

Faisal

Ps - Just imagine what cloth the great mystics and prophets were cut from!!!

An Idea...

Dear Friends

''What's the most resilient parasite?

AN IDEA…

A single idea from the Human Mind can

Build cities.

An idea can transform the world

And rewrite all the rules….''

Inception - The Movie.

Thats why scientists, poets, mystics, prophets, artists always turn this world upside down...And consequently the pen is always mightier then the sword or a B52 bomber or any suicide bomber...

Faisal

When the chips are down...

Dear Friends

We have a great English phrase when one is facing challenges - when the chips are down...

What to do?

Well dial up a Zen Roshi...Or a Sufi Master...or better still:

When your bow is broken
And your last arrow spent
Then shoot
SHOOT WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART!

Faisal

What is a dream?

Dear Friends

I deeply love the following Zen Experience by Chuang-Tse:

“I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?”

Perhaps the solution is:

“You will always find an answer in the sound of water''.
Chuang-Tse”

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2EuihbnhYA&feature=related

 

Faisal

 

Ps - Have a great weekend...

True Islam...

Dear Friends

A living Sufi Master residing in Sweden has elegantly said that:

''I am nothing but a little particle of the cosmos, a dust in the eyes of the eternal. I am a plant. I am you''.

The above is a mode of being which the true Islam is not something constricted by time or place or culture.

Unfortunately very few Muslims (as is the case in other religious traditions) will achieve this however these highly evolved folk  are the equivalent of millions if not billions who ensure the merciful flow of divine love / light…

Faisal

Human Capital...

Dear Friends

I just spent a wonderful train journey accompanied by one of my students. He was very candid and was sharing his hopes and dreams which took on a higher poignancy as his grandmother had just passed away last weekend.

I was deeply struck by his urgency to make sense of his existence and become 'someone' considering he is only a tender 18 year old. I assured him that he had a challenging journey ahead of him and ultimately it was a great attitude rather than a stunning aptitude that was the key to worldly and otherworldly success regardless of the state of the global / national economy or inequality. Since everything in life is about communication and dealing with people.

Upon further reflection it occurred to me that great Prophets and Mystics, perhaps even business leaders, were and remain excellent 'people persons' if not 'people-olics'. Since it is people who carry the message or brand forward not spreadsheets or titles…Human Capital is the real strength if not critical success factor of any organisation…

 I am reminded of the Buddhist sage Ryunsoke satarop who beautifully stated:

'Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”

Faisal

Surrender...

Dear Friends

I have realised that 'surrender ' which is the cornerstone of Muslim faith is really letting go…In fact jumping off the precipice into the UNKNOWN.

Granted on the surface this appears to be anti-rational and there is undoubtedly a loss of individuality as you surrender control. However if you want to make / write history or build cathedrals or to merely live a meaningful life then you have to let the divine in…

Consequently I adore the A.A prayer:

Dear Lord, 

I admit that I am powerless over my addiction I admit that my life is unmanageable when I try to control it. Help me this day to understand the true meaning of powerlessness.  Remove from me all denial of my addiction.

and:

God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Change the things I can, And the ability to know the difference...

Faisal

Simplicity...

Dear Friends

I was unable to access my computer / the internet due to the big freeze in England last week. I vividly remember being momentarily shell-shocked when I discovered that I could not make it to work as all direct trains had been cancelled.

I attempted to travel via another city but thankfully my Subject Group Leader called to inform me that teaching had been suspended and I should go home.

Routines are good and ensure stability however they can dampen vitality and creativity. Thus I used this A.O.G (Act of God) to re-connect more deeply with my baby daughter and spouse.

To really enjoy the company of a baby you have to transform into a baby which I found deeply rewarding. Everything is about smiling and giggling! It was good to catch up with my wife and discuss our hopes and dreams. She found my 'pottering around OK! I also found simple things as sleeping deeply rewarding…

As the great Albert Einstein remarked:

Everything should be made as simple as possible, not simpler'.

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

Ciao

Faisal

Who shall inherit the earth?

Dear Friends

The latest round of 'Wikileaks' may well be a victory for freedom of speech and expose the intentions of certain global stakeholders particularly in the middle-east.

However it will help to destroy carefully crafted bridges between common people especially neighbours of different faiths who are merely attempting to lead honest and decent lives. The 'trust deficit' will deepen and mass egos sustained by relatively few zealots on all sides will be fanned and inflamed. And the greatest casualty will be inter-faith friendships.

Consequently inter-faith dialogue work becomes even more important and soul-workers will have to become a-political and put humanity FIRST.

I am reminded of the following divine inspirations:

Matthew 5:5 - Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Surah 28: Verse 5 - And We desired to show favour unto those who were oppressed in the earth, and to make them examples and to make them the inheritors


Faisal

Keep climbing...

Dear Friends

A highly qualified colleague of mine who is also a brilliant scholar made a 'killer' remark:

''Faisal you are only as good as your last lecture or research paper''.

There will always be someone who is better in the worldly and otherworldly spheres.

The inner-work continues…And I am reminded of a classic Zen tale where we are implored to keep climbing even when we reach the summit…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK1yGn9bt34 

Faisal

Supplicating to Allah...

Dear Friends

We could all learn to supplicate to God like the great Francis of Assisi:

Dear God, please reveal to us your sublime

beauty that is everywhere, everywhere,

everywhere, so that we will never again

feel frightened.

My divine love, my love, please let us touch

your face.

(St. Francis of Assisi)

 

Faisal

'Cooking' & 'Sharing' Faith...

Dear Friends

Take a sweet dream
Mix some  tear drops
A dash of hope
Not forgetting some desire
Bake in your heart till golden
And share the faith...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7ZnnHCtlv8


http://www.youtube.com/user/WindsofMercy#p/u/3/bJvLnAvGglY


And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the worlds.(Quran 21:107)


Yaa Haq!

Faisal

ZEITGEIST...

Dear Friends

I recently discovered the meaning of the German word - ZEITGEIST. It means the spirit of the age…a wonderful gem!

The current Zeitgeist across Europe is fear. Fear of sustained economic turbulence coupled with an almost schizophrenic fear of Political Islam.

Personally I feel Muslims should operate from a standpoint of faith rather than belief as this would dampen negative perceptions of Islam and suffocate Political Islam which is a problem. Faith is something universal and facilitates authentic dialogue and trust which is so lacking between the 3 great monotheistic Religions. It is such a shame that Muslims, Christians and Jews do not get on better as our common patriarch is the great Abraham (pbuh) whose hallmark was his intense faith & devotion to God.

There are too many 'gate keepers' in Islam, Christianity and Judaism who have a disproportionate amount of power. And it is high time that we believers take the initiative and kick down these doors and start sharing our HEARTS.

Just like Jesus (pbuh) who preferred to be with and heal lepers or Moses (pbuh) who left the comfort of Pharaohs palace to be with his mother or Muhammed (pbuh) who empowered a Black Slave to rebel against and forgive his cruel slave master…Inshallah / God Willing!

Peace be to you, fear not.  ~Genesis 43:23

Faisal

Sufi Eros...

Dear Friends

The Sufi Philosophy of Eros or Love is deeply painful yet life affirming as it is rooted in hardcore experience.

It is a 3 dimensional jewel beginning with lust, transforming into platonic love and then rebirth in and beyond the God / The Truth / Allah / Brahman. The key to the journey of love is desire which is in contradistinction to other traditions such as Buddhism which attempt to nullify it.

Platonic love washes away the rust of the heart and prepares it for the gentle yet heavy landing of The Truth…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO5TDmYmUnY

Yaa Haq..

Faisal

The 'Mystic Coffee Cup'...

Dear Friends

I was recently enjoying a cup of coffee on my way to work. As I looked out at the majestic scenery I reflected how these hills & plains were here before I was born, and will remain after I complete my earthly 'career' and move on…

I turned to take another sip of coffee and noticed that it had a wonderful inscription on it:

''Sit and relax

whispered the

tree to the bird…''

Faisal

EID REVOLUTION...

Dear Friends

Eid Mubarak / Greetings to all my readers! : )

Muslims celebrate the devotion of the great Prophet Abraham (pbuh) by performing the annual pilgrimage in Mecca. There are currently 3 million pilgrims in Mecca as you kindly read.

The celebrations culminate in a mass slaughter of animals. The spiritual if not real lesson is to dampen if not annihilate the ego which is the root cause of all socio-transpersonal-economic problems.

Thus my new vision statement from now on is:

'BE THE CHANGE I DEMAND…'

Beginning with micro gestures such as smiling more and letting train passengers get on board before me…

POWER TO THE HEART!

Faisal

Gidiyorum...

Dear Friends

When I was living and working in Istanbul I would often listen to Kazim Koyuncu. I only realised towards the end of my 3 month sojourn that he had passed away. I was absolutely gutted...Such a young man...When ever I listen to this track I am transported to the Bosphorus and the streets of Istanbul...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2LvqSKo_o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-4BPq9KLyc&feature=related

Anatolian, as is most Muslim culture, is deeply nostalgic and emotional which is its strength and flaw. Hospitality especially spiritual is the hallmark of my culture…

Gidiyorum…I am leaving

Rishi Faisal

Journey to Leadership...

Dear Friends

I have just emerged after 3 days of 'Leadership Training' which has been breathtaking to say the least. Thirteen days, over the next 12 months, remain and I wonder what will accrue...Our Tutors / Facilitators are world class authorities in their fields coupled with the finest business acumen.  

Personally the big break through has been that in a nut shell leadership is influence, nothing more and nothing less. And therefore the good news is that everyone is a LEADER!  YES!  ME!  YOU!  EVERY ONE!!!…

Consequently the challenge is to rise to the mantle of leadership and seize the opportunity to change.

'By doing you BECOME…'

…and the journey has begun with earnest…

 

Rishi Faisal

Ps  - Do please check out:

http://www.integralleadership.com/

Broken Hearts...

Dear Friends

Broken Hearts are the stuff of spirituality and above all love / ishq…Why do humans hurt each other so much? Is the pain a prerequisite to enlightenment?  If so why bother with love or spirituality or BOTH?

A Zen sage cried not so long ago a clue to the above conundrums…

When your bow is broken

And your last arrow spent

Then shoot

Shoot with your whole heart…


This is the human condition and tragedy that not until our hearts are broken and gushing a story we will and CANNOT GROW AND ABOVE ALL LOVE...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMD2TwRvuoU


Rishi Faisal

Jewish Inspiration!

Friends

Please watch this and share...TRULY REMARKABLE!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwR0QFgNT28

This is my history as well...for all human beings are connected at a deeply subtle yet fundamental level.


Shalom / Salaam / Peace...

Rishi Faisal

The 'Raging Silence'...

Dear Friends

We discussed a beautiful concept this morning entitled 'Hidden Curriculum' in my weekly PGCLTHE  class which is the other knowledge that is unwittingly transmitted to students such as educator attitude and demeanour which is equally as important as the formal curriculum. Since I have become an educator I have become even more fascinated in people to people encounters and we must admit that we 'say' more than we speak.

This got me thinking about  one of the names of Allah namely Al Batin - THE HIDDEN. This attribute of Allah has been associated with hidden or esoteric knowledge and Allah operating behind the scenes.

I personally feel that Al Batin is similar to the pedagogical concept above but it is more conscious such as a smile which is a form of charity in Islam. And Masters of Wisdom such as The Sufis are experts at instructing even in silence…

A toast to the raging silence…

Rishi Faisal

Prayer begins when it ends...

Dear Friends

Quaker meetings for worship are conducted in silence for 30 minutes, all are welcome and crucially anyone who is moved by the spirit can give a ministry.  I used to attend Quaker meetings very regularly in down town Manchester and some of my finest epiphanies were experienced with them. It was during one memorable session that an elderly Quaker got up and stated that meetings for worship begin when they end. I was stunned.

It was the first time that I appreciated what my current Sufi Teacher had taught me namely that prayer should transcend the prayer mat into our day to day lives otherwise it has become inverted if not a subtle show of ego / nafs. She later concluded that this is the Quranic ‘establishment of Prayer’. Also that orthopraxy / right conduct is superior to orthodoxy / right thought.

Prayer is a deeply private matter and its zenith is when it becomes a dialogue between wo(man) and God  just as Martin Buber brilliantly augured. Sometimes it appears and feels that God is not listening but unexpectedly something happens that knocks you for 6, in the cricketing sense! Other times the dialogue can be informal such as walking or whilst day dreaming but just as powerful and valid rather than in any ritualised form such as facing Mecca 5 times a day or in a Saturday night evening gathering in a Synagogue. Since God is closer than the jugular vein emphatically claims the Quran.

Prayer is petrol for the soul especially when it is hurting or broken and allows it to soar beyond the heavens into the loving and sweet embrace of the source...the soul emerges strengthened if not emboldened and above all revitalised...

Call out if not pine for Brahman / God and watch the magic unfold...

Alone to Alone...

Rishi Faisal

'Temenos'...

Dear Friends

I have long viewed ‘my’ classroom at the micro level as the Greek ‘temenos’ that is a space ‘cut-off’ and assigned a ‘special domain’ with the purpose of imparting knowledge and where the student emerges changed.

However, I am also beginning to appreciate the whole University if not society as ‘temenos’ and beginning to have an inkling of why Muhammed (pbuh) stated 14 centuries ago that the whole world is a ‘Mosque’. Consequently everything especially the environment and human relationships become sacred and reverential, thus exploitation of any type whether human or socio-economic becomes problematic if not sinful.

Has the continuous secularisation if not devaluation of the sacred caused more harm than good? Why do we find social networking pleasurable and communication with our neighbour or siblings / family / relatives so difficult? What is the solution to the post-modern malaise, namely that we have the power to obliterate the whole of life in a matter of hours?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_ALElMLpRA

Yes the return to the innocence...

‘’There is nothing higher than the truth’’...Plotinus

Rishi Faisal

The Journey...

Dear Friends

Several days ago I called a very close friend in the USA as I was waiting for my late evening train. He sounded rather bemused and enquired why I had called. I was a little taken aback.

Then he proceeded to inform me that his father had passed away in the early hours. I was shocked and became silent.

After what seemed a very long time I asked how he was doing and offered the traditional Universalist Muslim prayer:

Inna Lillaahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raaji'oon

'To God we belong and to Him is our return'.

We spoke briefly and I counselled as best as I could.

Its moments like these when one is forced to see the bigger picture.  I try to remind myself (and my students) that they should never confuse the trees for the forest…

"The unexamined life is not worth living."  Socrates

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO1pAOxWLWo&feature=related

Rishi Faisal

Honey for the soul...

Dear Friends

“You will never be alone with a poet in your pocket,” John Adams wrote to his son, John Quincy, in May of 1781.

So let Rumi sing...

Moving Water

When  you do things from your soul, you feel a river

moving in you, a joy.

When actions come from another section, the feeling

disappears.  Don't let

others lead you.  They may be blind or, worse, vultures.

Reach for the rope

of God.  And what is that?  Putting aside self-will.

Because of willfulness

people sit in jail, the trapped bird's wings are tied,

fish sizzle in the skillet.

The anger of police is willfulness.  You've seen a magistrate

inflict visible punishment.  Now

see the invisible.  If you could leave your selfishness, you

would see how you've

been torturing your soul.  We are born and live inside black water in a well.

How could we know what an open field of sunlight is? Don't

insist on going where

you think you want to go.  Ask the way to the spring.  Your

living pieces will form

a harmony.  There is a moving palace that floats in the air

with balconies and clear

water flowing through, infinity everywhere, yet contained

under a single tent.

From The Glance

by Coleman Barks

Rishi Faisal

STUDENT FIRST!

Dear Friends

When I began teaching I always put knowledge first, then the student and finally the institution.

HOWEVER, there has been a major change if not paradigm shift in my thinking now it is STUDENT FIRST…

Challenge, empower, and judiciously guide the student then the rest will follow…The knowledge will flow and the institution will grow and so will the educator i.e. a virtuous circle.

I now appreciate why the founder of Bose, Dr. Amar G. Bose, who was also a Professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) used to mix his classes with all abilities and push them hard. Consequently all the class dramatically improved even the students who were perceived to be 'mediocre'. BOSE continue to give back…

http://www.bose.co.uk/GB/en/about-bose/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsHkGfHmoFE&feature=related

Enjoy! : )

Rishi Faisal

ROCKING STUDENTS!!!

Dear Friends

I just emerged from a class of first years shell shocked! Seriously! : )~

The students were expected to read some research papers and critically present their findings. And all four groups gave top notch Power Point presentations! This was above and beyond the call of duty…

Awesome!

Lazy students! Humbug!!!

This one is for them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVrbVMYKc94&feature=related

The road to success is always under construction…

Party On!

Rishi Faisal

Life Choices!

Dear Friends

Sometimes I wish my life was a neat equation like E=MC² where I know all the inputs and can successfully predict all the outputs.

I vividly remember the day when I graduated, 15^th July 1997, I was suited and gowned and my beaming mum watched me collect my degree. I had my whole life planned out. 16^th July onwards my life has been one big roller coaster. Or has it? Am I not the master of my destiny? And what about that wonderful Universal law entitled Karma i.e. what you sow is what you reap.

I have had a rather unorthodox career, managed to pack in some serious air miles and met many weird and wonderful people. Ultimately everyone has to take responsibility for their life choices and I really impinge this upon my students especially the first years.

I would not change anything to date.

A toast to the next 50 years!!!

Rishi Faisal

Sufi Bollywood!

Dear Friends

This is an example of what I call pure Sufi Bolllywood namely drama, hope, pain, a dream and finally a victory…and so much wisdom! Not forgetting the tears…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTUjZ7d0mf0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhIsbzANfj4&feature=related

Apologies the songs are in Hindi but any one with a heart will get them!  : )

Keep jamming & dreaming!

Rishi Faisal

Getting Drunk - the Sufi Way!

Dear Friends

A Sufi once remarked that not until you become drunk over a glass of water you have 'tasted' / actualised nothing and should re-consider your spiritual modus-operandi…

Rather harsh. However there is much merit in the above. Take a glass of water. Ponder over the literally billions of processes to get the water to you. The river, the ocean, the rain clouds, the droplets, the rain showers, the complex chemical processes, the water company…It is humbling to say the least!

No water. No life.

My hearing, sight, my tongue and hand: all He.
Then I am not, for all that is, is He.
I think I am, and thought is but a dream.
When I awake, all that remains is He.
- Baba Afzal Kashini

For me the glass in always half full…

Rishi Faisal

Humility...

Dear Friends

I feel the crown of the educator / teacher is humility. This is best demonstrated by the timeless Sufi / Vedantic symbol of the heavily laden fruit tree in contradistinction to the proud pine tree. The former is malleable and flexible if not worshipful and during times of crisis will go with the flow.

What ensures humility is constructive feedback especially complaints which can be demoralising but are excellent manure for the soul yielding much insight and self-knowledge.

Discere Docendo...To learn through teaching!

Rishi Faisal

''Student as CUSTOMER''...

Dear Friends

Since the introduction of tuition fees in English Higher Education the concept of ‘student as customer’ has become very popular.

Personally I absolutely detest this concept as it implies the customer namely the student is always right. How can that be? Education is not some commodity that can be bought and sold. Students cannot expect a certain grade after investing x amount of pounds! Surely educators should not pander to their students egos? Educators are not customer service agents.

I currently have 2 student constituencies namely undergraduate and professional. I feel my relationship with both should be one of mutually earned respect and admiration. Thus I see my undergraduate students as ‘partners’ where we are both on a journey of collective and individual discovery. I will endeavour to challenge them and guide them to make good choices.

I view my professional students as ‘colleagues’ as they are preparing for tough exams which I too have obtained. I will do my utmost to ‘sweat’ with them and hold their hands and assure them that they can and will pass.

"Meliora Cogito"... (I strive for the best)

Rishi Faisal

German Inspiration!

Dear Friends

This morning whilst on the train I read the obituary of the pioneering German mountaineer - Kurt Albert. The late Kurt Albert dispensed with protection to free-climb the world's most difficult routes.

I was deeply impressed and inspired. It is these unsung heroes that make this life so interesting and rewarding. These inspirational folks prove what focus, determination, guts and sheer 'bloody mindedness' can actualise.

Kurt died doing what he loved…God Bless Him!

Rishi Faisal

Confucius says...

Dear Friends

I adore the following adage by Confucius:

"Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself."

This is true empathy and compassion without jeopardising individuality or self worth. It is also great for team building and cross-departmental working as everyone is viewed as a HUMAN BEING not human doing.

"Where so ever you go, go with all your heart."

Rishi Faisal

'Un Learning'...

Dear Friends

The key to any authentic spiritual path such as Buddhism is the wonderful concept of 'Un Learning' which is deeply paradoxical in nature. The following Zen story illustrates the latter and this is part of the reason why I love working with freshers / freshman's and undergraduates / seniors:

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

I have already identified some future stars and pray that these students and the others cut the mustard!

A toast to Beginners Mind!

Rishi Faisal

COST REDUCTION v cost cutting...

Dear Friends

Tomorrow the coalition government will announce sweeping cuts to the Public Sector and Higher Education is set to experience savage cut backs.

I wish the politicians would emphasise cost reduction rather than cost cuts. Since in the former costs are reduced while attempting to protect if not enhance quality. This is a continuous process and should be part of the fabric of any organisation especially in the public sector regardless of whether there is an economic downturn or not. Cost reduction has its roots in my favourite Japanese business philosophy namely KAIZEN.

The following joke illustrates the aforementioned concepts.

''President Clinton ordered a cost saving program to the U.S. Army commander. "Cut anywhere, but you must cut in any way possible."

OK said the commander and looked around at some way to cut spending. Perhaps if he could get rid of some old records, that may please the President. So he went to the storage depot and discovered that the Army still had menus and supply orders of food from the Civil War. Very pleased showed the President, and asked if he might destroy all the documents.

      

 "Why, yes," said Clinton.  "But be sure to make two copies of each before you do."

Rishi Faisal