ROMESH'S A4 isms

Advice for myself

1.
Think in what ways one can do
the greatest good.

2.
Think about the possibility of the
opposite of what you see or hear,
in order to recognise propaganda,
deception and euphemisms.

3.
Be sceptical but not cynical or
paranoid.

4.
Be open-minded but not gullible.
5.
Be alert to false paradoxes. Some
supposed paradoxes are
contradictions. Others are
deceptive truisms.

6.
Maintain cheerful optimism in the
face of hardship.

7.
Recognise that positive efforts
bring positive results.

8.
Recognise angels and saints in
daily life. Angels are messengers
of beauty and saints are
exemplars of virtue.

9.
Develop virtues and virtuous
actions on a daily basis.
10.
Speak your mind with tact and
discretion.

11.
Indulge in daily creative activity.

12.
Strive to understand the flow and
rhythms of nature.

13.
Strive to understand the other
sentient beings we share the
planet with.

14.
Aim for perfection but do not be
discouraged by imperfection.

15.
Aim for self-improvement rather
than beating others.
16.
Aim for excellence in ones
endeavours.

17.
Choose peace-bringing, health-
bringing ethical occupations.

18.
Realise there are many good
options for activity at any
moment.

19.
Refine your vocabulary and use a
vocabulary your audience
understands.

20.
Know the meaning of words you
use.

21.
Strive for deeper understanding
and wisdom.

22.
Strive for greater love for others.

23.
Strive for greater love of plants.

24.
Strive for greater love of animals.

25.
Strive for greater love of trees
and forests.

26.
Strive for greater love of
mountains, valleys, rivers and
streams.
27.
Strive for greater love of the rain
and the ocean.

28.
Strive for greater love of birds.
29.
Strive to recognise different types
of bird, animal and plant.

30.
Learn new names, definitions and
facts to integrate into a holistic
view of the world.

31.
Collect relative and absolute
truths in your mind.

32.
Collect a list of new virtues you
can acquire and develop those
you already have.

33.
Know yourself and be sincere.

34.
Apply the same standards in
judging yourself as with others.

35.
Find your own meaning for life.
36.
Recognise mistakes in thought
and action and be ready to
apologise when your conscience
dictates it.

37.
Listen and look around yourself
for beauty.

38.
Create beauty in the space
around you.

39.
Try to enjoy conversations by
turning the discussion to things
that matter.
40.
Be polite even when faced with
rudeness and efforts to humiliate
or anger.

41.
Try not to panic. Panic causes
irrational behaviour.
42.
Try not to lose your temper. Rage
causes irrational behaviour.

43.
Believe only what appears still to
be true after quiet reflection.

44.
Be inspired by others' virtues,
achievements and success rather
than jealous or discouraged.

45.
Remember the past with
increasing clarity as you
understand more about the past
by remaining observant in the
present.

46.
Remain vigilant in protection of
the defenceless.

47.
Support the oppressed and stand
up to bullies and oppressors.

48.
Develop order out of chaos, when
chaos presents itself.

49.
Create beauty out of ugliness.

50.
Smile at strangers unless your
instincts advise you otherwise.

51.
Trust people who are sincere and
demonstrate their sincerity by
actions that match their words.

52.
Be especially kind to old people
and children, because children
will learn to be kind if they are
treated kindly and old people
have usually suffered greatly
during their long lives.

53.
Try to learn for the sake of
wisdom rather than degrees or
qualifications.

54.
Avoid greed, including emotional
greed.
55.
Avoid intoxication.

13.12.07

56.
When parenting, recreate what is
best remembered of ones
childhood but remember to avoid
the mistakes of ones parents.

57.
When reading, be more
concerned with depth of
understanding than speed.

58.
When writing, be more concerned
with clarity and calligraphy than
speed.

59.
When calculating, realise that
numbers and statistics are often
used to deceive, but are
necessary to understand
probability and certainty.

60.
When reading, avoid being
hypnotised and brainwashed, but
read with sympathy without
prejudgement.

62.
When writing, avoid being an
obedient slave to tradition, but
learn from the great writers.
63.
Few great writers were not great
readers.

64.
When counting, consider the
costs to the planet we live in.

65.
When planting trees do not forget
the grasses that bind the soil.

66.
When planting grasses do not
forget the worms that turn the
soil.

67.
When fighting plagues of
mosquitoes, remember that
tadpoles and fish eat mosquito
larvae.
68.
When fighting the war against
cancer, remember the displaced
people of the Pacific Islands that
were exploded with atomic bombs
in the cause of 'lasting peace'.

69.
When fighting the war against
violence, remember that peace
begins with love, not hate.

6.3.2008

70.
Remember that haste generates
mistakes.

71.
Be careful but not over-cautious.
72.
Trust in the future.

73.
Have faith in human nature.

74.
Laugh with others, but at the right
things.

75.
Avoid sarcasm but delight in
irony.

76.
Listen to criticism without
defensiveness.

77.
Make the most of what you have.

78.
Be thankful for your gifts.
79.
Be generous to those in need,
especially with your time.

80.
Do not be afraid to touch people.

81.
Be gentle and kind.

82.
Be patient with those who think or
move slowly.

83.
Remember that others' interests
are central to their lives.

84.
Treat others as you would like to
be treated, unless you are a
masochist!

85.
Take risks, unless you are a
gambler.

86.
Eat, drink and be merry when
others eat, drink and are merry.

87.
Learn to use your hands and feet
with wisdom.

88.
Learn to be aware of all your
senses.

89.
Increase the dexterity of your
hands by practice of valuable
movements.
90.
Playing any musical instrument
can be a spiritual exercise, as can
singing.

91.
Be quick to praise but not to
flatter.

92.
Do not boast or exaggerate your
achievements.

93.
Do not be proud of your race or
family but have respect for all
who are worthy of respect.

94.
Do not give up or give in except
when you are in the wrong.

95.
Recognise the difference between
selfish and selfless anger.

96.
Respect altruism.

97.
Respect ahimsa.

98.
Respect wisdom.

99.
Arrogance creates ignorance.

100.
Only by recognising our mistakes
can we correct them.
7.5.09

101.
Competence leads to confidence
and confidence leads to
competence, but over-confidence
leads to disastrous incompetence.

102.
Everyone is changing all the time,
if I want to change in the direction
I choose, I have to make choices
and exert my free will.

103.
The man who doesn’t believe in
free will must think we are all
puppets and robots.

104.
Quiet achievers are drowned and
forgotten in the history of
boasting by the grand and
pompous.

105.
Humour is the saviour of a happy
relationship.
106.
Every degree and diploma comes
with a box in which the mind is
confined.

107.
A child, man, a woman or a
community, a state, or a nation,
do not become safer through the
acquisition of weapons.

108.
To listen before one speaks is a
sign of wisdom.

109.
To speak while others are
speaking is best left to the bird-
brains.

111.
Arguing for the sake of arguing is
not the real skill of debating.
When people seek to argue with
you, choose to debate or depart,
depending on their manner.

112.
When the bully-boys come, do not
resist, and do not run. Look them
in the eye and maintain your
dignity. Speak quietly but firmly –
do not raise your voice or swear.

113.
When the bully-boys reach for
their waist, close your eyes tight,
for they are going to spray you in
the eyes with capsicum. It really
hurts.

114.
If you are unlucky, the bully-boys
are reaching for a baton. If that
happens, closing your eyes and
pretending to be unconscious
when you hit the ground makes it
less likely they’ll hit you again.

115.
If you are really unlucky, they’ll
be reaching for a Taser. You’ll
know if that’s the case, because
you’ll find yourself screaming in
pain. Don’t worry, though, most of
the pain goes as soon as they
stop the 50,000 volts and
handcuff you.

116.
If you are very unlucky indeed,
they’ll be reaching for their gun. If
that’s the case you’ve probably
had it. Your best chance is to put
your hand over your face to
lessen the effects of the bullet.