Two Paths — A Vipassana meditator’s thoughts on how ancient teachings can forestall today’s dangers

May be the most important video-message I've made.

Key Ideas:

- The indefinite coexistence of human suffering and modern weapons will destroy humans.

- Let us focus on a more practical and attainable global peace and harmony, based not a sudden revolution or transformation of human nature, but rather on a more systematic, more steady, and more global eradication of human suffering, by the cultivation of inner peace within individuals.

Two Insights:

- The Highest Welfare is a mind that is unshaken by life’s vicissitudes.

- If there is no peace in the mind of the individual I can’t understand how there can be real peace in the human world.

________

Time Stamp: 00:32 . Warning. Fog of War. Robert McNamara. 01:08 . Agenda. 01:46 . Topic 1. Ancient Teachings. An Ancient Prophecy. Four Great Lives. 01:59 . Great Life #1 Sidhartha Gautama The Buddha. 04:30 . Great Life #2 Emperor Ashoka the Great. 05:21 . Ancient Prophecy. 06:36 . Great Life #3 Sayagyi U Ba Khin. 08:15 . Great Life #4 Acharya S.N. Goenka. 11:10 . Topic 2. My recent engagement with the ancient teachings. 21:40 . Topic 3. Warning & Speculation. 30:40 . Dedication. 30:56 . Documentaries Worth Watching

Story behind this video:

Ever since I engaged (Jan 2018) with the Vipassana Meditation world, I sensed that it had the potential to transform our world.

How?

By transforming our relation to “suffering-unsatisfactoriness-dissatisfaction”. And by providing a “path-prescription-roadmap” to cultivating inner peace inside individuals.

As my practice continued and deepened, I was ever more convinced, that this was indeed the case.

Initially I was reluctant to make this video as I felt it was presumptuous and pretentious for me to articulate such sweeping and consequential ideas. I wondered, “Who am I to do this?” I simply didn’t feel confident enough or comfortable enough.

On Dec 12th 2020, I received an email from TED (Global Idea Search 2021) inviting me to submit a proposal. TED’s mission: “To hear big, bold ideas from every corner of the map!”

This is absolutely a “Big, Bold Idea”. And it is absolutely an “Idea Worth Spreading”.

I now wondered, “Why not give this a try?”

So I submitted a proposal on Jan 1, 2021. https://youtu.be/VuHys7SfqHU .

Unfortunately, I was informed (Feb 24, 2021) that this idea was not selected as a finalist : (

Cest la vie : )

Before the response from TED, I wrote a draft script, and made some slides.

I reviewed the content and ideas for coherence, value, and structure with friends and family.

I finally committed to this project after getting feedback that it was indeed coherent and valuable. And that it flowed smoothly, was well structured, and thoroughly thought through.

I hope you agree : )

________

Most Important Question

________

________

#Vipassana, #Meditation, #VipassanaMeditation, #Buddha, #TheBuddha, #SiddharthaGautama, #SiddharthaGotama, #EmperorAshoka, #AshokaThe Great, #Sayagyi, #SayagyiUBaKhin, #SNGoenka, #AcharyaSNGoenka, #DhammaSiri, #Kaufman, KaufmanTexas, #HighestWelfare, #Peace, #PeaceAnd Harmony, #GlobalPeaceAndHarmony, #FourNobleTruths, #NobleEightfoldPath, #InnerPeace, #Suffering, #Dissatisfaction, #Unsatisfactoriness, #FogOfWar, #RobertMcNamara, #JFK, #JohnFKennedy, #StrategyOfPeace, #CubanMissileCrisis, #OctoberCrisis, #CaribbeanCrisis, #RashidKapadia, #NecessaryBridges, #RNKNecessaryBridge