RESOLUTIONARY IDEAS STEWART LEVINE, Esq., RESOLUTIONARY Most don't know what to do... Unknown There is a lot going on in the world - war, recall, leaks just to mention a few things in the headlines. I hope I can bring some perspective that puts you back on the ground and in direct contact with what's important to you, which we often lose as we catapult our lives forward. In my effort to bring things forward I invite you to share ideas and short articles you feel are important. Asking for ******************************************************************** On the passing of Johnny Cash my friend Ann Matranga sent me his song. I wasn't a huge fan, but these lyrics demonstrate why he was so beloved. MAN IN BLACK by Johnny Cash Well, you wonder why I always dress in black, I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down, I wear the black for those who never read, Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose, I wear it for the sick and lonely old, And, I wear it for the thousands who have died, Well, there's things that never will be right I know, Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day, ******************************************************************* 2. CHOICE CHOICE How will you be recorded in the annals of your soul Who are your real heroes, how have they served their ends Who is the you that's in there, buried in your mist Leaders jump onto the stage, with their end in mind You get to chose your fate now, is it life or death What makes you a human, what traits set you apart Now's the time to act out, from your highest self ************************************************************* 3. WISDOM For the simplicity this side of complexity I would not give a fig for, but for the simplicity the other side of complexity I would give my life for. If you have to choose between fame and fortune choose fortune first because fame is a full time job. 4 MONK IN THE LAB By TENZIN GYATSO [Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama] These are times when destructive emotions like anger, fear and hatred are giving rise to devastating problems throughout the world. While the daily news offers grim reminders of the destructive power of such emotions, the question we must ask is this: What can we do, person by person, to overcome them? Of course such disturbing emotions have always been part of the human condition. Some -- those who tend to believe nothing will "cure" our impulses to hate or oppress one another -- might say that this is simply the price of being human. But this view can create apathy in the face of destructive emotions, leading us to conclude that destructiveness is beyond our control. I believe that there are practical ways for us as individuals to curb our dangerous impulses -- impulses that collectively can lead to war and mass violence. As evidence I have not only my spiritual practice and the understanding of human existence based on Buddhist teachings, but now also the work of scientists. For the last 15 years I have engaged in a series of conversations with Western scientists. We have exchanged views on topics ranging from quantum physics and cosmology to compassion and destructive emotions. I have found that while scientific findings offer a deeper understanding of such fields as cosmology, it seems that Buddhist explanations -- particularly in the cognitive, biological and brain sciences -- can sometimes give Western-trained scientists a new way to look at their own fields. It may seem odd that a religious leader is so involved with science, but Buddhist teachings stress the importance of understanding reality, and so we should pay attention to what scientists have learned about our world through experimentation and measurement. Similarly, Buddhists have a 2,500-year history of investigating the workings of the mind. Over the millenniums, many practitioners have carried out what we might call "experiments" in how to overcome our tendencies toward destructive emotions. I have been encouraging scientists to examine advanced Tibetan spiritual practitioners, to see what benefits these practices might have for others, outside the religious context. The goal here is to increase our understanding of the world of the mind, of consciousness, and of our emotions. **************************************************************** From Paul Lehto, a member of the Bar Trustees.... Amazing! A "blue ribbon" group of retired Supreme Court justices, Governors and others is being assembled to implement the new "Strategic Goal #6": THE WSBA WILL ACKNOWLEDGE AND LEAD IN THE EMERGING AND CHANGING ROLE OF LAWYERS IN RESOLVING DISPUTES. A. Help lawyers better understand and use a broad range of problem resolution techniques such as collaborative practice, restorative justice and facilitative mediation (their current term for "our" mediation type). B. Appropriate type of process for resolution of the dispute differs by the type of dispute or issue in controversy. C. Bar News issues devoted to appropriate dispute resolution (the new name for ADR) and/or alternative dispute resolution. D. Develop practicum about problem resolution tools. E. Teach model and offer support on how technology can augment practices. F. Encourage members to view the client as both a client and a human being. G. Teach client and lawyer listening skills H. Foster the picture of lawyers as representatives of a "legal angle" crisis manager, listener, helper and healer. I. Hold a symposium about streamlining or ELIMINATING (my emphasis) the adversarial system where it is cumbersome, expensive, or does not allow people to tell their story. J. Reconsider the litigation model, initially in target areas like consumer matters, using empowered mediators, judge-investigators or special masters, realize that in areas such as family law litigation causes too much damage to litigants unless disputes simply can't be resolved any other way, and remove incentives for parties to engage in encouraging slowness or cumbersomeness in the current process. ******************************************************************* Please send your website... 7. UPCOMING EVENTS > October 10, 2003 - Keynote, International Alliance of Holostic Lawyers, Boston www.IAHL.org > December 7-14 IBI Global Faculty, Los Angeles www.IBIGlobal.com > January 21, 2004 Keynote, NASA Goddard Space Center, Greenbelt, MD
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