ELTON JOHN AT EPHESUS - THE FIRST MAJOR PAY-PER-VIEW INTERNET BROADCAST

(Elton performing his solo concert at Ephesus)

Although I had presented many major popular stars (and many Jazz artists) on stage between 1973 and 1982 including Michael Jackson & the Jackson Five, Diana Ross, Tom Waits, Willie Nelson, The Temptations, Four Tops, Three Degrees, Iggy Pop, Tony Bennett, Beach Boys, Dionne Warwick, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Buddy Rich, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Earl Klugh, Dizzy Gillespie and a stack of others - I had been working in the performing arts almost exclusively from 1981 to 1994 with the great ballet and opera companies (The Bolshoi Ballet & Opera, Mariinsky Ballet & Opera, Royal Ballet etc) and in television/broadcast from 1995 to 1999 so it was quite a surprise to be back presenting a major rock star ELTON JOHN in Ephesus, Turkey!

Why Ephesus and why Elton John? And why the first serious Pay-Per-View Internet Broadcast?

(Great photo of Elton - photo by Hirst)

I had been working for some years to put together a satellite television network called "The Classic Music Channel" - this was intended as an MTV for the rest of us. All video clips were of a maximum five minutes in length and it was to feature virtually all types of music and the arts you couldn't then see on MTV - classic rock, dance, ballet, opera, classical music, jazz, blues, world music, musicals - you name it!

(Elton performing at Ephesus)


It was a great concept and the demo/trial videos we produced were truly fantastic - I got so much encouragement and support from the record, phone, satellite and cable companies at that time - raised significant investment in the US and London - BUT the times were changing quickly with the internet becoming increasingly important. Instead of paying millions to get a slot on a satellite to get the channel broadcasting, the internet was reaching the public for a fraction of the cost. Sadly the channel never truly got off the ground - although I truly believe it would have been a great hit especially at that time - in many ways we were ahead of our time - anyhow that is history - but how did this lead to presenting Elton John and for the first serious global pay-per-view internet broadcast?

I was trying to work out what to do when I was invited by the George Soros Cultural Foundation to visit Almaty the former capital city of Kazakhstan to lecture to the arts institutions on how to survive in the 21st Century! Well, I hadn't figured that out for myself let alone the arts companies in Kazakhstan :) Anyhow Katya my wife at that time (her father had been a famous actor in the Soviet Union Idris Nogaibayev was a Kazakh - her mother was also a wonderful actress) boarded the plane at London's Heathrow Airport and a few hours later we landed in Almaty. The trip was an extraordinary experience - we were welcomed and looked after fabulously - the lectures went well - once I had overcome my nervousness, we formed a great group of creative people examining everything from international negotiations, contracting, publicity, marketing and so forth. I remember asking the opera house and some of the companies to show me their publicity and they would deliver a poor black and white photo taken decades ago - which would be enough to keep them out of work for life!

(Katya and I in Almaty, Kazakhstan - article in the national newspaper)


It was a wonderful experience and we all learned a lot a lot about one another - and then within weeks I was contacted to provide artists for the Forbidden City Festival of the August Moon in Beijing - I was back in the impresario business full time again.

My accountant and old friend Philip Austin contacted me and told me that two of his clients had made significant funds in the internet business and wanted to develop on-line concerts - could I secure a contract with Elton John for a pay-per-view concert - the first big pay-per-view concert ever? Although I had worked with many leading pop/rock artists before 1981 when we started our Soviet decade, I had never worked with Elton. 

(Elton thrilling the audience singing "the Circle of Life")


It didn't take long to research Elton's management team and off I went to meet Frank Presland and Keith Bradley. Both Keith and Frank were enormously helpful and friendly and we quickly agreed a contract. Frankly speaking (no pun intended) it was hard to quantify levels of fees because no-one had done this before. Yes, there had been a few internet broadcasts of shows and indeed Madonna was at that time planning a free on-line broadcast. However, we were going one important step further - would the global public pay to listen and watch a concert on their computer screens?

(Ephesus is truly wonderful)


I had been in touch with a number of festivals throughout the Middle East and many were keen to have an artist of the stature of Elton John perform - I had been working previously with the fabulous Beiteddine Festival in the glorious Chouf Hills of Lebanon and also with the Izmir Arts Festival in Izmir, Turkey. This is a wonderful festival run by Filiz Sarper and her great team - they present this festival every summer and feature a great range of leading artists. After much debate we decided to present Elton as part of the Izmir Festival at the historic and incredibly beautiful Roman amphitheatre at Ephesus. This amphitheatre had originally been built in the Hellenistic Period in the 3rd century BC and expanded in the Roman period to 25,000 seats - made up of 66 rows of seats in 3 horizontal sections.

(The magnificent amphitheatre at Ephesus where the concert too place)


Elton's management agreed terms and contracts were signed and furthermore we reached agreement to also film after the Ephesus show Elton at the Palace of Catherine the Great, situated in the village of Pushkin (formerly Tsarskoye Selo) outside St Petersburg in Russia. This magnificent palace was the summer palace of the Tsars and was intended to be the site of the second broadcast filmed a couple of days later (for future transmission)

Elton performing during the concert)


You can imagine the organisation that went into this - getting the film company Done and Dusted (Simon Pizzey) with Director (Dick Carruthers) contracted - flying the film equipment and the team to Izmir - on top of that Keith Bradley and his team had to fly Elton's special piano to Turkey and we all had to get this large grand piano carried across the Roman ruins to reach the stage plus the sound & lighting equipment, microphones, sound and lighting desks! Not the easiest place to film and perform a concert...and then after the show unpack everything and fly to Russia - I must have been mad arranging all of this - CRAZY!

(Elton about to go on stage at the magnificent Palace of Catherine the Great in St Petersburg)


I now had to negotiate and agree the internet broadcast deal - after lengthy discussions with Microsoft in London and California we agreed a deal and contracts were signed - I had managed to get Microsoft to agree millions of Dollars worth of promo online, which was exciting.

(Elton's promotion when I took him later to the Kremlin Palace in Moscow)


I put together a great team Anthony Phillips (former Director the Royal Festival Hall and the South Bank Complex), Brian Theobald (Managing Director of BPR Productions - who booked Ronnie Scott's Club and promoted a host of the great Jazz concerts to take place in the UK and Europe - Brian became my partner for a number of years when we promoted Buddy Rich, Miles Davis and many others), Chris Gelardi and with our production team we all flew to Izmir.

I had gone ahead to handle the press and press conference together with Filiz Sarper the President of the Izmir Festival and we got some great press and TV coverage - very amusingly one national Turkish newspaper had a large picture of me next to a photo of Elton saying I was Elton's brother!! Very funny - I wonder if Elton knew he had a brother he'd never met before? I have no idea where they figured that from.

It was a thrill to be presenting this concert and knowing that hopefully millions of people around the world would also be watching on their computer screens. The ancient amphitheatre began filling up with people (approximately 18,000 tickets were sold) - I watched increasingly worried because this marvellous old amphitheatre was nearly 2,500 years old and hardly in the best of condition - would it cope with these thousands of people?

Also we had to create dressing rooms in the old ruins behind the stage - there were many rooms but of course having been built two thousand years ago or more they weren't exactly in pristine condition to say the least. With beautiful rugs and drapes we did our best to create an exotic Aladdin's cave for Elton and his team.  

You can see for yourselves the concert online on YouTube - Elton's solo show was brilliant and the film captures the atmosphere wonderfully. How many people viewed it online?

1.2 million tried to log on - 541 actually managed it !

The system online collapsed and simply could not cope with the volume of traffic. I will always remember being told these numbers and feeling devastated that all the effort, energy and passion that went into the project had been a waste - although we did have a superb film of the concert and the 18,000 audience at Ephesus loved the show.

We packed everything up and moved onto St.Petersburg and into the Palace of Catherine the Great - another concert, anther film - another land - so different from the land of the Greeks, Romans, Ottoman's, Attaturk to modern Turkey to the land of the Tsars and Commisars - a wonderful cultural leap - as I watched the fireworks leaping into the sky and blossoming out into a mirage of flame, colour and exciting imagery I couldn't help reflecting on how we were ahead of our time (again) - in the years to come internet concerts and online music would become an everyday experience - but in July 2001 it was new and we did it.

A final epitaph - a few weeks after the concerts I was sitting in my home and the phone rang and a senior manager at AOL called to congratulate me on the Ephesus show - I don't remember his name but he said "you must have had a very large team to put that together" - I laughingly said "no it was only me and my dog" - I looked at Misha our beautiful Tibetan Terrier and thought - don't you dare bark now! 

(Elton performing at the wonderful historic site of the Herodus Atticus beneath the 

Parthenon when we took Elton to Greece as part of the Athens Festival)

A few weeks later I took Elton John to the amazing Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon - it was another first - a major star performing in Lebanon was another coup and one I am enormously proud of  - more about that later - another blog on the concerts and shows in that amazing land. Working with Elton in many countries has been a privilege and an honour - a great singer songwriter - a true Troubadour for the 21st Century - 

Thanks for reading
Peter  

WHEN THE GREAT BALLERINA NATALIA MAKAROVA DANCED AGAIN WITH THE KIROV (MARIINSKY) BALLET

(The great ballerina Natalia Makarova as Odette and Odile)

I have been reviewing some of my earlier blogs and I remembered when we managed to bring the great ballerina Natalia Makarova back to the mighty Kirov Ballet (known today as the Mariinsky Ballet). I wish I could find the photographs of how we turned the Business Design Centre in London into a superb dance theatre - but sadly they seem to have got lost in the mists of time. However, thousands of dance and ballet fans poured into this specially constructed theatre to wonder and watch this great ballerina come back to the company that nurtured her and was home to her for so many years. The political and cultural walls were tumbling down....

(The DVD cover of when Natalia Makarova and the Kirov Ballet were reunited)

We had produced and presented the magnificent Bolshoi Ballet in an agricultural hall in Dublin (The Royal Dublin Society) and turned it into an opera house fit for Kings! We had produced and presented the Bolshoi Ballet in a massive tent in London’s Battersea Park and had the show filmed by BBC Television and broadcast in prime time on a Saturday night! Now we were going to turn London’s Business Design Centre into a theatre fit for the Queen.

(the magnificent Mariinsky/Kirov Corp de Ballet)

We had been touring the Mariinsky Ballet or the Kirov Ballet as it was more famously known in August of 1988 and had presented them at both the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and at the London Coliseum (and in New York, Washington D.C. and in the USA and Canada), but what we were about the create was something special.

(Prima Ballerina Absoluta Natalia Makarova)

The Business Design Centre in the London area of Islington is primarily a large space dedicated to businesses, conferences and exhibitions – but we were looking for a London based venue that we could turn into a splendid theatre for dance and indeed the greatest ballet dancers in the world.

(The outside of the Business Design Centre - I wish I could show you photos of how we turned this into a wonderful theatre for dance)

Not only were we going to present a stunning programme of dance we were achieving something quite extraordinary. The great Ballerina Natalia Makarova, who had defected to the West in 1970 and caused an artistic and political storm (as had Rudolf Nureyev and Misha Baryshnikov) was to be re-united with the Kirov Ballet and would perform a piece from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

But first we had to turn the empty space of the Design Centre into a world-class theatre. Architect Gar Holohan came in from Dublin and with our technical team headed by Bill Hammond we installed 3,200 seats with superb sight lines – built a magnificent stage and a grid in the roof able to take the front curtain, all the scenery and the large lighting rig. An orchestra pit was dug for the 90 musicians of the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra. BBC camera positions mounted and a ton of electronic wires covered to make the ground safe for the public. I seem to recall we were still hammering away as the public arrived!

The Kirov (Mariinsky) Ballet were magnificent - Dierdre McMahon from the Spectator described the moment:

"Tension mounted as the sellout audience of 3,200 at a London Design Center waited expectantly through four opening selections. At precisely 9:28 p.m., Makarova, now 47 and in the twilight of an illustrious career, glided onstage, surrounded by 24 elegant Kirov Swan "maidens. At the close of Makarova's flawless, nine-minute performance, the audience erupted into a thunderous, three-minute ovation. The dancer, a sheen of perspiration—and a giddy grin—on her finely boned face, accepted a bouquet of roses and plucked one, which she kissed and presented to her Russian partner, Konstantin Zaklinsky.

Later, in a joint curtain call, the other dancers gave Makarova the honor of the last solo bow. Then she briefly turned her back to the audience, and curtsied deeply to the Kirov ensemble. "It was emotional ecstasy," she said later, backstage. "I was so nervous I was shaking, shaking like I have never done before. I wanted this moment for 18 years. I never dreamed I would be able to dance with the Kirov so soon."

This was a goose bumps moment – the dancing sublime, the superb corps de ballet supreme and the magic of Natasha Makarova and Konstantin Zaklinsky on stage truly unforgettable – what’s more the BBC captured this moment and it is forever enshrined on DVD (and YouTube) for all to see and enjoy.

The New York Times reported:

"Natalia Makarova, the Russian ballerina who defected to the West 18 years ago, danced with the Kirov Ballet here last night, becoming the first Russian dancer allowed to perform with a Soviet company after emigrating to the West.

Her emotional performance of the Act II adagio from ''Swan Lake,'' her own choice for the evening, drew a standing ovation from the capacity audience at the 3,200-seat Business Design Center, where the Kirov had performed all week.

A huge smile on her face, Miss Makarova plucked a rose from her bouquet, kissed it and handed it to her partner, Konstantin Zaklinsky. She then turned her back to the audience and curtsied deeply to the Kirov dancers who filled the stage".

''It was emotional ecstasy,'' she said later in her dressing room, wearing her tutu and a white Kirov sweatshirt signed by members of the company. ''I was so nervous I was shaking, shaking like I have never done before. I wanted this moment for 18 years. I never dreamed I would be able to dance with the Kirov so soon.''

We miss the ballet – and will never forget those incredibly magical moments when Natalia Makarova danced again with the Mariinsky Ballet from St.Petersburg 

– happy and wonderful memories - thanks for reading

TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD GIVE UP TO BE HAPPY

I was reading a post someone had put on Facebook about the things we should all give up to make us happy. I normally dislike these easy quick fix lists that are supposed to be the instant solution to all of our worries and problems - however, in this case the list fascinated me because it was so true and easy to understand - see what you think? I've written my thoughts under each line item but I would love to read your comments too...

1. GIVE UP YOUR NEED TO ALWAYS BE RIGHT:

I can think of many times I have insisted I am right about something or other and ended up being wrong. Has this happened to you too? None of us can always be right and very often there is no absolute right or wrong. How many times have we met people who are always wanting to be right - never listening to others and certainly not willing to consider other people's concerns or views. We all need to begin the process of going beyond opposites such as right or wrong to get some peace in our lives. Ultimately we all want to be happy - no-one wants to suffer or be miserable - if we begin to realise that everyone suffers in some way or other and has good days and bad days - very often we see things differently or from another perspective from other people - it doesn't mean we are necessarily right or wrong.

Dogmatic belief and constant insistence on being right can only lead to unhappiness both for you personally and the people you are imposing your beliefs and sense of rightness on. Think about it! Get rid of your need to always be right - it'll make you happier and all those around you.

2. GIVE UP YOUR NEED FOR CONTROL:

How many times have you heard someone say "he or she is a control freak" or similar words? Control can come in many different forms - the husband that insists on everything being done the way he wants - the wife who belittles and bosses her husband from morning to night - the man who won't let go of the television remote control and will only allow his programs on the TV - the boss who demands everything is done his or her way without listening to anyone's opinion - I suppose we all try to control people and situations from time to time - but is this right - are we causing suffering by imposing our control?

Of course there are times when control of a situation is needed but in general terms we should never need to control anyone - everything we do should be aimed at bringing happiness to everyone we meet - that is living a true happy (and if you like) spiritual life. Get rid of your need to control - make yourself and all those you meet and live with happy.

3. GIVE UP ON BLAME:

We all do it - "its your fault" - "its their fault" - always someone else's fault - so easy to blame isn't it? Yet if we think about it deeply blaming causes dislike and even hate - Blaming begins the process of you and them - opinionated beliefs that can become a reality in your mind - but can easily be completely wrong. Even if there are situations where someone has hurt you - try to think good thoughts - why did someone do this - were they sick, having a migraine, going through a bad time, jealous, maybe out of their depth in their job, lacking in education - the list of reasons can be endless but ultimately we all suffer and we all of us make mistakes.

Get rid of blame - its destructive and causes suffering to those you blame and to yourself - Think good thoughts of people even when they do wrong - bring happiness to all situations and people you encounter is not always easy but it is the greatest gift you can give and will bring you happiness.

4. GIVE UP ON YOUR SELF DEFEATING TALK:

The mind is an extraordinary thing - the power of the mind controls everything we do in our lives - if you think about it MIND is everything you are and everything you do - what we think is who we are - and yet the mind can be a devilish thing - it can control you instead of you controlling your mind. How many times have I heard "I couldn't sleep last night my mind was too busy" Positive thoughts bring positive results and even more important kind, loving compassionate, caring thoughts bring incredible happiness to you and all those around you.

How many times have I read of attractive young women saying "I hate my body" and becoming anorexic or bulimic or people say "I hate my life" or "I hate myself" - how can you hate yourself? It is so important to think loving, kind, compassionate thoughts - think of how you can help all those you meet to be happy - everyone want happiness in their lives and with positive loving thoughts you can achieve this. Self defeating thoughts can only bring unhappiness and suffering - Get rid of them now (please).

5. GIVE UP ON LIMITING BELIEFS:

Why restrict yourself to a set of beliefs when we can all learn from one another - Hundred's of millions were forced to believe in The Little Red Book of Mao tse Tung (Mao Zedong) in China, or Marx's Communist Manifesto in the Soviet Union, even the great spiritual paths of Islam, Christianity and Judaism - can trap you into believing that only you are right and everyone else is wrong. We can all learn from one another - all religions say we must respect one another's beliefs and this should apply to anything that another person believes in providing they will not harm another being. Respect everyone's right to their beliefs and respect all living beings because they are just the same as you and I - BUT please never let your belief's limit who you are and how you think and feel about other people and indeed the all the world's creatures.

We are all interconnected as living beings - we all suffer and we all want happiness for ourselves, our families and friends - why not for everyone? Why restrict and limit your beliefs? - Always keep an open mind and listen and learn from other people. All of us come from different cultures, experiences, beliefs and knowledge - understand this and share your compassion and love with everyone - is this really so difficult? When we see on television another terrible terrorist attack - deaths, suffering, hatred, misery, destruction - all of this is caused by people who have limited their beliefs, listened and been influenced by negative teachings of hate - do these people really believe that God will congratulate them and award them for causing misery, killing and suffering? - this ignorance is massive, destructive  and so deeply sad.  Get rid of limiting beliefs - enjoy and learn from everyone and give back happiness - its the greatest gift you can bestow.

6. GIVE UP ON CRITICISING AND COMPLAINING:

We all do it don't we - complain about bad service in a restaurant or shop - complain about the weather - complain about the train or bus that is running late - complain about this and that - criticise the government - criticise your mother-in-law - criticise the food - criticise the traffic warden - you name it - we can criticise it!! If you want to be happy stop complaining and stop criticising - aren't we lucky to be alive? Yes life can be terribly hard and tough but complaining and criticising only makes it worse - OK sometimes you have to make comments and get things right - but don't hang onto those thoughts so that your complaints and criticisms become a long standing reality and begin to shape your daily thinking and beliefs - let go of this negativity - please remember the mantra of all human beings - everyone suffers and everyone wants to be happy. Get rid of criticisms and complaining - it'll only make you unhappy.

7. GIVE UP ON LABELS:

By this I don't mean Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel,. Dior or Burberry labels - although if you become obsessed by these luxury labels they too can dominate your life and give you a completely wrong attitude to life - sure enjoy them but please don't become obsessed by them. The real definition of labels in this context is labelling anyone - as examples: Black/White/Coffee coloured - Christian, Jew, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu - Socialist, Conservative, Fascist, Communist - Existentialist, Rich, Poor, Middle Class, Upper Class, better or worse - For God's sake we are ALL THE SAME - HUMAN BEINGS

Enjoy your belief's, live your belief's as along as they never harm another person or living creature, enjoy your lives but why put labels on everything?

The moment you put a label on someone it implies that you are better than someone else with a different label. The moment you realise that we are all the same life becomes better and better - Human beings and all animals SUFFER and want to be HAPPY - its as simple (and as difficult) as that. All hatreds are so evil - when we read that at times White hates Black and visa versa - Sunni hates Shia (and visa versa) - Catholic hates Protestant (and visa versa) - This one hates that one - this nation hates that nation - on and on - likes, dislikes, hatreds, obsessions, indoctrination - all bring SUFFERING. For goodness sake can't the human race get it into its thick and at times very stupid heads that we are ALL EQUAL and WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS and that we have a responsibility to care for one another and all sentient beings living on this amazing planet of ours we call home.

It is only when we get rid of labels will the human race begin to live in peace. NO-ONE IS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE - We all hurt, we all bleed, we all suffer, we all want our families and those we love to be happy - if we all want the same thing why can't we stop labelling one another and start to CARE, LOVE and SHOW COMPASSION TO ALL OTHER PEOPLE - then this world has hope - until then the suffering will continue - How is it that all the major religions say "love they neighbour" and "respect everyone" and yet this teaching is conveniently forgotten so quickly! Get rid of labels NOW

8. GIVE UP YOUR RESISTANCE TO CHANGE:

The bottom line is THAT EVERYTHING CHANGES - all things are IMPERMANENT
We might not like this and want everything to stay the same but nothing stays the same and nothing ever will. EVERYTHING HAS A BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND AN END - PERIOD - Its a simple and basic rule of life

Every thought, every action, everything you do has a beginning, middle and an end - the very essence of life - our own lives has a beginning, middle and an end - our own planet EARTH has a beginning, a middle and will one day have an end. This is an inescapable fact of life - therefore it is utterly pointless to have a resistance to change - everything is  fluid - our thoughts and actions have a beginning, middle and an end - if we become stuck in our ways and thoughts (and beliefs) with no room for learning and change then this will bring suffering - HAPPINESS is in recognising the nature of mind and that everything is impermanent - then we can realise how IMPORTANT EVERY MOMENT IS IN OUR LIVES - how precious every minute it is - don't waste time on resistance to change - live each moment and allow yourself to learn, enjoy and embrace every second - Get rid of resistance to change - it'll only make you unhappy.

9. GIVE UP YOUR FEARS AND GIVE UP YOUR PAST:

We all worry, we all look back and wish we had done this and not done that - however, we can learn from our mistakes and from the past - but we can't change it so there is no point hanging onto it. There is a wonderful phrase I heard from a Buddhist master who said "There is no point in worrying because if you have a problem and can do something to help solve this problem go ahead and do it - if there is nothing you can do then there is simply no point in worrying"! I may not have the exact quote but you get the point?

I will come back to the point I have made throughout this blog - all humans (and animals) suffer - it is a fact of life that we all are born, live life, become sick and die - we may have a fabulously successful and interesting life but you will still become sick one day and die.

Whether you are a King, Queen, President, Captain of Industry, Famous Film or Rock Star, Athlete, Doctor, Engineer, Nurse, Politician, House Wife, Janitor or Tramp - you will all suffer and die one day - all of your wealth, all of your possessions, family, colleagues or friends will not be able to help you. Once you realise this then you realise that all of us are one and that we are all the same - then you also realise that worrying about your fears and the past actually achieves nothing. You can however, go a long way to enjoying every minute of your life and when it is your time to pass on you will feel no fear of dying because you will have lead a loving, compassionate  and caring life. I truly believe we die as we have lived - if you live by the gun you will suffer and die by the gun - if you have lived a loving, kind life you will have a loving kind death.

Maybe this is not the blog to go into great depth about the incredibly beautiful spiritual path of Buddhism, but I can tell you that there is a way out of suffering and to move on from your fears and past mistakes that we all make - by living what is known as the Eightfold Path based upon LOVE & COMPASSION - never doing anything to hurt anyone or any living creature - you can blow away your fears and past and SUFFERING:

1. Right view/Right thoughts 2. Right intentions 3. Right speech 4. Right action 5. Right livelihood 6. Right effort 7. Right mindfulness 8. Right concentration (meditation)

With the power of positive loving thought and building your ability to feel compassion and love for all peoples (not just your family and friends) you will achieve happiness at levels you could not dream of.

Get rid of your fears and the past - you can't hang onto them even if you wanted to - live in the moment and enjoy every minute of your life.

10. GIVE UP ATTACHMENT:

What do we mean by this? Shouldn't I be attached to my wife or husband and my wonderful children? Of course you should love them with all your heart - but that is not quite the same as attachment - you cannot rely on other people to bring you happiness - let me explain: of course your family brings you incredible happiness and the love of a mother for her baby is probably the greatest love of all - but no matter how much you love your spouse or partner and of course your children - your personal everlasting happiness has to come from deep within you - it is this deep inner happiness that will allow you to cope with the stresses and strains of life and the ups and downs and suffering we all inevitably face.

People become obsessed and attached to people and things - we see it all the time - some people are obsessed and attached to money, others to clothes and shoes, others to fast cars - some are obsessed and attached to power or ambition at work or to fame - desperate obsessions to being on television, the way we look - obsessions and attachment can come in hundreds if not thousands of forms. But these attachments have no substance whatsoever and in the end will only bring suffering.

You cannot own another person - people can become jealous and obsessed by their partners when they speak to someone else of the opposite sex - jealousy is one of the most ghastly human illnesses - it is so destructive and comes from obsession and attachment. Material things can only bring limited happiness - how many times have you heard a young man or woman saying I want a fast car - they eventually get one and are thrilled with it for (say) six months, then they begin salivating about getting a faster, sleeker, better looking car - and so it goes on - we are never satisfied are we? Always wanting something better, bigger, more impressive - attachments vary - you can become attached to a home or pet - you can LOVE  AND DEEPLY CARE FOR YOUR PET OR HOME OR FERRARI but DON'T GET OBSESSED OR ATTACHED TO THEM. No matter how much you love someone or something you cannot take them or it with you when you face your last illness and pass on.

So get rid of Attachments - never stop loving and caring - never stop being compassionate and kind - never stop living and loving every minute of your life - but don't get so obsessed and attached because that is like owning or constantly grasping someone or something - we are loaned our bodies, our families, friends and those people and things we love - remember EVERYTHING IS IMPERMANENT so enjoy them with all your heart but please don't get attached

WONDERFUL QUOTATIONS - SO HELPFUL TO ALL OF US

This isn't an attempt at an original blog but it features some of the wonderful quotes and sayings from great masters that I very much want to share with you all - it doesn't matter if you are a Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Shinto, Agnostic, Atheist, Existentialist... - what matters is that we are all human and we are all one people - I truly believe we have to stop thinking in religious, tribal and nationalistic terms - only then will be realise that none of these divisions mean anything whatsoever - Shia, Sunni, Druze, Alawite, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Maronite, Sufi, Baptist, Quaker, Pentecostal, Bahai... the list of faiths, beliefs, indoctrinations whatever are endless - every human being has the right to believe in what they choose - but surely what they do not have the right to do is harm to anyone or anything living creature.

We are all connected - interconnected with one another - every meal we eat; every book or newspaper we read; every television or computer programme we look at; the medicines we take; the clothes we buy and wear; indeed everything we do in this life is interconnected with other people - we don't truly exist as an individual because we wouldn't be here or able to exist without the support system of this amazing planet we live on and the people, animals, plants, insects, microbes, atoms, quarks... on and on that make us whom we are - we quickly realise that we all one being or one family for want of a better analogy. 

Ultimately surely the only things that matter are COMPASSION, CARING, LOVE, KINDNESS - these lead to TRUE HAPPINESS

SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS, ANGER, HATRED, EGO, PRIDE, JEALOUSY, IGNORANCE, AVARICE, VIOLENCE - these can only lead to SUFFERING

Please read these simple but wonderfully peaceful and in my opinion, incredibly important comments and quotes - they affect all of us - no matter who we are - I hope you enjoy them and get some pleasure from these deep spiritual masters who only care for our happiness and peace:

"All God's creatures are his family; and he or she is the most beloved of God who tries to do most good to God's creatures." - Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him)

From my own limited experience, I have found that the greatest inner tranquility comes from developing love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts our mind at ease. It helps remove our own fears and insecurities and gives us strength to face obstacles - it is the ultimate source of success in life.

Dalai Lama

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another
Jesus Christ

Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or non believing, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.

Dalai Lama

The ultimate source of my mental happiness is my peace of mind. Nothing can destroy this except my own anger.

Dalai Lama

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Martin Luther King Jr

An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind
Mahatma Gandhi

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies
Mother Teresa

Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier
Mother Teresa

The common enemy of all religious disciplines is selfishness of mind. For it is just this which causes ignorance, anger and passion, which are at the root of all the troubles of the world.

Dalai Lama

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools
Martin Luther King Jr

All the world's major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance, and forgiveness can and do promote inner values. But the reality of the world today is that grounding ethics in religion is no longer adequate. This is why I am increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics beyond religion altogether.

Dalai Lama

Once you know what has to be taken up and what has to be avoided, you must avoid even the minutest negative action. If you find you have committed a negative action physically, verbally, or mentally, you must acknowledge it immediately, confess, and repair the downfall. And if you see that you have done something positive, make a prayer ‘May I do even more, may I increase in virtue’.

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

There is enough for everybody’s needs, but not for everybody’s greed.

Mahatma Gandhi

The practices of loving kindness and compassion are incredibly relevant for everyone. Moreover, training in these qualities provides a common bridge between all different religions and areas of our world society. No matter whether we are people who teach a spiritual path or someone else, everybody can practice love and compassion, but it is important that we do so in an impartial way.

17th Karmapa

Within the body there are billions of different particles. Similarly, there are many different thoughts and a variety of states of mind. It is wise to take a close look into the world of your mind and to make the distinction between beneficial and harmful states of mind. Once you can recognize the value of good states of mind, you can increase or foster them.

Dalai Lama

True peace cannot be achieved by force or by merely invoking the word “peace.” It can only be attained by training the mind and learning to cultivate inner peace. Peace is a calm and gentle state of mind.

17th Karmapa

We need to pay greater attention to inner values. Of course we need material development, but we need to understand that by itself it doesn’t bring peace of mind. This can only be developed within the mind.

Dalai Lama

Whether you believe in God or not maybe does not matter so much, whether you believe in Buddha or not does not matter so much; as a Buddhist, whether you believe in reincarnation or not does not matter so much. What does matter is that you must lead a good life. And a good life does not mean just good food, good clothes, good shelter. These are not sufficient. A good motivation is what is needed: compassion, without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their rights and human dignity.

Dalai Lama


Let us always meet each other with a smile, for a smile is the beginning of love
Mother Teresa

If you help others with sincere motivation and sincere concern, that will bring you more fortune, more friends, more smiles, and more success. If you forget about others' rights and neglect others' welfare, ultimately you will be very lonely.

Dalai Lama

The greatest of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated

Mahatma Gandhi

We should examine how destructive emotions harm us and others, cause discord in families and in society at large and even bring us physical health problems. Whether you are a national leader or a beggar on the street, destructive emotions disturb your peace of mind.

Dalai Lama

You will fall sick, experience pain, and encounter many adverse circumstances. At such times do not think, ‘Although I am practicing the Dharma, I have nothing but trouble. The Dharma cannot be so great. I have followed a teacher and done so much practice, and yet hard times still befall me.’ Such thoughts are wrong views. You should realize that through the blessing and power of the practice, by experiencing sickness and other difficulties now, you are purifying and ridding yourself of negative actions…. By purifying them while you have the chance, you will later go from bliss to bliss. So do not think, ‘I don’t deserve this illness, these obstacles, these negative influences.’ Experience your difficulties as blessings…when you do experience such difficulties, you should be very happy and avoid having adverse thoughts like, ‘Why are such terrible things happening to me?’

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Instead of self-importance, put others in the center. Do this at the aspirational level first. It’s not that you need to commit yourself to do anything outside of your mind. But, first get the priorities right.

Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

"Each one of us is responsible for all other living beings' happiness, besides our own. As a result, your loving kindness is the most wish-fulfilling thing in life, more precious than anything else in this world"
Lama Zopa Rinpoche