Strain Hunters Africa Expedition Green House Seed Co

Our planet is home to millions of species of animal and plants with their own habitat, and each plays a unique role in the perfect design of nature. Unfortunately many species of plants and animals are victim of uncontrolled human development. Cannabis, one of the most ancient plants known to man, used in every civilization all over the world for medicinal and recreational purposes, is facing a very real threath of extinction. Besides the threath posed by human development, one of the goals of the United Nations, published years ago in official reports, was to wipe out the cannabis plant from the face of the earth by the year 2010. In reality this is far from being achieved, because man keeps using the cannabis plant for religious, medicinal and recreational purposes no matter what the law says. Most cultures cannot comprehend how a plant can be made illegal. In most people’s perception, plants and animals stand above a status of legality or illegality, they just exist in a higher design of nature that goes beyond human laws and regulations. Nevertheless most governments of cannabis-producing countries are implementing drastic measures to destroy crops. Dangerous chemicals are sprayed over fields and over the farmers themselves in most of the third world countries, and the poorest people of the planet are the ones paying the highest price for cultivating a plant that does not kill. But in the economy of scale, where demand dictates supply, the poorest people of the planet have no choice but to cultivate cannabis as a cash crop to feed their children and send them to school. Communities that are isolated in remotes areas in the poorest regions of the planet are often the keepers of very special landraces.
The worldwide prosecution on the cannabis plant generates the need to go hunting for the real landraces that are left in the most remote corners of the planet.
These strains, isolated for decades and sometimes for centuries, costantly inbreeding, are at the origin of all the thousands of variations that we know today in the cannabis industry. In these landraces there are hundreds, maybe thousands of unique cannabinoid profiles that have never been evaluated by the pharmaceutical industry; nevertheless they could be of enormous help in the future, when the knowledge about the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant will advance further. One of these cannabinoid profiles could be hiding the next miracle drug for the treatment of very serious diseases. The concept of strain hunters stems from the need to preserve nature’s gifts to man, in a quest for a better future.
Being a strain hunter is a personal challenge, a passion, and a way of life. Strain hunting is a very delicate task, one that involves social skills, a travelling-oriented mindframe and a pinch of crazy. Besides being physically fit, the strain hunter has to speak several languages, be able to blend and socialize in different environments, and has to be willing to commit to a lifestyle on the fast-lane. From the jungles of Africa and Asia to the mountain ranges of South America, the strain hunters are on a mission to bring back the most important and isolated cannabis landraces known to man. The logistical challenges involved in strain-hunting are quite considerable, but Arjan, owner and founder of the Green House empire, has been devoting a great deal passion, time and resources to this task. After two decades spent strain hunting for the breeding programs of the Green House Seed Company, it is now time to show the world what the hunt is all about. Strain Hunters is a brand new series of documentaries, real-life reports of the search for the greatest lost cannabis strains, a deep insight in the typical “day at the office” of the most successful seed makers in the world.

Stiletto Stoners – Women Who Smoke Pot NBC – Beverly Hills NORML90210.org

FOR THE LATEST MARIJUANA RELATED NEWS:

http://www.NORML90210.org

Marie Claire editor-in-chief Joanna Coles disagreed with Hollands view that there is a large social stigma attached to smoking marijuana.

I have to say, thats not what we are hearing from readers, she said on the Today Show. First of all, its decriminalized in 13 states, and I dont think this is a generation of people who get excited about the fact that its illegal.

The inspiration for the article, Coles said, was hearing from readers that they were feeling stressed. Clearly, the economy is a great deal of stress for people and they wanted a way to unwind. And they found more and more of them were doing this [smoking marijuana] and they found it had less impact on them when they were going to work the next morning. So they didnt want to drink. Its cheap and they felt they could do it in the privacy of their own home, and it was a very effective way to calm down.

Holland agreed that marijuana may be a less harmful drug than alcohol, saying that marijuana has psycho-therapeutic properties that booze lacks.

Its more of a mind drug, she said. Alcohols sort of a deadening, numbing maybe more like a body drug.

On pot, people are unwinding and theyre relaxing, but theyre also able to think and maybe analyze or think clearly I think cannabis is more functional than alcohol, certainly in terms of anxiety. It can be a treatment or a medicine.

Coles added that the Marie Claire article seems to have struck a nerve with readers.

For additional information:
Contact:
Cheryl Shuman

http://www.NORML90210.org

Emerald Triangle University Plans February Organic Lunar Seed Planting Course!

Emerald Triangle University Plans February

Organic Lunar Seed Planting Course!

Http://EmeraldTriangleUniversity.WordPress.Com/

Mendocino Long Season Lunar Organic Seed Starters Course:

Http://EmeraldTriangleUniversity.WordPress.Com/

When: SAT February 20th, 12:00 Pm- 3:00 pm

and SAT February 27, 12:00 Pm- 3:00 pm

Where: Northern Mendocino County Location to be Announced with      Registration

Our Long Season Lunar Organic Seed Starters Course will cover the basics of organically starting Marijuana Seeds using ancient passed down lunar planting principles and methods. This class directly corresponds to the Full February Planting Moon that many Northern California Marijuana Farmers use to achieve maximum harvests in the falkl. Plants started this time of year will produce an abundance of Medicine in the fall harvest season. The age old method of planting by lunar timing is brought out of the hills in this course. The planting class will take place in Northern Mendocino County at aLocation to be Announced with Registration

Humboldt Long Season Lunar Organic Seed Starters Course:

When: SUN February 21th 12:00 Pm- 3:00 pm

SUN February 28th 12:00pm – 3:00pm.

Where: Southern Humboldt County Location to be announced

Our Long Season Lunar Organic Seed Starters Course will cover the basics of organically starting Marijuana Seeds using ancient passed down lunar planting principles and methods. This class directly corresponds to the Full February Planting Moon that many Northern California Marijuana Farmers use to achieve maximum harvests in the falkl. Plants started this time of year will produce an abundance of Medicine in the fall harvest season. The age old method of planting by lunar timing is brought out of the hills in this course. This planting class will take place in Southern Humboldt County at a Location to be Announced with Registration

www.EmeraldTriangleUniversity.WordPress.Com

The Emerald Triangle Marijuana University Announces Spring Courses

 

The Emerald Triangle Marijuana University

EmeraldTriangleUniversity@Gmail.Com 

Http://EmeraldTriangleUniversity.WordPress.Com/

Based in the Redwood Forests of Northern California, The Emerald Triangle Marijuana University was founded in 2009 to provide the Highest Quality Marijuana Industry Training  for Marijuana Growers, Budding Marijuana Entrepreneurs as well as students interested in the Medical Marijuana Industry.  

Based in Northern California’s infamous “Emerald Triangle”,  an area representing the three largest Marijuana Producing Counties in California, Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity.  The Emerald Triangle is World Renowned for its incredibly High  Medical Grade Marijuana which has been bred and grown  in the region for the last 50 years. The Emerald Triangle is not only known for it’s incredible High Grade Marijuana,  The Emerald Triangle is also credited with developing some of the world’s most  advanced marijuana growing technology,  the area is very well known for it’s marijuana dominated economy and culture. 

 The Extremely Advanced Growing Techniques and Farming Knowledge of this region  is brought “Out of the Hills” by our knowledgable staff of instructors and teachers.   Marijuana is known as California’s “Next Gold Rush”, Marijuana has become more mainstream than ever, with over 700 dispensaries in the LA area alone!.  Classes range from The History of Cannabis to indoor and outdoor cultivation,  to opening and running a dispensary. We offer one day workshops on everything from seed starting, even classes on proper trimming and drying techniques.  We are proud to be a working part of California’s Marijuana Movement! 

We welcome you to take class among the redwoods and gain some of the Ancient Knowledge which has made the Emerald Triangle World Renowned!  

Classes for the 2010 Spring Semester begin February 2010. 

If you would like more information about our Spring 2010 classes please feel free to CONTACT US:

 

EmeraldTriangleUniversity@Gmail.Com

Http://EmeraldTriangleUniversity.WordPress.Com/  

 

 

 

 

Marijuana Rights: CA Attorney Discusses Kelly Decision

Click Here to Visit KMUD!

KMUD Radio Redway Features Marijuana Rights Attorney Ed Denson on the Thursday night talk. Recorded Thursday, January 28, 2010 . Ed Denson discusses the unconstitutional limits placed on California Medical Marijuana Patients in the wake of the Kelly Case Decision which found Medical Marijuana limits unconstitutional in the State of California.

Click Here to Listen to The Archived Show.

California Celebrates Another VICTORY!

Ed Denson’s BLOG is here and you can contact Ed at the following link.

How The CIA Supply, Control, Operate The Drug Business-

How The CIA Supply, Control, Operate The Drug Business- Freeway Ricky Ross on Alex Jones Tv

How The CIA Supply, Control, Operate The Drug Business-
http://prisonplanet.tv/

Ricky Donnell Ross (aka Freeway Ricky Ross), the convicted drug dealer who was featured in a Gary Webb expose on CIA involvement in the drug business.

http://freewayenterprise.ning.com/

The Official Blog of the Real Freeway Ricky Ross

http://freewayenterprise.blogspot.com/

Finishing his sentence at the Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution,
Freeway Ricky Ross is determined to educate and create
a positive change in our culture and society.

How The CIA Supply, Control, Operate The Drug Business-
http://prisonplanet.tv/

Ricky Donnell Ross (aka Freeway Ricky Ross), the convicted drug dealer who was featured in a Gary Webb expose on CIA involvement in the drug business.

http://freewayenterprise.ning.com/

The Official Blog of the Real Freeway Ricky Ross

http://freewayenterprise.blogspot.com/

Finishing his sentence at the Texarkana Federal Correctional Institution,
Freeway Ricky Ross is determined to educate and create
a positive change in our culture and society.

http://www.myspace.com/freewayenterprise910

Freeway Ricky Ross on Alex Jones Tv

In the follow-up to his ground-breaking documentary ‘American Drug War,’ filmmaker Kevin Booth traces the fight against Federal drug regulation in the State of California. A public majority has spoken and said yes to states rights, allowing for the use of medicinal marijuana and opening up a new front in controversial medicinal ‘dispensaries.’

While users herald the freedom of legally-licensed “weed,” powerful forces at the DEA and law enforcement haven’t given up their federal enforcement power yet. Many dispensaries have been raided, targeting their distribution of marijuana and challenging their authority to rise into legitimate business.

CHECK OUT THE FILM BELOW FEATURING THE CIA -  FREEWAY RICKY ROSS STORY.

OBAMA’s GROWING DRUG WAR!

Stephen C. Webster
The Raw Story
February 3, 2010

It was not long ago when President Barack Obama’s new drug czar, former Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske, swept into Washington, D.C. and declared the “drug war” a public policy relic.

	Former Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske.

The Obama administration, he said, would move toward handling drug addiction as a medical problem, moving away from the brash enforcement tactics that hallmarked prior administrations.

“We’re not at war with people in this country,” Kerlikowske told The Wall Street Journal in May.

However, if the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) budget for fiscal year 2011 is to be believed, Kerlikowske was full of hot air.

According to 2011 funding “highlights”  released by the ONDCP (PDF link), the Obama administration is growing the drug war and tilting its funds heavily toward law enforcement over treatment.

Read entire article

Censorship, Obama, YouTube, and Marijuana Legalization

Censorship, Obama, YouTube,

and Marijuana Legalization

www.stopthedrugwar.org Scott Morgan  Tue, 02/02/2010 – As I discussed last night, yesterday’s special YouTube for censoring their own forum, the whole purpose of which was to ask Obama the questions that got the most online votes. Since YouTube publicly credited itself with deciding which questions were asked, I guess it’s only fair that they take the blame for blatantly ignoring the single biggest constituency that participated in their forum. But let’s not forget that it’s the President himself who has twice failed to form even one intelligent sentence in response to the marijuana questions that continue to dominate these forums. He’s proven that he can’t or won’t discuss this issue seriously, so if YouTube sought to avoid another embarrassing controversy, it’s at least partially the President’s fault for setting such pathetic precedent. Interview with the President conspicuously — though predictably — excluded the top-rated questions from the contest, all of which had to do with legalizing marijuana. So now everyone’s calling out

Google’s YouTube allowed viewers to submit a question for US president Obama. Over 11,000 questions were asked and over 667,000 votes were cast, YouTube writes, saying they “collected the top questions”. Now, Toke of the Town however writes that “YouTube Censors Marijuana Question In Obama Interview”:

Yes, questions about marijuana were the most popular in the CitizenTube voting Monday afternoon.

But YouTube, in a gutless move, decided at the last minute not to present the highest ranked questions to the President. (…)

So they chunked all the votes, and just picked the questions they would have asked anyway.

It seems obvious now that when YouTube said “We’ve collected the top questions,” they didn’t mean the questions viewers thought were tops. They mean the questions they picked to be tops.

Sorted by popularity, the top 3 questions of the “Other” category on the Google Moderator board set up for the purpose are:

1. “Mr. President, When you asked the country to give you questions, one of the most asked was ’Are you going to legalize Marijuana’. When you read it, you laughed like it wasnt serious. Why is that?” -Anonymous, Florida
2. “What are your plans for cannabis legalization?” -Anonymous, Oklahoma
3. “Why don’t you legalize marijuana, it seems like a great way to gain tax money, and people should have to right to use it if they please, and it would cripple gang activity? Do you plan to?” -Lussy Picker, Kentucky

“Other” was one of several categories, and questions were also submittable by video. Of the top 10 questions in that category, 8 were related to cannabis legalization. One other was about ensuring that the internet remains free of censorship, and another about DMCA takedown reqests suppressing freedom of speech and fair use on sites like YouTube. Also, 9 out of 10 video questions in the “Other” category – including the whole top 5 – were about marijuana. Voting is closed by now, so I suppose these results are rather stable.

The YouTube employee doing the interview puts it this way during the introduction of the video (my emphasis): “Hello everyone, we’re here at the White House today for a very unique event: an exlusive interview with President Obama, in which the questions come from American people who’ve submitted them and chosen them online.” He continues that “all of the questions you’ll see here today were voted into the top tier of the thousands of questions we received, and none of them have been chosen by the White House, or seen by the president”.

They also arbitrarily moved top rated questions into the “other” category without concent from the original poster and without considering whether they really belonged there or not. The Top Rated question under “Health Care” was about legalizing marijuana for medical uses (re-schedule marijuana) until YouTube decided that all marijuana questions belonged in the “other” category.

Dalai Lama: Peace Means Happiness

This video was created to sound track for the film “Power of Truth – according to the Dalai Lama”. It contains a message of peace by HH Dalai Lama and is also our comment to the current situation inside Tibet. His Holiness has allowed us to use his words for the music – the images and the inherent comment to the Chinese presence in Tibet stands on our account. Read more about the film on www.currentproductions.net. Music by Djezz. Images by Director Irene Greve. It is purely a nonprofit project.

Brought to you Courtesy of:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CurrentProductions

Dalai Lama: Inner Peace, Happiness, God and Moneygod, money

Dalai Lama: Inner Peace, Happiness, God and Money

http://www.DalaiLamaFilm.com

- The Dalai Lama speaking about Inner Peace, Happiness, God and Money.

Compassion and the Individual

Tenzin Gyatso; The Fourteenth Dalai Lama

The purpose of life
ONE GREAT QUESTION underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life?  I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them.

I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.  From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering.  Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this.  From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment.  I don’t know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves.  Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.

How to achieve happiness
For a start, it is possible to divide every kind of happiness and suffering into two main categories: mental and physical.  Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us.  Unless we are either gravely ill or deprived of basic necessities, our physical condition plays a secondary role in life.  If the body is content, we virtually ignore it. The mind, however, registers every event, no matter how small. Hence we should devote our most serious efforts to bringing about mental peace.

From my own limited experience I have found that the greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion.

The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes. Cultivating a close, warm-hearted feeling for others automatically puts the mind at ease. This helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacles we encounter. It is the ultimate source of success in life.

As long as we live in this world we are bound to encounter problems. If, at such times, we lose hope and become discouraged, we diminish our ability to face difficulties. If, on the other hand, we remember that it is not just ourselves but every one who has to undergo suffering, this more realistic perspective will increase our determination and capacity to overcome troubles. Indeed, with this attitude, each new obstacle can be seen as yet another valuable opportunity to improve our mind!

Thus we can strive gradually to become more compassionate, that is we can develop both genuine sympathy for others’ suffering and the will to help remove their pain. As a result, our own serenity and inner strength will increase.

Our need for love
Ultimately, the reason why love and compassion bring the greatest happiness is simply that our nature cherishes them above all else. The need for love lies at the very foundation of human existence. It results from the profound interdependence we all share with one another. However capable and skillful an individual may be, left alone, he or she will not survive. However vigorous and independent one may feel during the most prosperous periods of life, when one is sick or very young or very old, one must depend on the support of others.

Inter-dependence, of course, is a fundamental law of nature. Not only higher forms of life but also many of the smallest insects are social beings who, without any religion, law or education, survive by mutual cooperation based on an innate recognition of their interconnectedness. The most subtle level of material phenomena is also governed by interdependence. All phenomena from the planet we inhabit to the oceans, clouds, forests and flowers that surround us, arise in dependence upon subtle patterns of energy. Without their proper interaction, they dissolve and decay.

It is because our own human existence is so dependent on the help of others that our need for love lies at the very foundation of our existence. Therefore we need a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others.

We have to consider what we human beings really are. We are not like machine-made objects. If we are merely mechanical entities, then machines themselves could alleviate all of our sufferings and fulfill our needs.

However, since we are not solely material creatures, it is a mistake to place all our hopes for happiness on external development alone. Instead, we should consider our origins and nature to discover what we require.

Leaving aside the complex question of the creation and evolution of our universe, we can at least agree that each of us is the product of our own parents. In general, our conception took place not just in the context of sexual desire but from our parents’ decision to have a child. Such decisions are founded on responsibility and altruism – the parents compassionate commitment to care of their child until it is able to take care of itself. Thus, from the very moment of our conception, our parents’ love is directly in our creation.

Moreover, we are completely dependent upon our mothers’ care from the earliest stages of our growth. According to some scientists, a pregnant woman’s mental state, be it calm or agitated, has a direct physical effect on her unborn child.

The expression of love is also very important at the time of birth. Since the very first thing we do is suck milk from our mothers’ breast, we naturally feel close to her, and she must feel love for us in order to feed us properly; if she feels anger or resentment her milk may not flow freely.

Then there is the critical period of brain development from the time of birth up to at least the age of three or four, during which time loving physical contact is the single most important factor for the normal growth of the child. If the child is not held, hugged, cuddled, or loved, its development will be impaired and its brain will not mature properly.

Since a child cannot survive without the care of others, love is its most important nourishment. The happiness of childhood, the allaying of the child’s many fears and the healthy development of its self-confidence all depend directly upon love.

Nowadays, many children grow up in unhappy homes. If they do not receive proper affection, in later life they will rarely love their parents and, not infrequently, will find it hard to love others. This is very sad.

As children grow older and enter school, their need for support must be met by their teachers. If a teacher not only imparts academic education but also assumes responsibility for preparing students for life, his or her pupils will feel trust and respect and what has been taught will leave an indelible impression on their minds. On the other hand, subjects taught by a teacher who does not show true concern for his or her students’ overall well-being will be regarded as temporary and not retained for long.

Similarly, if one is sick and being treated in hospital by a doctor who evinces a warm human feeling, one feels at ease and the doctors’ desire to give the best possible care is itself curative, irrespective of the degree of his or her technical skill. On the other hand, if one’s doctor lacks human feeling and displays an unfriendly expression, impatience or casual disregard, one will feel anxious, even if he or she is the most highly qualified doctor and the disease has been correctly diagnosed and the right medication prescribed. Inevitably, patients’ feelings make a difference to the quality and completeness of their recovery.

Even when we engage in ordinary conversation in everyday life, if someone speaks with human feeling we enjoy listening, and respond accordingly; the whole conversation becomes interesting, however unimportant the topic may be. On the other hand, if a person speaks coldly or harshly, we feel uneasy and wish for a quick end to the interaction. From the least to the most important event, the affection and respect of others are vital for our happiness.

Recently I met a group of scientists in America who said that the rate of mental illness in their country was quite high-around twelve percent of the population. It became clear during our discussion that the main cause of depression was not a lack of material necessities but a deprivation of the affection of the others.

So, as you can see from everything I have written so far, one thing seems clear to me: whether or not we are consciously aware of it, from the day we are born, the need for human affection is in our very blood. Even if the affection comes from an animal or someone we would normally consider an enemy, both children and adults will naturally gravitate towards it.

I believe that no one is born free from the need for love. And this demonstrates that, although some modern schools of thought seek to do so, human beings cannot be defined as solely physical. No material object, however beautiful or valuable, can make us feel loved, because our deeper identity and true character lie in the subjective nature of the mind.

Developing compassion
Some of my friends have told me that, while love and compassion are marvelous and good, they are not really very relevant. Our world, they say, is not a place where such beliefs have much influence or power. They claim that anger and hatred are so much a part of human nature that humanity will always be dominated by them. I do not agree.

We humans have existed in our present form for about a hundred-thousand years. I believe that if during this time the human mind had been primarily controlled by anger and hatred, our overall population would have decreased. But today, despite all our wars, we find that the human population is greater than ever. This clearly indicates to me that love and compassion predominate in the world. And this is why unpleasant events are news, compassionate activities are so much part of daily life that they are taken for granted and, therefore, largely ignored.

So far I have been discussing mainly the mental benefits of compassion, but it contributes to good physical health as well, According to my personal experience, mental stability and physical well-being are directly related. Without question, anger and agitation make us more susceptible to illness. On the other hand, if the mind is tranquil and occupied with positive thoughts, the body will not easily fall prey to disease.

But of course it is also true that we all have an innate self-centeredness that inhibits our love for others. So, since we desire the true happiness that is brought about by only a calm mind, and since such peace of mind is brought about by only a compassionate attitude, how can we develop this? Obviously, it is not enough for us simply to think about how nice compassion is! We need to make a concerted effort to develop it; we must use all the events of our daily life to transform our thoughts and behavior.

First of all, we must be clear about what we mean by compassion. Many forms of compassionate feeling are mixed with desire and attachment. For instance, the love parents feel of their child is often strongly associated with their own emotional needs, so it is not fully compassionate. Again, in marriage, the love between husband and wife -  particularly at the beginning, when each partner still may not know the other’s deeper character very well – depends more on attachment than genuine love. Our desire can be so strong that the person to whom we are attached appears to be good, when in fact he or she is very negative. In addition, we have a tendency to exaggerate small positive qualities. Thus when one partner’s attitude changes, the other partner is often disappointed and his or her attitude changes too. This is an indication that love has been motivated more by personal need than by genuine care for the other individual.

True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively.

Of course, developing this kind of compassion is not at all easy! As a start, let us consider the following facts:
Whether people are beautiful and friendly or unattractive and disruptive, ultimately they are human beings, just like oneself. Like oneself, they want happiness and do not want suffering. Furthermore, their right to overcome suffering and be happy is equal to one’s own. Now, when you recognize that all beings are equal in both their desire for happiness and their right to obtain it, you automatically feel empathy and closeness for them. Through accustoming your mind to this sense of universal altruism, you develop a feeling of responsibility for others: the wish to help them actively overcome their problems. Nor is this wish selective; it applies equally to all. As long as they are human beings experiencing pleasure and pain just as you do, there is no logical basis to discriminate between them or to alter your concern for them if they behave negatively.

Let me emphasize that it is within your power, given patience and time, to develop this kind of compassion. Of course, our self-centeredness, our distinctive attachment to the feeling of an independent, self-existent �I�, works fundamentally to inhibit our compassion. Indeed, true compassion can be experienced only when this type of self- grasping is eliminated. But this does not mean that we cannot start and make progress now.

How can we start
We should begin by removing the greatest hindrances to compassion: anger and hatred. As we all know, these are extremely powerful emotions and they can overwhelm our entire mind. Nevertheless, they can be controlled. If, however, they are not, these negative emotions will plague us – with no extra effort on their part! – and impede our quest for the happiness of a loving mind.

So as a start, it is useful to investigate whether or not anger is of value. Sometimes, when we are discouraged by a difficult situation, anger does seem helpful, appearing to bring with it more energy, confidence and determination.

Here, though, we must examine our mental state carefully. While itis true that anger brings extra energy, if we explore the nature of this energy, we discover that it is blind: we cannot be sure whether its result will be positive or negative. This is because anger eclipses the best part of our brain: its rationality. So the energy of anger is almost always unreliable. It can cause an immense amount of destructive, unfortunate behavior. Moreover, if anger increases to the extreme, one becomes like a mad person, acting in ways that are as damaging to oneself as they are to others.

It is possible, however, to develop an equally forceful but far more controlled energy with which to handle difficult situations.

This controlled energy comes not only from a compassionate attitude, but also from reason and patience. These are the most powerful antidotes to anger. Unfortunately, many people misjudge these qualities as signs of weakness. I believe the opposite to be true: that they are the true signs of inner strength. Compassion is by nature gentle, peaceful and soft, but it is very powerful. It is those who easily lose their patience who are insecure and unstable. Thus, to me, the arousal of anger is a direct sign of weakness.

So, when a problem first arises, try to remain humble and maintain a sincere attitude and be concerned that the outcome is fair. Of course, others may try to take advantage of you, and if your remaining detached only encourages unjust aggression, adopt a strong stand, This, however, should be done with compassion, and if it is necessary to express your views and take strong countermeasures, do so without anger or ill-intent.
You should realize that even though your opponents appear to be harming you, in the end, their destructive activity will damage only themselves. In order to check your own selfish impulse to retaliate, you should recall your desire to practice compassion and assume responsibility for helping prevent the other person from suffering the consequences of his or her acts.

Thus, because the measures you employ have been calmly chosen, they will be more effective, more accurate and more forceful. Retaliation based on the blind energy of anger seldom hits the target.

Friends and enemies
I must emphasize again that merely thinking that compassion and reason and patience are good will not be enough to develop them. We must wait for difficulties to arise and then attempt to practice them.

And who creates such opportunities? Not our friends, of course, but our enemies. They are the ones who give us the most trouble, So if we truly wish to learn, we should consider enemies to be our best teacher!

For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that, an enemy is indispensable. So we should feel grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us develop a tranquil mind! Also, itis often the case in both personal and public life, that with a change in circumstances, enemies become friends.

So anger and hatred are always harmful, and unless we train our minds and work to reduce their negative force, they will continue to disturb us and disrupt our attempts to develop a calm mind. Anger and hatred are our real enemies. These are the forces we most need to confront and defeat, not the temporary enemies who appear intermittently throughout life.

Of course, it is natural and right that we all want friends. I often joke that if you really want to be selfish, you should be very altruistic! You should take good care of others, be concerned for their welfare, help them, serve them, make more friends, make more smiles, The result? When you yourself need help, you find plenty of helpers! If, on the other hand, you neglect the happiness of others, in the long term you will be the loser. And is friendship produced through quarrels and anger, jealousy and intense competitiveness? I do not think so. Only affection brings us genuine close friends.

In today’s materialistic society, if you have money and power, you seem to have many friends. But they are not friends of yours; they are the friends of your money and power. When you lose your wealth and influence, you will find it very difficult to track these people down.

The trouble is that when things in the world go well for us, we become confident that we can manage by ourselves and feel we do not need friends, but as our status and health decline, we quickly realize how wrong we were. That is the moment when we learn who is really helpful and who is completely useless. So to prepare for that moment, to make genuine friends who will help us when the need arises, we ourselves must cultivate altruism!
Though sometimes people laugh when I say it, I myself always want more friends. I love smiles. Because of this I have the problem of knowing how to make more friends and how to get more smiles, in particular, genuine smiles. For there are many kinds of smile, such as sarcastic, artificial or diplomatic smiles. Many smiles produce no feeling of satisfaction, and sometimes they can even create suspicion or fear, can’t they? But a genuine smile really gives us a feeling of freshness and is, I believe, unique to human beings. If these are the smiles we want, then we ourselves must create the reasons for them to appear.

Compassion and the world
In conclusion, I would like briefly to expand my thoughts beyond the topic of this short piece and make a wider point: individual happiness can contribute in a profound and effective way to the overall improvement of our entire human community.

Because we all share an identical need for love, it is possible to feel that anybody we meet, in whatever circumstances, is a brother or sister. No matter how new the face or how different the dress and behavior, there is no significant division between us and other people. It is foolish to dwell on external differences, because our basic natures are the same.

Ultimately, humanity is one and this small planet is our only home, If we are to protect this home of ours, each of us needs to experience a vivid sense of universal altruism. It is only this feeling that can remove the self-centered motives that cause people to deceive and misuse one another.

If you have a sincere and open heart, you naturally feel self- worth and confidence, and there is no need to be fearful of others.

I believe that at every level of society – familial, tribal, national and international – the key to a happier and more successful world is the growth of compassion. We do not need to become religious, nor do we need to believe in an ideology. All that is necessary is for each of us to develop our good human qualities.

I try to treat whoever I meet as an old friend. This gives me a genuine feeling of happiness.  It is the practice of compassion.