It seems like just yesterday that I posted here. In other ways it seems like a lifetime ago.
Right after I posted here the last time, I took on a task that was too big to do in the allotted time. I edited a translation of part of a Thai book entitled "Buddhist Economics: Evolution, Theories and Its Application to Various Economic Subjects". It is done. The author is happy. I am not. We will get it right on the second printing.
That project consumed all - and I do mean ALL - of my time for just over three weeks. By the time it was over, I was already into the beginning of a new semester and teaching 2 classes that I had never taught before that used up 15 lecture hours a week.
During November and December I was incredibly fortunate to host a visiting faculty member from Ashcroft International Business School. She came here and taught Buddhism and sustainable business practices.
Partly she was coming here for the 2nd International Conference of the Buddhist Economic Research Platform: Theory and Practice which I have been the chief organizer of for over a year. Unfortunately, days before the conference we had to postpone due to the civil unrest here in Thailand that had closed down transportation. The conference has been rescheduled for April 9-11, 2009 and the plans are at least under control again.
Also during my absence from here there has been a huge faculty upheaval that has resulted in the dean of my faculty resigning and created problems that don't warrant discussion here.
All of this has resulted in many changes in my life.
The current semester will be over at the end of February - barely 5 weeks away. At that time I will be focusing on finalizing all of the plans for the conference in April and I will also be tying up loose ends here as after the conference I will be returning to the United States for a year to work on my PhD research before coming back to defend my thesis mid 2010.
The year home at this particular time is problematic. With the economic situation what it is, it's incredibly unlikely I will get a job. I have applied for a grant to cover my travel expenses for my research in the US but won't know the status on that for a couple of weeks yet. So, I continue to plan to go home with all of my savings from here and hope that it is enough for me to survive and do all of the traveling I need to do to interview all of the people I need to interview and visit all the communities of practice I want to visit even if I don't get the grant.
Mindfulness has to sustain me here. I know what I want to do. I know the problems. I know more than ever that we need to find a new way to lead our economic lives. I know that without that change we are doomed. I know that with it, there is hope.
mindfulness ....
thinking about what you are doing
thinking about why you are doing it
thinking about what the effects of doing it are going to be
