The topic the Memory of course I have even penned down and sent to a Daily Post for publication, sometime back.
Now I do not write to Sri–Lankan dailies (they mushroom like dahlias and daisies now) simply because they are so politicized, many of them having one track mind, like Sri–Lankan Buddhists mostly living abroad (and some here too) who tend to forget that there are religions other than Buddhism even during Gautama Buddha’s time.
In other words Buddhism is also now politicized (most of the global Linux forums it is a written and unwritten rule not to engage in religious and political debates).
I of course use lateral thinking model of Professor De Bono’s and always think I am not a Buddhist and get into their religious stockings and feel the impact of what I may say on me and them.
I think all religious minded people should do that and look at how other religions look at the same scenario in a different way and outlook.
This Easter Friday when Christian were going to the Mass we fellows were organizing sports festivals and extending the New Year (we should know how to end New Year abruptly. Mind you it is only one day not extending into weeks) celebrations longer than usual.
It is a fact now that we cannot gather 100 people even in a temple during this festival period let alone new year sports.
No religious sensitivity and I think with Wesak coming soon it is of very bad taste even to me where there are several Christians in my neighbourhood.
So instead of daily papers I now blog my ideas so that anyone can read or access them if there is a decent internet connection. It true for dailies to go web now anyway.
Mind you one of my blog sites hitting near 5000 and another at 2000 and the one we initiated in Kandy way back does not like the statistics of my page which tends to come almost 10 out of 10 has blocked the statistics of my visitors in the pretext that the site is for young adults (age discrimination) with infatuations of many kinds written all over.
I have almost stop blogging there now since without a feed back (even very adverse) it is not worth writing anything on a blog site (like our daily papers specially Sinhala).
This year for the first time I heard that New Year is only for Sinhalays (guess it is a Buddhist monk who has stated it) and not for the Tamils with is an absurd theory (if it is Sinhalaya’s New Year if Tamils are also celebrating it we must embrace them with warm heart and not vilify them).
The principles of lateral thinking that was stated above applies to memory, too.
I will put them in point form since I have already stated my intention why I write it here.
Like for our politicians (their promises) and our voters (aspirations) memory is short term generally speaking.
I believe it is important to forget since since if we keep on regurgitating the promises made by politicians it leaves a bad taste not in your mouth but in your brain which is a hindrance to progressive thinking.
Rather creative thinking (another topic for a future day) in practice.
In my case, the memory function and its use was inborn in my system from childhood.
I now go into the extent of saying I inherited it from my past birth since I never used any methods proposed by pseudo-psychologists of Sri–Lanka.
One of my superiors abroad wanted me to write down all the instruction lest I forget on a notebook in my first job abroad.
I stated that I did not want to change my way and I remember things with my brain and not on a piece of paper like Britishers.
I also stated if I fail in any of the instructions she can fire me out and that stands for one year from now.
In fact I used one of her methods to remember her instructions and that is forward or ongoing planing which I use up to this day. Thanks goes to her reminding me that even my memory is shot lived.
That year was eventful and she developed a trust on me and I did not forget a single instruction for one year and before she depended on my memory I said good bye and joined the nearby university with some difficulty.
I am sure in her confidential report she may have stated my memory potential and how I used it effectively and that would have been the reason for me to clinch one job after another for a decade on.
So if one manages the memory properly, it is a sure way to get a job which is sadly lacking in this country and abroad too.
1. My fist principle is never carry a notebook (that is why I state that I inherited it from last birth) with messages and practices it from childhood.
2. I do not carry a cell phone (distraction or somebody to remind me over the phone) and it is mandatory.
3. I prioritize events and deeds.
4. I have a flow of events mapped out in my mind and some orderly connections developed.
5. The cardinal rule is since I do not carry a note to remember I will forget. Forgetting is a sin in my list.
6. Do not leave it for the next day if the priorities are high.
7. Finish as many tasks as possible and do not delegate to one of your friends. They are the deadliest to forget and enemies never forget.
8. How do I remember the next topic I am going to write without forgetting. The topics I want to write I list them in a mini-postcard with only 10 topics at a time and on the overleaf there is some humorous or satirical note.
9. If I have made a note of something I never throw it away (those are the jobs of least priority and I may forget lest I throw the note. Note is at home and never in my shirt pocket.
10. I take week by week and never a day by day or never a year by year routine. One year is a hell of a long time for the brain and brain works in moments of time and I often do the moment meditation.
Like Buddha’s preachings this moment is the only moment I have in my possession and grab that opportunity with all one’s might.
Mind you it is a very difficult to achieve and his teachings are essentially to forget the past, do not ponder for the next moment and live this moment of concentration.
I believe I practiced moment meditation in my past life and that has come good this life and I will do that in this life since my memory is slowly but surely failing now with old age catching up fast.
Well that leaves me to ponder on the topic how medicines affect our memory and causes poor memory.
One of the biggest is sleeping pills which I have never taken in my life and very resistant to give it to a fellow being.
That’s a topic for another day lest I forget.
Well forgetting is the instrument to establish new connections in the brain which psychologists fail to understand and highlight and only a neuro-scientists can investigate and map out one day.
Last but not least poor sleep hinder your memory significantly and do sleep as much as possible (to your heart’s content-not with sleeping pills, though) and I love sleeping any time of the day once the intended jobs are finished without thinking of the next day. I can sleep standing on a bus plying to Colombo but wake up in a moment’s instant when one tries to pick my pocket.
Even in your sleep one has to be awake for any potential danger. Animals have it but we have failed to use this ability in the modern technical world.
Please do not use earphones and very very loud speakers (which modern musicians and politicians use) both of which are bad for you.
I strongly feel that mangoes (fruit) have some ingredient especially the parrot beaked variety that helps memory and even bananas and avocados have similar micro-ingredients to boost memory. The word “ammba yahaluwas” has a meaning here not discovered by our aurvedic pundits.
So do not forget your fruits and veggies.
asokaplus 