Sunday Supplement #70 (September 11th, 2022)
Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.
I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!
Quote of the Week:
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
Book of the Week:
The Lords of Discipline – Pat Conroy
Pat Conroy’s The Lords of Discipline recounts Will McClean’s time as a cadet at a fictional Military Institute in Charleston, South Carolina.
Will is in his fourth year in the Institute and narrates his experiences over the four years, focusing on the school’s emphasis on hazing.
Will and his friends discover a secret society that aims to drive out any cadet deemed unworthy of graduating through whatever means necessary.
Their lives are threatened when they uncover the secret, and they must decide how far they are willing to go to protect fellow cadets.
Pat Conroy was a brilliant author. I featured him in Sunday Supplement #55, and I highly recommend his best works. The Lords of Discipline is one of them.
Movie of the Week:
Akira Kurosawa is a legendary filmmaker. There have been many remakes of his classic movies for Western audiences, the most famous being The Magnificent Seven from Seven Samurai.
Yojimbo tells the story of a town ruled by two criminal gangs. A ronin (wandering samurai) arrives and decides to play the gangs against each other to free the town’s people.
There aren’t too many classic movies that stand the test of time without being outdated in some way or another. However, Yojimbo holds up in every conceivable way.
The acting, led by Toshirô Mifune as The Samurai, is superb. The story is excellent. And everything from costume design to editing is beautifully detailed.
This is a great one to add to your list for those interested in delving into foreign films or seeing classics. If you’re just looking for an entertaining movie, Yojimbo fits the bill as well.
Brainfood of the Week:
How to Always Make the Right Decision? | Sadhguru
In this video, a young man asks Sadhguru, “How do we know we are making the right or wrong decision in the moment?”
Sadhguru discusses how you create conflict within yourself over every simple thing when you think this way.
Nobody knows if they are doing the right or wrong thing.
The best you can do is to ask, “Is this something that brings well-being to me and everybody around me?”
The best we can do is to be reasonably balanced, clear, and happy when we decide.
I featured Sadhguru in Sunday Supplement #8. He is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. I find his videos from time to time, and they always provide thought-provoking content.
If you find this one interesting, check out his YouTube page, which has over 10 million followers and over a billion views.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving, and fearless, then his is in truth called wise.”
– Dhammapada 258
This verse from the collection of Buddha’s sayings reminds me of the ideal of practicing what you preach.
I think the first step to action is realizing that there is something you wish to correct in yourself or in the world.
However, if those thoughts only remain words, then the actualized potential that comes through action will never occur.
The Dhammapada verse also shows how wise does not mean ruthless or dominating. I think power can be held in high regard, but while it may denote skill, wisdom can be absent.
My takeaway from this verse is to practice the ideals I hold up and to remember to center peace, love, and fearlessness in how I move forward.
Consider your beliefs, take action, and have a blessed week ahead!