"Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill , and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life."

My article on Mindful Living this week is trapped inside my very sick computer. Advance Travel sent an e-mail warning their clients that they had been attacked by a virus and to beware.

I very unmindfully opened an e-mail saying " I have a special screen saver for you". It contained the dreaded virus and had attached itself to their client list and all of a sudden my computer caught the virus and went berserk.

It started to reproduce the same e-mail to my list of contacts. I couldn't stop it! However I breathed and unplugged my laptop. It continued to produce virus infected e-mails! I couldn't even stop it by hitting the shut down button, so I hit the on/off button. The result is a computer that is now hospitalised at A.C.T. They were wonderful and listened mindfully when I arrived explaining that I was very concerned about my little laptop friend's chronic condition. We talked about where or how these viruses are born. Anywhere in the world, they told me. We talked about why people make them. Greed hatred, anger maybe even for a day of fame in a computer magazine that their home-made virus had destroyed files in computers world-wide. I contemplated the "inter-being-ness" of our world. That "if you are not there, I am not here". Do you see the link between you and me? If you do not see it yet, please look more deeply and I'm sure you will.

For me the whole lesson this week was about the first Mindfulness Training - 'aware of the suffering' - and this time I could relate it to minerals, those tiny little chips in my computer that had been affected by an uncompassionate computer hacker who wanted to cause the destruction of life.

I hope and pray that the suffering he is experiencing in his life will soon be transformed into some peace and joy in his heart. I thank God, what I call Good Orderly Direction, that I have been given another lesson in Mindful living.

Next week's article on Living Mindfully will hopefully be recovered from my laptop and if not I shall just begin anew. Have a wonderful mindful week.

The Mindfulness Practice Community of Bermuda supports those wishing to lead a more aware life. Call 236-4988 or e-mail iamhomeibl.bm.