Bill's profile in the Age Good Weekend
Wednesday, 18th March
Floriana Inglese felt an unaccustomed worry. This interview was going global! But when her visitors arrived, she experienced instant peace, a wonderful warm hug of Love. Anxiety left her. Over cups of tea, she explained the procedure, and they rehearsed the script. "What's it like to be in the limelight?" she asked.
"It was scary at first, but I'm getting used to it. If only Merlin... I didn't realise how much I came to love that annoying person!"
She ushered Bill and Miranda into Studio 2. She and Bill put on headphones, and tested the microphones. She ensured she had the five CDs in order, with tracks preselected. The red light came on. She activated her mike and launched into her spiel, finishing with
"I welcome Bill Sutcliffe, the 14-year-old boy wonder, and his mother Miranda. They want to publicise the Metta Trust, a foundation that grants money for projects they approve of. Bill, first tell us what metta is."
Miranda leaned toward the microphone. "Actually, Floriana, today is Bill's 15th birthday."
"Happy birthday, Bill!"
"Thank you. To answer your question, the English word 'love' has five different meanings, so we chose a Buddhist term. It means love, regardless of what you may give me or do for me. You can be the worst person in the world or the best, may be doing me harm, may be a complete stranger, but if I exercise metta, then you're in my heart and I cherish your being."
"Thank you Bill. That sounds very Christian."
"Yes, but it's the message of every religion. And you can be an atheist and practise metta."
"Why is it important?"
"OK. This is no joke. We're on the brink of killing all complex life on Earth. That's why the aliens we've called Merlin and Aurora came, to save us from self-destruction. Metta is what we need to survive."
Floriana had to smile as she read the script Bill had insisted on.
"But, human nature being what it is?"
"Human nature is a symphony of many aspects. Each aspect is a continuum, from cruelty to compassion, aggression to kindness, selfishness to self-sacrifice, greed to generosity, and so on. We don't need to change human nature. We need to change a culture that encourages and rewards the worst, into one that encourages and rewards the best. That's perfectly possible. It's a matter of habit change. Have you ever changed a habit?"
"Yes. I stopped smoking 32 years ago, at my first pregnancy." "There you are, then. Standard psychological techniques exist for habit change. Anyone can use them. The more you practise metta, the easier it gets."
"All right, Bill, let's listen to your first musical choice, then you can tell us how to apply for metta grants. Why a Chopin etude?"
"Chopin was a tortured soul, and yet his music is peace. I listen to it when I'm troubled."
They heard the lovely liquid sounds of the piano, then went over the application process. Bill ended with "My mother runs finance. Our Koori friend Jarnie Barnett handles applications. He came to me because alcohol and tobacco were killing him. I freed him from alcohol addiction, and reversed brain, liver and heart damage. But he seems to have been born with this ability. He learned from me, and actually stopped the cigarette addiction for himself. Since then, he's also been freeing people from addictions."
"Wait a moment, Bill. How could you reverse brain, liver and heart damage?"
"My skills come from the aliens, but I'm not unique. Many people have the potential to fix problems within their own bodies, and some also those of others. As I said, Jarnie is one of them. The placebo effect is an unconscious application of this skill. The main requirement is absolute certainty that you can do it."
They played the second musical selection, then talked about Bill's history: the Outback farm, including doing university subjects over the School of the Air; kidnapping attempts by the aliens; the move to the city; then the successful abduction, and Bill's time on the Moon.
After the third musical break, Bill talked with enthusiasm about the work with Kooris, and the counselling he, his sister and friend were doing at their school.
Finally, the last segment was future plans. Bill said, "Really, we're improvising as we go. Whenever we make plans, we stumble on new opportunities. For example, we've just found a need to provide start-up capital for businesses that will move humanity in the right direction: the Metta Bootstrap. That's entirely different from the Metta Trust, but we'll welcome submissions for both. It gives me a lot of joy to reduce suffering. Mr Thornton, the President of the Board at my school, has said, 'The more you give, the more you get.' That's so true!"
"Yes, I've found so myself. And yet, most people look for happiness in the wrong place!"
"Right on. Money, possessions, fame, power, being better than others are all illusions. Look. Suppose you live to be 100. On your deathbed, are you likely to regret not making millions? Or more likely to regret some act of unkindness?"
"Bill, that's a wonderful note to end our interview on. Thank you for the honour of talking with me, Floriana Inglese, on VYV, 99.1 FM, the voice of the Yarra Valley, in Victoria, Australia."
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