Posts tagged Buddha
People Are Just Not Miserable Enough
Aug 26th
The meditative person is not an escapist; he is creative. That is the criterion of real meditation: if it helps you to be creative only then is it true meditation; otherwise you are carrying something pseudo in the name of meditation. – Osho
This is certainly not the case with the young women in Australia aged between 18-34 years. This age bracket is the one where there is the highest incidence of suicide and I believe where suicide is responsible for more deaths than anything else.
Unfortunately for these women there was no-one around to tell them about meditation and not only that the women themselves did not move in circles where meditation was even talked about let alone practised.
The only hope to pull people out of the anguish of their own minds is meditation and a meditative approach to life; all else is just hopeless. You can have plenty of money, a great career, fantastic relationships and everything that most people would like but do not have, however ultimately we will find that everything has betrayed us. But then it will be too late.
When Alexander the Great was dying he asked his courtiers to make sure both his hands were outside the coffin so that everybody could see he was going to the other shore empty handed.
Generally, people will die as they lived and if they have lived a false life they will die in misery, as they realise they had wasted their life in complaining about people, life and circumstances over which they never had any control. How could they? Control is an illusion.
Someone who is fortunate enough to have had a taste of meditation knows there is another way to live life and this person lives with gratefulness and particularly a sense of humour especially about oneself.
Once this sense of humour becomes established we start laughing at ourselves not others and we certainly never complain about anyone or anything. If we feel some social orders need change we will do that too with sincerity and totality.
When Buddha was dying his disciples were weeping and crying and he said to them, “Stop. Whatever was worth knowing I have known and I have realized my potential. You should rejoice because I have fulfilled my mission in life.”
If we truly are miserable and honestly think there is no way out then think again. There is always someone who has travelled a few steps ahead of you who can suggest appropriate meditations. But existentially, “thinking” itself is the problem and more precisely the identification we all have with the thinking mind that dominates our life.
Cheers
Sam
Tell Yourself the Truth
Aug 10th
“Three things cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon, and the truth.” -Buddha
Think of all of the excuses you’ve heard people tell themselves to avoid facing reality. People don’t exercise because they don’t have the time. They drink because they’re stressed. Children are neglected because the parents are too busy to take 5 minutes out of their days to give to them. And abused women win the prize for making up every excuse in the book about why they stay in abusive relationships.
When we deny what we truly want, i.e. a thinner body, a better relationship with whomever, a better job, less stress in our lives and eliminating or limiting negative habits we ultimately pay the penalty of not living a happier more balanced life.
The outcome: our bodies aren’t the way we want, our health suffers, our relationships are not what they could be, our financial situations are a struggle, etc. all because we can’t face reality and tell ourselves the truth.
If you really want to get out of debt, be less stressed, lose weight, if you want to stop smoking, stop fighting, be a more “present” parent or a better person in whatever area you feel needs the help, until you quit making excuses as to why you can’t; you will continue to have what you’ve got.
Admitting that there is an issue or a problem is always the first step in changing anything. Facing reality and getting real with yourself will allow you to have a new perspective on how all of your excuses are keeping you stuck. And sadly, we all make excuses about the things we most need to address.
But, unless you are willing to be totally honest with yourself you won’t change a thing.
Wouldn’t you love to live the life you’ve always wanted? If you begin to tell yourself the truth you will finally be able to do something about it. You can now decide whether or not you like your life the way it is or if you are going to choose a different course.
Look, we all have crutches that make it easier to get through life. But, it’s when these crutches begin to actually cripple us that we stay stuck in what can turn into miserable situations. And the longer we stay stuck the harder it is to change.
Don’t make your excuses start to become your reality. You’ve told yourself these lies for so long that you actually start to believe them. The real reality is we can live any way we want without the excuses.
Life without the excuses: I’m fat because I don’t exercise and I eat what I want. I’m stressed because I let life and all of its complications upset me. I don’t spend enough time nurturing my children because I simply don’t feel like it. I am in debt because I’m wasteful and don’t cut back in the many ways that I can. I drink because I like it regardless of how it makes me feel. I stay in abusive relationships because I don’t know my self worth or value myself and the list goes on and on.
If you really want to lose weight make the time to work out. If you’re stressed, learn stress management or meditate. If you are struggling financially; create a budget and adhere to it. If you don’t spend enough time with your children, find 5 minutes and give them your undivided attention. If you are in an abusive relationship, stop telling yourself its okay if someone treats you badly.
It’s up to you to either live your life allowing the excuses to make what you do (which you know you shouldn’t) bearable. Or, tell yourself the truth and know that the truth can set you free!
