I guess I'm trading Buddhism for nudism.So follow up to the previous post: the answer is so much simpler than I was making it out to be. Vanilla Sky says the answer to 9 out of 10 questions is "money" (and in my opinion the answer to the 10th question was "sex")... but my spin on this idea is that the answer to 9 out of 10 questions about life is "moderation."
Moderation. That little word that keeps popping up in my mind; it was Ben Franklin's favorite concept for a damn good reason. In reference to my previous entry, of course I should help others. I wouldn't be me if I didn't practice compassion and empathy, they're two traits i see in myself that I'm most proud of. But if I'm not moderate in putting others before myself, I will never get around to taking care of myself at all.
Life is a balancing act. As you progress you have to lean from side to side and back again to maintain a steady balance. If you lean to heavily in any one direction you're just going to come tumbling down. Sometimes you may have to lean in one direction as a necessity to maintain balance. I made reference to a Shantideva quote two entries ago "All happiness comes from the desire for others to be happy. All misery comes from the desire for oneself to be happy." Was Shantideva wrong? Should Shantideva have been practicing moderation?
Well, not exactly. Now that I'm looking at that quote again, he's only talking about desire here. Perhaps some discrepancy in practice from desire is a good thing. Desire happiness for others but practice compassion for myself. I guess that Shantideva really knew what he was talking about, maybe I should pick up his Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way Of Life again.
I'm trying here. How does the old axiom go? Some people are born great, some people have greatness thrust upon them. If I could figure out half of the shit floating through my brain I would be truly great, but only out of necessity.
I didn't ask these questions... they were asked of me. I'm just trying to find the answers
3 comments:
Funny how I was thinking halfway through this entry "I should loan Gabriel my copy of the Way of the Bodhisattva". ;-) Great minds eh?
Perhaps moderation is key, but what fun is life without a few naked walks?
Thought you might find this interesting. I found it while thumbing through the "World Prayers" link on my blog:
This and this alone is true religion:
To serve thy brethren.
This is sin above all other sin:
To harm thy brethren.
In such faith is happiness.
In lack of it is misery and pain.
Blessed be he who swerveth not
aside from this straight path.
Blessed is he whose life is lived thus
ceaselessly in serving God.
Bearing others' burdens and so alone
is life, true life, to be attained.
Nothing is hard to him who,
casting self aside, thinks only this:
How may I serve my fellow man?
tulsidas - 16th century
I am now picturing you as an old man, gardening naked, in a backyard with a really tall fence.
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