You must know my favorite principle by now:
“I am that I am”
I am the result of my actions and my actions are the result of my thoughts, witch in turn are the results of my beliefs.
Change your belief system and you will change your life.
Keep the same beliefs and you will be stuck in the same karmic wheel.
So I have done some rethinking and rearranging on my belief system and I am about to start some new planning in my life.
Another of my favorite sayings:
“If you're not in control of your life, somebody else will be”
My new plan has to start with a purpose.
Every life has a purpose and so should our endeavors.
There is no purposeless life.
Not only that every person is born with a purpose in life but also every person is born with the talent, intelligence and all the resources he needs to fulfill that purpose.
The cause of human suffering – IMO- is not “desire” but “wrong desire”.
We do what we think we should do; what we think it is good for us and what we think will give us the maximum satisfaction in life, but rarely what we were born to do.
In other words we set out goals that are against our own purpose and nature.
We see ourselves as single individuals rather than a part of a greater existence and our desires are of a lower, personal level rather than of the bigger and complex design of which we are part of.
We also go on achieving these goals alone, not as a part of the group, and instead of creating cooperation we create competition and friction with our fellow man.
No good will ever come out of any enterprise that serves the desire of one single individual no matter how small or big that enterprise is.
A blog is a small enterprise.
What is the purpose of a blog if it serves only the person that writes it?
Of course there are some therapeutic benefits coming out from the venting out of ones frustrations in an open forum – that is the basic mechanism of a confessional – but after that what higher good does it serve?
What is the higher purpose we serve, you and I?
After half of year of blogging I ask myself:
“Where is this road going?”
Do you know where your blogging is going, and if so would you be so kind as to share on your perspective and experience?
Other wise you will have to suffer through another six month of self inquiry and running in circles looking for an answer :)
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19 comments:
I don't feel at all as if you've led me through six months of running in circles. So far this has been a mystical trip. I'm reminded of a quote by the great Rainier Rilke from Letters to a Young Poet. He wrote this in 1903:
...I would like to beg you dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.
Lydia, wonderfully put. Buddha, this is a journey you are not on your own on. That is why I think we come back to your blog. We are all on journeys. All seeking answers. It is blogs like yours that help all of us (including you) along that journey. Sharing your journey, is very important to me, and I thank you for that.
Where is my blog (2 now) going? http://southernhighlandsentertainment.com is only new and is for the purpose of tourism in the area. http://hotmiddlescence.com is still after several months finding its feet. Hopefully it will help some one, maybe brighten up a day, maybe be food for thought. There will be some changes with it over the next couple of weeks, when I start interviewing some women in my age group doing things that maybe others might like to try.
All that matters, really, is that our blogs help one person, one time.
We can't control this, of course (as if we could control other people!). We can't know who our writing will affect, nor when.
All we can do is: do our best.
If we make our best effort, moment after moment, then everything falls into place.
A lot of "my, my, my" at the beginning, there. Maybe the purpose of "my" life is to die. Then my thoughts can follow along instead of assuming the leader position.
The journey is as important as the destination...maybe more so if you're running in circles ;)
I recently reached my one year anniversary of my blog and it's served many purposes. One of the best is having the opportunity to meet new people and to see the world through different eyes.
I've found that some answers to the difficult questions have already been answered...think of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz...she had the power all along.
It's interesting how watching another person's self-inquiry enhances your own. It can give you new questions, and sometimes comfort in knowing that others have the same questions.
"Change your belief system and you will change your life." - yep, every time. Isn't it beautiful how we can change everything by changing the lens we use to view reality. :) It almost makes living non-linear. What if your purpose in life is whatever you say it is?
I have to disagree with you that the cause of all human suffering is "desire" - right or wrong. I truly believe the cause of all human suffering is fear.
It just doesn't make sense that you would be born desiring so much if that's the cause of your suffering. Wouldn't a perfect, omniscient creator create creatures without this propensity to want, unless of course the creator wants you to suffer.
Without desire there is also no pleasure/joy/gratification in receiving, there is no gratitude (the best emotion to have). Then again, I'm not Buddhist.
I see this type of dogma as just another way to keep the peasants in place. You don't really want to experience all the good things in life, desire creates suffering don't you know. Don't look up at your master, after all, he's not as "enlightened" as you are.
Without these dogmas there would be no masters, and therefore no dogs in human form, IMO. This POV doesn't get me down, though. It's just a phase in the existence, taken for what it is, an aspect of possible experience.
You are born with desire, but you are taught to fear, usually by those who want power - including your parents, though they meant well.
I think your blog serves to ask important questions, and give insight into another person's experience. If nothing else, many of us enjoy reading it :)
Mine, OTOH, is kind of like, hey, look at this shiny thing I found. Curious and weird.
I think what you meant to say is either "if you're not in control of your life, somebody else will be" or "if you don't control your life, someone else will." The sentence you put is a bit off grammatically.
Of course, I agree with you, but I think that the central question that people really ask themselves is how do they find their purpose? Also, it is not always that simple to discern what you're doing for yourself and what you're doing for others. Sometimes you think it's one thing when subconsciously it's the other.
I also think that objects, such as a blog, only serve the purpose the person gives it. There are plenty of blogs that are intended to serve others. I didn't have a direction for my blog. It's really just a depository for my ruminations that other people can read and comment on. Nothing particular.
hi Buddha,
'good desire vs bad desire' is quite a common concept. i trust you know why it is not mentioned in the old dusty and dull pali texts.
a cat has no purpose. no doubt. no fear. thus is way of buddhas - dumb, boring and simple. :)
why am i writing this? it's for you. benefit from it, will you? ;)
good luck.
mickael
Human suffering isn't always by ones own choice, so I'm not sure I agree with that sentiment ... on it's own. Qualified perhaps ...
eg. an abused child, murder or rape victims where suffering is inflicted upon them and not by their own choice.
As for blogging - I've been doing that for over 3 years now and have run out of steam. I tend to keep it up for my loyal readers so they know what I'm up to. I started out as a way of keeping my creative writing up and it became a bit of an advice column - then it just got to be more of a daily diary. All sorts of things. It got so big, I've deleted off all the early stuff.
Your blog can become anything it wants to ... we all read it and form an opinion and share our comments. We can agree or not but the best part of blogging is getting others perspectives on things. I love reading the (very) thoughtful responses and they make me think even more about my own attitudes. You raise the questions I'm too lazy to, so long may you continue. Lol!
Do you know that your principle: "I am that I am" is the name of the God of Israel?
I know several bhuddists (my circle of friends) who are searching for the truth, but they are still seeking, because (in my opinion) the "I am that I am" has the truth. It is because He has more enlightenment, to speak in bhudda's terms.
Hope you are not offended by such a strong statement, but if you would know about "a better deal", wouldn't you want to share it?
@ Lydia – It was so rewarding and soothing to read your comment.
I totally enjoy my self inquiry. It is like a game of hide and seek for me.
I just hope that you will enjoy it too – now I know you do – so that makes my day :)
@ Brigit - I am blessed to have your companion on my journey – as well as all my other friends – Meeting new friends and exchanging experiences is the most rewarding part of blogging. I guess it is the only thing that keeps me going.
@ Barry – That is one of the best arguments for the power of now I ever read.
“If we make our best effort, moment after moment, then everything falls into place.”
Thank you for your thoughts!
@ Ted – “Then my thoughts can follow along instead of assuming the leader position.”
I have to ask for more input on that statement. I feel something but I can’t grasp it yet.
Would you mind expanding your thoughts?
@ Talon – I am in total agreement. I just did not know that you feel the same :)
@ Sylvie – I am not a Buddhist either :)
I am a just a human being with some Buddhist beliefs like:
God has no church and the church does not have God.
I hold my beliefs; my beliefs don’t hold me.
Etc.
That’s why I do not preach any dogma.
I am just searching for truth and just like you I am trying to have fun while doing it.
@ Samurai – Thank you for helping me with my grammar.
I really appreciate that!
I like my life to have a purpose, it just feels much better that way.
@ Mickael – I think I can speak for everyone here; we all benefit for your dumb, boring and simple Buddha way.
@ Aggie – I am not running out of steam but I feel like running out of ideas!
@ Jannette – I know your God is greater, more powerful, wiser and godier than any other God.
How can I be offended?
Nice post! Life just is. And we all have different kind of paths to walk on it and we're all here together, right here, right now. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
My ego that once thought it was master of my self needs to symbolically die, because it's a linguistic being and has no other way to transcend it's current position, and be the other that was perceived as a split in itself. That being the speaker and listener for the new master that is not there.
Dying to an ethics of passive nihilism where the ego can be satisfied with being the data collector and puzzle solver instead of the action director. This "might" open up a space for a spontaneous action. A twist on "Might makes Right".
Does that hit on your feeling, Buddha?
I like how your "Welcome to my blog" is changing.
Your blog for me is a lesson in kindness and the gentle way you answer commenters. If I must run in circles to learn this then my lesson is to be glad for the exercise.
@ Uku – And I thank you for being a companion on my journey!
@ Ted – this is one of the best comments ever!
I read it yesterday and I was trying to come up with an intelligent reply but I couldn’t add anything to it except:
Indeed it resonates deep within me.
Also it inspired me to write my next post :)
@ Diego – Well, I don’t really know what to say because I really love to debate.
Maybe I am too gentle :)
I forgot you had those handy buttons and I stumbled and dugg you on my own. In other words I love you post. I plan to link to it tomorrow on my Mental Mondays blog.
Take care Buddha.
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