I believe that to grow is to live. The effort to achieve growth, however, often demands hard work and sacrifice, and there are no guarantees for success. So, I have been asked, if there is a possibility to be happy without doing anything in the present moment, why should anybody work for growth. People argue that life is short and uncertain, and no matter what we do, ultimately most of us will die to be forgotten. They ask that even if we are remembered, does it make any difference. So, going by this logic, it seems that postponing today's happiness to tomorrow in hope of getting more does not look like the best bet. Indeed, if there are no guarantees and there is no happiness to be had either now or tomorrow, what is the point of working? Not much, from this point of view.
So I have learned that it is natural for any human being under the influence of this twisted logic to despair and not desire growth. The basic problem, however, with the argument presented above is that it assumes that the pursuit of growth is working for happiness in some abstract, flimsy moment in the future (this life, after life or other life: whatever one believes). That is not true.
I think growth takes place when one does what makes him happy and aligns it with personal learning. The day to day actions need to align themselves with happiness while keeping growth in perspective. But that can happen only when one is working towards what he thinks he would love doing.
This brings us to a fundamental question: what do we really want? Do we even want anything? Finding the answer would need self-introspection, experience, maturity and self-awareness. Over time, one learns to leave behind what one’s parents/society/siblings/wife/children/friends expect him to have, what one would like to show off to people so as he can feel successful, or even what one thinks is the "right" thing to do. Then, what one finds is what one would love to do.
This process of self-discovery, unfortunately, is seldom easy. It is not in the nature of human beings to generally seek answers to these questions unless they have had the good luck of having a realized spiritual Master in their lives or the bad luck of facing back-breaking adversities. A good place to start is to try to understand what one does NOT want and what one is NOT. Ultimately, self-awareness can be a powerful guiding force and can bring a lot of stability in life. Otherwise one is condemned to a lingering dissatisfaction with what one possesses AND with what does not possess, keeping one firmly attached to misery with a teasing promise of impending everlasting happiness (and they lived happily ever after?) that never really materializes.
If one despairs, it may help to remember that the essence of life is cyclic. A good event cannot exist without a bad one, and vice-versa. It is extremely hard, if not downright impossible, to control events. One cannot change the hand that nature deals, but one can decide how to play it. Cribbing and crying won't make things better: it will only waste time (the cribber’s and that of anybody who has to hear his cribbing) and will hinder progress in life. Strength is life, weakness is death. As a great saint said once, arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached. Don't beg, don't crib. Demand for the highest! Don't bleat like a helpless sheep, stand up and roar...
So I have learned that it is natural for any human being under the influence of this twisted logic to despair and not desire growth. The basic problem, however, with the argument presented above is that it assumes that the pursuit of growth is working for happiness in some abstract, flimsy moment in the future (this life, after life or other life: whatever one believes). That is not true.
I think growth takes place when one does what makes him happy and aligns it with personal learning. The day to day actions need to align themselves with happiness while keeping growth in perspective. But that can happen only when one is working towards what he thinks he would love doing.
This brings us to a fundamental question: what do we really want? Do we even want anything? Finding the answer would need self-introspection, experience, maturity and self-awareness. Over time, one learns to leave behind what one’s parents/society/siblings/wife/children/friends expect him to have, what one would like to show off to people so as he can feel successful, or even what one thinks is the "right" thing to do. Then, what one finds is what one would love to do.
This process of self-discovery, unfortunately, is seldom easy. It is not in the nature of human beings to generally seek answers to these questions unless they have had the good luck of having a realized spiritual Master in their lives or the bad luck of facing back-breaking adversities. A good place to start is to try to understand what one does NOT want and what one is NOT. Ultimately, self-awareness can be a powerful guiding force and can bring a lot of stability in life. Otherwise one is condemned to a lingering dissatisfaction with what one possesses AND with what does not possess, keeping one firmly attached to misery with a teasing promise of impending everlasting happiness (and they lived happily ever after?) that never really materializes.
If one despairs, it may help to remember that the essence of life is cyclic. A good event cannot exist without a bad one, and vice-versa. It is extremely hard, if not downright impossible, to control events. One cannot change the hand that nature deals, but one can decide how to play it. Cribbing and crying won't make things better: it will only waste time (the cribber’s and that of anybody who has to hear his cribbing) and will hinder progress in life. Strength is life, weakness is death. As a great saint said once, arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached. Don't beg, don't crib. Demand for the highest! Don't bleat like a helpless sheep, stand up and roar...
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