Empathy overwhelms everyday life. Just the sight of someone begging for sustenance creates scenarios about how they got to where they are and emotions take me over. The desire to lend my couch and shower, to help them find hope, livelihood and happiness once more, penetrates my entire being. Then a concrete wave of reality hits me and I sadly realize I can't. Without the means, safety, or room for all those I would like to help, I'm at a loss.
I remind myself that we've all failed them, the defeat is not mine alone, that we are all responsible for their suffering. The media, government, greed, selfishness, image. We care more about getting ahead and providing a good life for ourselves and those we are personally responsible for. When in reality we are all personally responsible for every living thing on this planet we call home.
Volunteering is not enough when so few do it, the impact of one is so small compared to the impact of many. Too many label these people as con-men, lazy, mentally unfit. They are you, and me in different circumstances. They need a warm smile, friendly conversation, food to eat, connection.
That is not where our selfishness ends. Every living thing is you, is me--in another. When we treat animals as less than us, when we neglect our pets, our parents, grandparents, friends, strangers. We are neglecting the essence of existence. We are dismissing the only thing in which we can truly make a meaningful difference. We are lending ourselves to drown in the downward spiral of society, government, and media driven ignorance and greed.
Attach yourselves to what really matters.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Trespass
Lost in an almond shaped world void of color, taste, fragrance, meaning. Slipping slowly into a darkness that sucks up energy, steals sleep, suffocates and crushes existence. Moisture bites the corners, constantly threatening to tip over the edge. A powerful cloud of despair seemingly impossible to evade. An intrusion into the facade. The mask that fooled so many now cracked and stained with deceit. A heartbreaking trespass into the world of another.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
Creating Suffering
I recently was talking with a friend from high school. The subject matter isn't what I would like to talk about, but a specific sentence he said. It was that "we create our own suffering." It wasn't something I hadn't heard before, but I had never really took the time to explore the meaning behind it or how true it is, at least to me.
While studying at Utah State University I took a class on philosophy and religion. At the time I was trying to discover my own beliefs but it ended up confusing me more. One of the things the professor would always bring up was suffering. Especially when talking about a God... how could a God justify the suffering in the world? A lot of students in the class had very well thought-out arguments to defend their God, but none of them seemed to cut it for me. Which had me walking the line of disbelief in God or hatred toward God.
After a while I was tired of trying to figure it out and distracted myself with music, friends, etc. I found that everything that was making me unhappy though would go back to what my beliefs were. i.e. If I believed in certain christian religions than drinking was "bad." So I was constantly conflicted with my own actions. The religion of my childhood and my choice in life style were in constant conflict which diminished my confidence. I was focusing on the smaller decisions instead of the big picture and at some point I realized that until I found what I personally believed I would constantly second guess my decisions. I know a moral compass or belief system is not necessary for everyone, but it is for me.
So I began reading, researching, and attending meetings for various religions. In doing this I found that they all want you to be happy and be kind, etc. I found that most want you to believe blindly--they relied on Faith. They would deny science, facts that have huge amounts of evidence behind them that don't ask you to rely on pure belief-- that could even coincide with their beliefs. But because they don't understand these facts they look at them as attacks on their belief system. i.e. Evolution doesn't disprove any deity, but it doesn't prove one either. When I would ask questions about things backed up by science religious leaders would get defensive, like I was attacking their beliefs. Which was not at all what my intentions were. To me it did not make sense to get defensive, it made more sense to explore these facts within the religion than to freak out. This is one reason that Buddhism seemed like a good philosophy to me.
Another friend introduced me to Zeitgeist, a three-part documentary, one of the parts being about religious congruities. How they all seem to have original names for the stories attached to many before their time. After researching these I found that religion was just a form of "organized hope." That I personally could not believe in a deity because there was no evidence toward one, just unoriginal stories of miracles that could not be proven. At this point I believed myself an Atheist. After I started falling back into the discontent with my decisions though I found myself looking for something to believe in, whether it be a philosophy or simply to believe in humanity. The latter is what I believed in for a time. Simply believing that doing good to others and making this inevitably difficult life as easy for others as I possibly could, easing others suffering brought me joy. This is when I started to think about Buddhism on a more serious level.
I had heard Buddhism described as a religion, a philosophy, and most recently as an education. I liked it described as a philosophy until I heard it described as an education. Thinking of it as a philosophy was what got me on the path of learning more about it. Buddhism, from my understanding, revels in science. When science disproves something in the beliefs of Buddhists they adapt. They are searching for knowledge on the path of Enlightenment. This was a "religion" (education) that I could spend my time exploring and possibly believe in, if not, at least live the life style of. The friend I mentioned at the beginning; the one who said "we create our own suffering." Is a Buddhist. This belief of his is from this education.
It simply means that our expectations make us suffer, our expectations of others can also make them suffer. We can dispel suffering by changing our thinking. "We create our own suffering," is a simple statement that can change your entire attitude toward life and others. When we don't have expectations we make others comfortable around us, they don't feel judged, they feel accepted. When we don't feel the need to meet other's expectations we don't feel the sting of failure. We all walk this path called life differently. We can make it easier for ourselves and others.
So after a long path to figure out what it was that made sense. The simple phrase "We create our own suffering," is what solidified a system of thought that makes me a happier person. No one that I know, religious or not, has argued with that statement. To a certain degree, regardless of what you believe, this statement does ring true. That being said though, it is still very healthy to have goals, but keep in mind that if you don't get that promotion or get an A on that test those things do not create the suffering you feel, you do, your expectations do. So get back up and try again.
While studying at Utah State University I took a class on philosophy and religion. At the time I was trying to discover my own beliefs but it ended up confusing me more. One of the things the professor would always bring up was suffering. Especially when talking about a God... how could a God justify the suffering in the world? A lot of students in the class had very well thought-out arguments to defend their God, but none of them seemed to cut it for me. Which had me walking the line of disbelief in God or hatred toward God.
After a while I was tired of trying to figure it out and distracted myself with music, friends, etc. I found that everything that was making me unhappy though would go back to what my beliefs were. i.e. If I believed in certain christian religions than drinking was "bad." So I was constantly conflicted with my own actions. The religion of my childhood and my choice in life style were in constant conflict which diminished my confidence. I was focusing on the smaller decisions instead of the big picture and at some point I realized that until I found what I personally believed I would constantly second guess my decisions. I know a moral compass or belief system is not necessary for everyone, but it is for me.
So I began reading, researching, and attending meetings for various religions. In doing this I found that they all want you to be happy and be kind, etc. I found that most want you to believe blindly--they relied on Faith. They would deny science, facts that have huge amounts of evidence behind them that don't ask you to rely on pure belief-- that could even coincide with their beliefs. But because they don't understand these facts they look at them as attacks on their belief system. i.e. Evolution doesn't disprove any deity, but it doesn't prove one either. When I would ask questions about things backed up by science religious leaders would get defensive, like I was attacking their beliefs. Which was not at all what my intentions were. To me it did not make sense to get defensive, it made more sense to explore these facts within the religion than to freak out. This is one reason that Buddhism seemed like a good philosophy to me.
Another friend introduced me to Zeitgeist, a three-part documentary, one of the parts being about religious congruities. How they all seem to have original names for the stories attached to many before their time. After researching these I found that religion was just a form of "organized hope." That I personally could not believe in a deity because there was no evidence toward one, just unoriginal stories of miracles that could not be proven. At this point I believed myself an Atheist. After I started falling back into the discontent with my decisions though I found myself looking for something to believe in, whether it be a philosophy or simply to believe in humanity. The latter is what I believed in for a time. Simply believing that doing good to others and making this inevitably difficult life as easy for others as I possibly could, easing others suffering brought me joy. This is when I started to think about Buddhism on a more serious level.
I had heard Buddhism described as a religion, a philosophy, and most recently as an education. I liked it described as a philosophy until I heard it described as an education. Thinking of it as a philosophy was what got me on the path of learning more about it. Buddhism, from my understanding, revels in science. When science disproves something in the beliefs of Buddhists they adapt. They are searching for knowledge on the path of Enlightenment. This was a "religion" (education) that I could spend my time exploring and possibly believe in, if not, at least live the life style of. The friend I mentioned at the beginning; the one who said "we create our own suffering." Is a Buddhist. This belief of his is from this education.
It simply means that our expectations make us suffer, our expectations of others can also make them suffer. We can dispel suffering by changing our thinking. "We create our own suffering," is a simple statement that can change your entire attitude toward life and others. When we don't have expectations we make others comfortable around us, they don't feel judged, they feel accepted. When we don't feel the need to meet other's expectations we don't feel the sting of failure. We all walk this path called life differently. We can make it easier for ourselves and others.
So after a long path to figure out what it was that made sense. The simple phrase "We create our own suffering," is what solidified a system of thought that makes me a happier person. No one that I know, religious or not, has argued with that statement. To a certain degree, regardless of what you believe, this statement does ring true. That being said though, it is still very healthy to have goals, but keep in mind that if you don't get that promotion or get an A on that test those things do not create the suffering you feel, you do, your expectations do. So get back up and try again.
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