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Every Complaint Is an Opportunity Lost
It seems like the Way is that of how changelessness passes through change, like a traveller hiking through the mountains. For me, it seems like the greatest gut check to see how much resistance surfaces when various changes are introduced to me. The changeless quality of life is heavy in its conviction, rooted in its centeredness, yet light enough to be uprooted at any time and glide with the direction the change blows. It seems then there is no self in the process, because there is nothing staying behind, resisting the change as it occurs, and rather, being one with it. When I resist, I am siding with myself, trying to carve myself out from the world around and about me, trying to be unto myself, rather than just being with what is.
In birth we join death:
From the beginning one's life is intimately connected with its end, the result often being an in between that struggles with this reality, something that even strives to create a legacy, to "beat" death in some way, some how. But I didn't give birth to myself, individually. Nor will I summon death to myself, individually. Seems I owe myself not to myself after all, but to that in which I became and to that which I will disapear. So from birth to death it's always like this, and that goes for every change that comes my way. It is then my duty not to resist, force, or control, but let it happen, and see how I respond conversely with that first step taken.
Ah, there in lies the challenge though! :shock:
Oh well, what I am but my own measuring stick.
In birth we join death:
From the beginning one's life is intimately connected with its end, the result often being an in between that struggles with this reality, something that even strives to create a legacy, to "beat" death in some way, some how. But I didn't give birth to myself, individually. Nor will I summon death to myself, individually. Seems I owe myself not to myself after all, but to that in which I became and to that which I will disapear. So from birth to death it's always like this, and that goes for every change that comes my way. It is then my duty not to resist, force, or control, but let it happen, and see how I respond conversely with that first step taken.
Ah, there in lies the challenge though! :shock:
Oh well, what I am but my own measuring stick.
Comments
This is just another way of describing how easily we see ‘the cup half empty’. The way flows; no thing stays the same (except [chref=11]Nothing[/chref] perhaps). In life, we are either ebbing or flowing, rising or sinking, going or returning... Seeing ‘the cup half empty’ is a symptom of rising and going with our ideals and desires. Sinking and returning happens when, in [chref=33]contentment[/chref], we feel ‘the cup half full’.
Thus, every complaint is an opportunity lost if in the complaint we don’t realize we have [chref=46]too many desires[/chref] at that moment. Only if we have the presence of mind, through being present with our moment, can we see what is happening and at least ponder the alternative ‘cup half full’ point of view. Pondering that improves our chances of turning failure (death) into success (life).
Note: There is nothing inherently wrong with failure and death of course - to the contrary. However, being alive, feeling ‘the cup half full’, opportunity side of the coin, is one of our most driving needs. Ironically, [chref=37]desire[/chref] often works against fulfilling that need.
I think biologically we are strewn towards seeing the cup as half empty. It's the hunter gatherer instinct. Uh oh, we're almost out of milk and we rise (your word) from our chair and go to the store or to our dairy cow out back.
(Somehow I hear Kyle's voice in here telling us that's why he drinks tea...you can keep so much on hand and it doesn't go sour.)
Anyway, the words "sinking and returning...in contentment" perfectly describe how that feels. Also, it's helpful to see that when I'm complaining, perhaps I have "too many desires" or that my desires are overpowering me, whoever that is, and I might try being present.
Without our mind's memory, we wouldn't be carrying around all our 'cup half empty' baggage. Our desires keep reminding us of what we're missing.
How is that?
I think it's a survival thing. In the business and political world, it's called drive. Think of how little drive you and I have compared to Bill and Hillary Clinton! Or even some friends or spouses of ours/mine. I'm thinking success is the result of great need or great fear or a combination of the two.
When you see the big picture (meaning we are all going to die), then the fears settle down and the needs subside (is there a direct correlation there?) and we achieve some contentment.