Wednesday, March 16, 2011
2 Stroke
As I go through my closet and prepare a huge gift of old duds for goodwill it made me think about whether I do enough? With the melt down and devastation in Japan and the daily war or natural disasters / crisis the world over it made me wonder if I do enough. Not sure and in fact probably not enough to make a difference or adjust my karma or improve my mood. I know we don’t do good deeds just to improve our moods but I suspect it is a huge part of it. I have a friend who is single, makes a good living, is good looking and always and I mean always miserable nothing is good in his life and nothing makes him happy a real wet rag of a guy. I find it harder as the years tick by to feel anything for him other than sadness that he has missed life’s boat. Nothing holds us back except when something does like illness, handicap or mental disability. Otherwise “game on” even poverty can be shifted although I am working on that in my own way as I write this. Still if you live with clean air, water to drink and relative safety what is the “beef”? Then I stop and ponder what if the broader perspective includes suffering and death and everything in between? Who are we to say what is right in all of our trumped up altruism, who elected us to intrude and assist people? I ask because whatever they are suffering from if it isn’t pretty or fun and nice or comfortable in our own personal story of life then we charge ahead to change it to fit OUR story of good and nice. It is tough to hear about tragic events or horrid catastrophic occurrences. Still it boils down to the big GOD question and or the God posse that manages the cosmos and helps us only in dire need or if we threaten to change the Universe or its ways. In other words the “Adjustment Bureau “ , God head whatever we want to call it, “It” only steps in when our stuff spills into “other areas of the Universe“. So far that I can tell we live in a fairly ordered Universe and mess or chaos isn’t in the mix although it sure feels like it is. Sure argue that there is no higher group consciousness or God and it is ONLY Chaos. Go head both are impossible to prove with this 2 stroke awareness of mankind. I swear our thinking, feeling; capacity reminds me of the loud dirty noisy 2 stroke engine we have a long way to go before we can admire our abilities. Personally we are thick as stones when it comes to many things we should be embracing like clean energy and recycling and healthcare. Still in the cave if you ask me…Okay but back to the question of how much help and is it helpful and are we supposed to step in? I get confused and sad and fuzzy about what our brotherly duties are? How are we to know we are not meant to suffer? Byron Katie says we know because deep suffering exists therefore it is meant for us. Neat, tidy and irritating, true, I don’t know?
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7 comments:
Suffering is a part of this world, but my own belief is that it wasn't the original plan for this world. Nevertheless, it is here for now. I think we should step in and do our little part whenever we can. If more and more people did just a little bit, what a HUGE positive difference it would make in this world. Putting others ahead of self is really the solution, because remember, that means that somewhere, someone ELSE is putting YOU and YOUR loved ones first. Just my two cents, for whatever that's worth.
Good question Rae Dawn, I wonder the same thing!
It's sad about your friend. He sounds like he has so much to be grateful for, but doesn't have gratitude.. each day of life is such a blessing especially when you don't have health or handicap holding you back!
Michael, like your 2 cents :)
:)
I like 2 cents...plus we do need to help each other in every way possible, Why? Because it feels good, it is deep in our nature to do so, to be selfless.
That's my feeling exactly. There seems to be no downside to doing for others, and putting them first. Perhaps the suffering in this world is a result of too FEW doing just that.
Excellent piece, rd!
You always cover too much territory to fully respond to. Maybe I'm like the "wet rag" friend, but I realized as a very young child that the average do-gooder was a very selfish person. The main reason they like to help others IS because it makes them feel good about themselves. They could care less whether the poor suffering ones survive or not. Hence I've never taken accolades or bragged about my good deeds or thoughts of wisdom. To your bigger point, the nature of humanity, we are by far the most frustrating species. We go out of way to avoid common sense and rational thoughts and actions and deny responsibility for all the selfish confusion. Greed is the brother of fear of death. Death=the last rung on the ladder. We tend to equivocate death with pain. Not true. Death is the ultimate release from suffering. I look forward to it.
thats exactly how i been thinkin dude..i believe me included r greatly swayed by our circumstances...survival kicks in and we cant help but focus on us first,,,just like being enslaved to debt..
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