“Do not accept any doctrine from reverence, but first try it as gold is tried by fire”. – Buddha in Kalama Sutta.

I have been wondering what to believe and what not to believe. The answers are sometimes difficult, often contradictory raising the confusion and the agony of ignorance.

To question the belief and then search for answers has been the a challenge that remains most difficult. Some people confuse this with a doubting nature or on the extreme classify the attitude as cynical. The degree of difficulty in explaining the ideology is far too high when the alternate choice of remaining quiet is far too easy. Hence, it is obviously easier to be tagged as a cynic or a suspicious person rather than trying to explain one’s perception. The quest is very personal. People will have similarity of thinking on most of the average day to day way of life. But to really start questioning everything is not to doubt, but to be fully convinced of oneself. Only then the faith is deeper and the inspiration to pursue so great that you carry on even if the rest of the world remains out of sync.

I could not reach any worthwhile answer for this quest that would allow me to tell anyone appropriately that my questions are not due to cynicism or suspicion but purely due to my satisfaction which will grant me the courage of conviction to do the right thing. The ideology of the Kalama Sutta may offer to make people understand.

Meanwhile, the quest continues without malice but in the right earnest.

Cover Image Credit : purple-rx

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Light up the mind !

Yesterday, we had a small get together and the general thought drifted towards “What is satisfaction and what is happiness?”

Now, that is really absurd because these are very individual specific and is difficult to generalise. But to my thinking mind (I do have some of it and use it sometimes!), certain things stuck out adequately to grab attention. There were divergent views as to how to reach that state that of happiness and satisfaction. The views on what is it were also similar but much less divergent. Some associated it with name,others with fame, yet others with money. Some thought that if you are satisfied you will stop progressing, some thought that satisfaction an happiness are the first steps towards giving up.

Some felt that these are attained only at the end of it all. Hardly a person thought about the co-relation that exists between the material progress and happiness. Well, to say the least material progress and happiness does have a co-relation. These are not mutually exclusive. As some would say “Teach a child something about possessing before you can teach him (or her) the value of sharing” Possessing and sharing are not exclusive as is sometimes perceived by a lot of people.

These do have some co-relation, probably to the same degree as happiness and material progress, at least I believe so. This would be better understood if you observed the society a little closely. All rich people or all poor people are not happy. Similarly, all poor people or all rich are also not unhappy. Thus arises the question – if material progress does not give you happiness the what does? Well, all people are as different as their faces, so what will give them happiness is also as different.

Some people who are in business will be happy if their business flourishes.Similarly, sports persons derive happiness in the glory they seek, doctors in the way they help others and so on and so forth. But this we are talking in the zone of co-relation. Beyond, that the things that will bring happiness is a universal constant i.e. “the goodness in you” factor. It is this “the goodness in you” factor, that I feel will bring happiness. If you have harmed people to do well in your business, you will be happy as long as you exist in the co-relation zone. Beyond that you will again be unhappy. That understanding I think is what makes people happy and satisfied.

Too much thinking for the day.

Time to get back on the saddle and go for a good ride.

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