The Greatest
Good Morning,
Many times we go through our lives thinking what's next? or where do I go from here? Unfortunately these are the kinds of questions that will lead us around in circles. It has been say that if you want love, attention and devotion then you must GIVE love, attention and devotion. More often than not though we get caught up in the endless illusion of trying to make ourselves happy, make ourselves feel better, or just get through our days never really achieving any sustainable level of happiness. Why is this?
The world is full of people trying to make themselves happy, in fact we raise generation after generation to think highly of themselves, and to make themselves happy first. . . has anyone seen this work? If it does work then why do we not have a world full of content people? I think the real meaning lies in todays thought:
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
Have a fantastic day and remember, it's not the path you take but the trail you leave for others!
Peace and Love, Jim
posted by The Daily Buddha at 7:10 AM
3 Comments:
I'm a bit perplexed by this one... Not sure I see the meaning of planting a tree under the shade of one you never thought to sit under... Is that just another way of saying, "learn and become friends with your enemy"?
Thanks for your comments and questions. Yes you may have turned this thought around a little. The point is that we spend too much time thinking about ourselves and what makes us (appeasing self) happy. For example, Why would I spend my money on someone else? Why send you on a vacation I can not enjoy? or Why plant a shade tree when I will die before I can sit under it?
What really must happen is that we should devote our lives to making others happy, put others before ourselves, or plant trees for the benefit of those we leave behind.
We can not experience that which we have not given away. Look at it this way, which will you remeber more, the hundred dollars you put into your bank account or the hundred dollars you fed the battered childrens shelter with?
We as individuals will never be happy as long as "self" comes before others. Make sense?
Peace my friend.
Ahhhhh! Makes perfect sense now. I agree that life should be spent bettering the lives of others. Our selfish needs only die with us with nothing left to remind others of who we were. I gift to someone else can last several generations, passed down from family member to family member.
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