"If we forgive our fathers what is left?" If we let go of our grudges, let go our incomplete understanding which we have leaned upon since our childhoods, if we free our parents of our anger and let them be more than the mistakes they made with us Will we not be better prepared to withstand the anger of our children?
I feel I need to qualify something. I did not mean to imply that there is something wrong with gathering under the cloak of religion. Religion preserves the teachings. Religion gathers those of like mind to celebrate what we have be given from above. But social gatherings cannot replace the direct contact between an individual and his God. The mountain in my writings is of especial significance, Mountains are the highest place a man can go. A mountain falls far short of reaching heaven. But a mountain is our furthest reach. at the top we stall, we can go no further. At the top we must wait for what ever the clouds may bring.
The first clip brings to mind an ancient and present of spermatozoa flowing forth freely with no thought at all. Which is the truth of our presence on earth. So I suppose that making the best of it is all we can do. Seems like sound reasoning to me. If only I was reasoning soundly!
"Will we not be better prepared to withstand the anger of our children?" Great point! I decided long ago to never have children, I knew I was ill equipped for the great responsibility. However, this does not free me from my own childhood---and the responsibility I have toward myself as the keeper of that childhood. I really wish not to be responsible for and I don't know what to do with the seemingly unending pain of living. I was born, didn't thrive and will die an unhappy child. Ain't that something? I already paid for my cremation, let's hope that contract means a tidy end. Seems that cremation creates a lot of smog, but I think occupying more of the limited space left on our planet is stupidly selfish. Well, that's the truth laid out barely for the world to see. Nothing to see here, move along. Oh yes, with nothing but a long, long prolonged "whaa!" for good luck. I have severe and variegated rashes on much of my body. The itching does not for contentment make.
George what would you pay for happiness? Many people sell their honor in hopes of buying it. Some will sell their own children to posses it. It is a hard road leaning to despair to think happiness can be ours at the expense of others. I will now tell you how happiness can truly be attained. The first step I think is by far the hardest. Give up upon any hope of happiness and instead focus with razor sharp clarity upon your duty. Ignore your own happiness and see to the happiness of those around you. If any should undertake such a sacrificial life, one given wholly over to the happiness of others: I can promise you will find happiness inthe faces of those who turn to you for love. My face is turned to you, do you see the love? ":O}
What a great reply, thank you Dan! It's advice to live by, I do my best to do so. Thanks for the reminder, I needed that!
It is indeed not easy. We have ourselves always before us. our needs and wants are always closer to us than the needs and wants of others. This is a needful arrangement. If we care not for ourselves we will be unable to care for others. Yet all happiness hinges on our being able to look past our selves and see the need the world has for us. Mostly, I have found, the world doesn't want what we would like to give. The world wants what it wants. So two choices are presented. Give the world what it wants, or give the world what we feel it needs to be happy. Give the world the truth you see, rather than affirmation it seeks. Make no mistake, this will not make you overly popular as you can imagine. This most often may result in some unhappiness on your part. Is why we should forfeit hopes and dreams of happiness and replace them with devotion to what is ours to do. Our duty. Doing ones duty is a far far journey at times from our own happiness. But quite often doing ones duty brings happiness to others. What I am advocating here is that we devote ourselves to our duty as a means of securing the happiness of those who surround us. Almost always if we succeed in this we will come across ourselves hard upon doing our duty and find we are most happy when we see our duty done. Be about your duty and happiness may yet find you. ":O} So life is always asking us, "Should I give it to him/her or to you? There is no general law that we can follow here. Each must decide for themselves which is the right course to follow...this time.
Then what once was wasted can now be reclaimed. "The past isn't gone, it isn't even past." The thing about being a temporal being, passing through time, is that we are allowed to change. For one wishing change Time becomes our instrument with which we shape our lives.
I doubt sincerely that I can gainsay post #28. "Doubt sincerely" really means no possible way. Thanks for this post!