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One of my favourite Quotes, I wanted to share with everyone.
The Real Work
There is one thing in this world that you must never forget to do. If you forget everything else and not this, there's nothing to worry about,
but if you remember everything else, and forget this, then you will have done nothing in your life.
It's as if a king has sent you to some country to do a task, and you perform a hundred other services, but not the one he sent you to do.
So human beings come to this world to do particular work. That work is the purpose, and each is specific to the person. If you don't do it, it's
as though a priceless Indian sword were used to slice rotten meat. It's a golden bowl being used to cook turnips, when one filing from the bowl could buy a hundred suitable pots. It's a knife of the finest tempering nailed into a wall to hang things on.
You say, "But look, I'm using the dagger. It's not lying idle."
Do you hear how ludicrous that sounds? For a penny, an iron nail could be bought to serve the purpose. You say, "But I spend my energies on lofty enterprises. I study jurisprudence and philosophy and logic and astronomy and medicine and all the rest." But consider why you do those things.
They are all branches of yourself.
Remember the deep root of your being, the presence of your lord. Give your life to the one who already owns your breath and your moments.
If you don't, you will be exactly like the man who takes a precious dagger and hammers it into his kitchen wall for a peg to hold his dipper gourd.
You'll be wasting valuable keenness and foolishly ignoring your dignity and your purpose.
--Rumi
Thanks to Jim for leading me to it :-)
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Join Date: 2007-11-02
Forum Posts: 708
I was driving today and trying to practice awareness. A thought came into my mind and I wondered why humans have complicated life so much. Then, I realized that even when life was not so complicated, people still weren't following the path. That's why Jesus came, right?
In Lebanon, life is not so complicated as in the U.S. There's a lot less stress of life like we have in the U.S. and a lot more freedom to live simply. Yet, it's one of the most ego infested places I've ever been to. No matter how much war they have, people aren't changing themselves. It's funny that it is like that since Jesus' feet touched that soil and his teachings originated there. Why is that? I think I'm going to end up living there too.
But, it doesn't matter where you're at or what your life circumstances are. The spiritual work goes on inside and you can walk the path no matter what is going on in your life or where you live. Not enough time is not an excuse because you can practice awareness no matter what you are doing. Daily duties, chores, interactions, etc. are golden opportunities to look at the egos and how they want you to react and behave and feel. You can take a bathroom break or sit in your car and do a mantra for 10 minutes. Something can always be done to further your spiritual progress.
So, what you posted is a good reminder to not get lost in life, not to become "fascinated" by the matters of what egos have created and to not forget what our lives should be used for.
Dusty
Join Date: 2004-05-28
Forum Posts: 911
Thanks Chris, very helpful.
Dusty, thanks for the inspiring words too. Along with what you wrote, if you remember in Belzebuub's talk on "My Story 1" he mentions how when things are going well, when things aren't complicated, then we tend to think life gives us what we want, that life is good, and we just stay where we are, comfortable with where we are, physically content because there are no problems. But when there are problems, when things get complicated, then a person will begin to look for a way out, and when he tries all of the external things and sees that none of them work (i.e. getting a good job, good house, etc.), then he has nowhere else to look but in his own psychology, his own reactions to the circumstances of life. If the good job fixed it, then he'd have lost. If the good house and neighbors had fixed it, then he'd have thought that was what he needed. But since none of that worked, then he has one last place to look, inside. Strange how it's the last place we look. It's like when my mom would be scrambling around the whole house to find her glasses but they were right there on her head. (She did this on a regular basis:)
Join Date: 2007-11-02
Forum Posts: 708
Hi JimB,
I guess we're lucky when things go badly then. lol
That's so funny about your mom. It reminds me of something I did one time.
I'd lost my cell phone, so I called it to see if maybe it fell somewhere. I could hear it ringing, but it was kind of muffled and I could not tell where the ring was coming from. Everytime I turned around it sounded like it was coming from another part of the room. So, I called a co-worker in to help me find it and he said "The sound keeps moving around!". It turns out it was in my back pocket! I had no recollection of putting it there even. I never put my cell phone in my back pocket.
Dusty
Join Date: 2004-05-28
Forum Posts: 911
lol
Join Date: 2004-09-05
Forum Posts: 1331
Yeah, thanks for posting this. I hadn't read it before.
Gabrielle
Join Date: 2004-11-30
Forum Posts: 2615
Thank you so much, Chris!
Got a bit busy this week...
That's exactly what I need to read today.