Live like YOURSELF

About a millennium ago, a great, honorable teacher was soon about to journey into the spirit world due to his advanced age. His disciples asked him as he lay if he was afraid to die. 

"Yes," he said,  "I am afraid to meet our Creator." 

"But how can that be, Master?" the disciples all responded. 

"You have lived and taught us such an exemplary life. You led us all out of the savage wilderness like Moses and have wisely judged between us like King Solomon!" 

He replied very softly, "When I meet our Creator, He will not ask me, 'Have you lived like Moses or Solomon?' He will ask, 'Have you been yourself and have you lived like yourself?'

This story shows that throughout history, many people have failed to be themselves, even the wise ones sometimes. Why are we struggling and failing with life? The struggles, discontentment, doubt, etc. comes out of our false need to please others.

By living your everyday life, it will be inevitable to get someone angry, sad, displeased, etc.- your boss and co-workers, your spouse, your parents, your friends, your children. But keep this in mind - The only image you must live up to is your own and that of no one else. The opinions of those around you who approve or disapprove your actions, opinions, accomplishments, etc. are totally unimportant and sometimes impossible to change. So why do you keep on trying?

So I ask all my readers,

Are you living like YOURSELF?

Are you living to please other people who will deny you no matter what?

Why must you try to please others when you should be pleased with what you have done and accomplished yourself?

You are YOU, a spectacular creation who are the one and only in this world. Let us not end up like the Master above but live with integrity and die with honor for how we have lived true to ourselves.

Namaste

DID YOU KNOW???

Legends say just before Confucius was born (inside a cave), two Guardian Dragons descended from the Heavens and stood guard in front of the cave to protect him from any evil. The whole forest also stood still in wonder and total silence as they were about to witness the coming of a great philosopher.

Diogenes, His Life Style

"He has the most who is most content with the least."

"It is the privilege of the gods to want nothing, and of godlike men to want little."

Diogenes

One of our philosophers with the most misunderstood way of life is this great man. Diogenes was someone who tried to elevate himself spiritually to the highest degree possible right here on this material plain. And of course, to be totally spiritual is to detach oneself from all material goods, possessions and attachments.

Many admire this man and try to do exactly the same only to find themselves very hollow and bored with life soon after. I have even seen one say that he felt he was lying to himself by saying he didn´t want material possessions or a girl friend but convinced this was THE way to win the favor of God or become spiritual.

Another great man has said this,
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."
Buddha

It is, I believe, a marvelous thing to follow the examples of these wise men BUT only if, as Buddha said, that his/her philosophy agrees with your inner self. It would be very unwise to practice something JUST BECAUSE a well known philosopher had said it even though deep inside you disagree or feel uncomfortable or simply not ready to practice his or her lifestyle. These lifestyles where something made by themselves FOR themselves without the slightest notion to "teach" it to anybody when they started on their path. Students who personally watched these mentors later on went to them for knowledge knowing, at least visually, what they were getting themselves into. We don´t have that with these philosophers anymore unless time machine was a physical reality right now. We can only read what they or their disciples have left and only imagine how things were like living like Diogenes.

We must also have a more opened mind and see that just like there are countless different ways to get from New York to LA, there are countless different ways to elevate oneself spiritually. The WAYS could be different (the ways of Diogenes, the ways of Buddha, the ways of Aristotle, etc) but one fact is solid, there exist THE ONE AND THE SAME DESTINATION. If you study their materials and teachings clearly, you will see that none has told any student,
"You MUST do this to be like me or there is NO other way!" I personally would stay away from anyone who says that or anything alike. The would-be students all went and asked these teachers,
"How can I be like you?"
and they answered something like
"I will show you how I have done it," or "These are my teachings," but never
"Do EXACTLY as I did and study ONLY MY teachings!"

For someone living in this society, being a Diogenes could be extremely difficult. Many give up but many persists totally unaware that wise people like Diogenes or even Buddha have already experienced enough earthly pleasures which they all grew out of later on. That is the reason why they were able to detach themselves from all of it. But don´t get me wrong, this is not something one can accomplish so easily in ONE life time. They have already gone through many lives before to have grown to what they have. So the process of detachment was something that came naturally out of themselves. This was not a struggle for them like it is to us.

If you are practicing detachment from earthly pleasures and are struggling with it most likely you are going against something within yourself or your core beliefs. Maybe you are not quit ready yet. Maybe you must experience a little more or a lot more BEFORE you can go on living the life of Diogenes or anyone alike. Maybe your soul or spirit, the omnipotent part of you, knows that you must experience some more in your ordinary day-to-day world in order for you to ascend without sacrifice or struggle. Continuing our lives like Diogenes might be an extreme for us. Remember another thing he has said and done

"I threw my cup away when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough."

If you can even throw away your cup and start drinking ONLY with your hands from now on without feeling any discomfort, GREAT! Proceed. If not, then live differently. 

Find the most pleasant and comfortable way from all these innumerable philosophers that fits best with you, your mentality, your beliefs and your lifestyle. You will then see that there is nothing to struggle for or give up to live the life of a wise man.

My Favorite from Buddha

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him."

- Buddha

Of all of the wise things this great man has said, I would say this is my favorite. By pondering upon this quote you can really see why you are in the situation that you are in your life right now. You might get angry and say,
"Wait, I´ve always tried to stay positive but I´m still miserable!"

This quote can be applied all the way back to the day you were born. How were your thinking, feeling and behavior patterns when you were younger? Did you harm people regularly or had a very pessimistic way of being when you were a teenager? These things, whether it be mental, emotional or physical, will catch up to you sooner or later and you will reap what you have sowed. This is the Universal Law of Karma.

A life time of negativity can not be erased just like that by one year of positive thinking although this does help a lot. Many quit because they just can´t see a quick fix or instant results.

Take this example, if you clean your house on a weekly basis, then it won´t take as much time to clean it then cleaning your house after 20 years of leaving it alone. There will be a A LOT more dusts, cob webs, with dead insects and maybe rats. Do you get the picture? This is the same with all of us. If you never did anything for self-improvement (house left alone for 20 years or more) and you start thinking positively for a short time will not "clean" oneself so easily.

But don´t give up. As the incredible Lao Tsu has said,
"The longest journey begins with a single step."

I am also going to be a little harsh like my teacher has once said to me,
"If you have time to be complaining, then get to work!"

But as you keep on with your journey for a better life and to improve yourself, one step each day, you will eventually get there and once you do, the view and the experience you will have will be breath-taking. You WILL see that all these steps were necessary and worth it.

We have a saying in Japan,
"Dust left alone for sometime will eventually turn into a mountain"

The same can be said with your steps for positive thinking and feelings. Once you get rolling not only will you get there but become the living embodiment of positivity itself and your life will improve to the way you want it. May success be thy destination.

Namaste

The Three Basis

One day, a student rushed to his Master,

"Master, Master!!! There is someone in the village who is speaking many horrible things about and..."

"STOP!" replied the Master, as he continued calmly, "Is what you are about to tell me consists of the three basis?

"The three basis?"

"Yes," continued the Master,
"Number One, IS THIS TRUE? IS WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO TELL ME ABSOLUTELY TRUE?"

"Well, no" answered his disciple, "I heard this from a friend of mine."

The Master went on,
"Number Two; IS WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO TELL ME SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO TELL ME?"

"Well, not really..." said the student in a small voice.

"And lastly, the Third; DOES SOMEONE BENEFIT FROM YOU TELLING ME SOMEONE IS SPEAKING ILL REGARDING ME?"

"No, Master, nobody benefits from what I was about to say."

"Well then, my son, IF IT IS NOT TRUE, IF IT IS NOT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, and IF NO ONE BENEFITS FROM THIS, then it will be wise for you to not speak of this matter. In fact, it is wisest never to speak at all if what you are about to say does not consist of these THREE BASIS."

This is one of my favorite philosophical anecdotes that really changed my life for the better regarding my relationship with everyone I know, especially the second one. I feel better about myself now that I do not say things which are not necessary or worth mentioning and this certainly changed the perspective of everyone around me in a more positive way.

So I ask all my readers, does what you are about to say consists of the THREE BASIS?
1. IS WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SAY 100% TRUE?
2. IS WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SAY ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY TO SAY?
3. DOES ANYBODY BENEFIT FROM WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SAY?

Try applying this into your day-to-day life and you WILL see a positive improvement with many aspects of your life, especially your interactions with others!
What do you think of this anecdote?

The Secret Journey

I remembered this song as I was writing about JOURNEY, one of my favorite and one of the most philosophical song ever written by Sting before going solo.

Secret Journey lyrics

Words and music by Sting

Upon a secret journey
I met a holy man
His blindness was his wisdom
I'm such a lonely man
And as the world was turning
It rolled itself in pain
This does not seem to touch you
He pointed to the rain
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss
And on the days that followed
I listened to his words
I strained to understand him
I chased his thoughts like birds
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
And when you've made your secret journey
You will find the love you miss
You will see light in the darkness
You will make some sense of this
You will see joy in this sadness
You will find this love you miss
And when you've made your secret journey
You will be a holy man

Do you know any lyrics with philosophy? If you do, please share them!
I´d love to see and hear more!

Journey

Once a man traveling great distance, weary of the day´s travel stopped at a near by house and ask the home owner to spend one night to rest.

"Why, of course, you are most welcomed!" answered the home owner and invited the traveler inside.

"Thank you, kind sir, " said the traveler as he walked in.

The traveler put his small sack on the floor and the home owner said,
"I see you do not carry much."

"Indeed," replied the traveler, "I am on a journey, I can not pack so many things for that will slow me down and complicate my journey."

The traveler looked around the house, which was almost empty and also commented,
"I see that you also do not posses much."

"Aye, very true."

"Is there a reason for this?" asked the traveler and the home owner replied,
"I am also on a journey, just like you my son, my journey is the journey of LIFE!"

This is a great story, I believe, that sets a very good example of the importance of not consuming everything we see in the media and live a more stress-free life and to enjoy more "space" in own´s home, which creates a more positive flow of energy according to Feng Shui.

Are you constantly buying things you do not need or use often?
Are the things you buy REALLY necessary?
How are you with your journey of life?
What do you think about this lovely story? I would love to hear your comments!

DID YOU KNOW???

Socrates was awarded for his courage and bravery during his days as a soldier in the Greek army when, as his entire army was retreating, he was the only man who retreated backwards and fought back at his enemies at the same time?

Now THAT is AMAZING!!!

My Top 5 Favorite Quotes by Socrates

1. As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent.

2. By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.

3. Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.

4. I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.

5. I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.

These are my FAVORITES of all favorites from this great man. Socrates just said too many great things which would be difficult to put all up in this blog.

What are YOUR favorites quotes from Socrates?

Yelling and Whispering

One day a Master asked his students,
"Why do people yell when they are angry?"

His disciples thought for a moment and one answered,
"It is because we lose our calmness and patience, that is why we yell."

"But why YELL when the other person is at your side? He or she can clearly hear you, is it not possible to speak in soft tones?" So why do people yell when they are angry?"

His students all gave more answers but none satisfied to Master.

Finally, the Master replied,
"When two people are mad as each other, their heart distances a lot from each other. To cover that distance, they yell so that they can be heard. The more angry they get, the stronger they will need to yell for the other to hear through the great distance."

Then the Master asked,
"What happens when two people are in love? They do not yell but they talk softly to each other. Why? Because their hearts are close to each other. The distance between the two is very small."

The Master continued,
"When they fall in a deeper depth of love, then what happens? They do not talk, they whisper and become closer in their love for each other. In the end, they need not even whisper. They only see and look at each other and that is all. That is what happens to us when we are in love."

The Master finished with,
"When you argue, do not let your heart distance from one another. Do not say words that will make that happen. If you do, then one day that distance will be so long that you will not find the road to return..."

I ask all my readers,
How close is your heart to your loved ones?
How close are you to the ones who form your life?

Namaste

Hello Everyone!

Hi and welcome to my Philosophy blog!

The wise teachings of the greatest avatars of life has always been a passion of mine and I would like to spread the words of these masters from Socrates to Buddha all the way to Lao Tsu.

Please feel free to share any quotes, stories and anecdotes that you might all know about these geniuses. Your participation to enlighten all of our knowledge is most sincerely appreciated.

Thank you and enjoy!

The Wise Teaching of Buddha

There once was a man, desperate to reach enlightenment, who has visited countless masters, sages, and philosophers with the same question, "How do I reach Nirvana?"

Although these masters of life gave this man an answer, all wise, none of these answers satisfied the man. One day, the man decided to make the most dangerous journey to meet the greatest master known at the time, Buddha.

The journey took months and once the man finally reached his destination, all torn and exhausted by the long travel, he kneel down and begged Buddha,
"Oh, great master, I have come from a land far away to seek your wisdom and guidance, please tell me, what must I do to reach enlightenment?"

Buddha, simply smiled, a very kind, gentle, soothing smile and replied,
"Young man, THAT which you seek, is THAT which is doing the seeking."

The man, then suddenly understood everything,
THE KEY TO EVERYTHING IN LIFE IS WITHIN US!