contentment
By kryshia
@kryshia (5)
Philippines
January 19, 2009 9:14am CST
Satisfied? that's one thing we're not!For instance, we take vacation of a lifetime...we satiate ourselves with sun, fun, & good food...But we're not even on the way home before we dread the end of the trip and begin planning another...Is there a satisfaction? As a child we say, "If only I were a teenager." As a teen we say, " If only I were an adult." As an adult we say, "If only I were married." As a spouse we say, " If only I had kids."...see the irony? Contentment is a difficult virtue why? because there's nothing on earth that can satisfy our deepest longing...The leaves of life are rustling with the rumor ----and we won't be satisfied until we do...how 'bout you? would you agree with me?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@rymebristol (1808)
• Philippines
22 Jan 09
being contented to something you already have is something that's impossible nowadays. let me just give you myLotters some quotes about being contented:
"do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that you now have once among the things you only hoped for."
"we tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something
we don't have,but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."
"you can't stop loving or wanting to love because when its right, it's the best thing in the world. when you're on a relationship and it's good, even if nothing else in your life is right,you feel like your whole world is complete."
"contentment is natural wealth,luxury is artificial poverty."
"health is the greatest possession.
contentment is the greatest treasure. confidence is the greatest friend.
non-being is the greatest joy."
hope this works for all of you!
CHEERS!
@derek_a (10873)
•
19 Jan 09
In Zen we say it it the journey, not the destination. Once we start wanting things, we get on a sort of treadmill. Because whilst the satisfaction of owning the new house, car, spouse etc. may be wonderful at first, sooner or later, that satisfaction with devolve to indifference.
The Buddha, who sat in meditation some 2,500 years ago, discovered and communicated that "the source of all suffering is desire. If we can stop desire, then all suffering will end".
As a Zen practitioner, I follow this teaching and aspire to realise a mind without desire, but it is not yet my karma to do so, because even the desire for enlightenment is still a desire. Therefore I can see that my journey through life is far more valuable than my destination - because there is no destination... Well... Mabye... :-) Derek
