13 June 2019
Song playing:
Solitude by
re:plus
What does one gain from giving up all worldly possessions and connections, to be alone, by himself?
What compels people to withdraw from the world, to be apart from society? Why do people take up vows of silence, live spartan-like lives, or commit themselves to meditative retreats?
What would I ever hope to achieve from a period of solitude?
Let's start with some quotes: "No man is an island", "Humans are social creatures". These quotes lead us to believe that we are not meant to be alone. In fact, generally, people tend to integrate themselves into groups throughout their lives. Being a part of a group, or community also means that we hold shared values. It is easy to fall in to line with the crowd and go with the crowd because that is what is good for us. Right?
May I propose the hypothesis that the pace of life of an average person is fast. Too fast. Too fast for the person to properly form his or her own independent thoughts and character. Without actively taking the steps to do proper reflection on each day's events, it is easy to slip into a mindless, thoughtless routine.
Just as a garden needs to be tended to in order to blossom, our own being needs careful cultivation in order for us to develop into our best selves.
It is easy to be distracted by all the sights and sounds of the world. They are beautiful, which makes them so powerful. All these experiences - chilling out with our friends, seeking new thrills, playing games, occupying oneself with work, going on holidays - help fill up the empty hours of each day. However, tragically, unfortunately, these superficial experiences ultimately do not challenge our thoughts and beliefs.
Until we put in the effort into understanding our past experiences, our past experiences serve merely as a log that tell
what we did in our lives. Until we carefully tend to the garden that we call our selves, will these experiences become a diary that explains
why we lived our lives that way, and also becomes a compass to direct
how we should strive to live.
So coming back to the question on what a period of solitude offers - it affords me time to be alone, without distractions, to look inward, and understand myself, cultivate myself. It gives me the opportunity independently to groom the better parts of me, and trim away negative traits that are detrimental to my self. The exclusivity of this activity allows me unfettered, uninterrupted time and space to carefully examine the garden that is myself, and tend to it perfectly.
I would liken our life experiences to seeds, and the act of introspection to gardening. I think my garden is full of weeds and could do with a bit of cultivation, so a period of solitude would certainly help get my garden into a presentable shape.
11 June 2019
I'm being reminded of a song as I write this.
Enjoy the Ride by
Morcheeba
The life that I live is like a meandering river. Yesterday I was headed in one way, yet today I move in a different direction. Tomorrow might just see me going somewhere else.
It's strange, when I think about the river: Will I be raging down as rapids? Would I instead flow as a gentle stream? Does it matter how I travel? How will a bend to the left or a slight right affect me downstream? Does it matter, as long as I keep going? Will carving a path through the woods lead me to a different end than one straight across the plain?
Thinking of life as a river makes me wonder whether there is something waiting at the end waiting for me. Am I destined, as all rivers are, for the vast open ocean?
See, the fact is that I don't really know. I don't know if there's really an ocean out there at the end. Neither do I know if I'd end up drying up halfway in a fruitless struggle down the hill.
What I can only do is to enjoy the ride down.
Rivers, tributaries and dis-tributaries, can be used to describe how our lives twine and inter-twine again and again. We meet by chance (or by fate) and travel together. Sometimes we split again, never to return to each other, moving our separate ways. Other times, the goodbye is temporary, and we rejoin farther down.
What's with all these river analogies, anyway?
I bank on them to drive an idea across.
I am by no means some famous river. I am one but one of a million different generic streams. I actually do like the idea that we are all headed to the ocean, in some sort of grand scheme of destiny, but I try not to hold on too tight to that idea. Destiny is a romantic concept, at least, until proven to be true to me. Being too in love with the idea might just lead me to disappointment.
For me, I just want to enjoy life today. Of course, what does it mean to "enjoy" life? That is a whole question in itself - and perhaps maybe its own post.
I think everyone is different. No shit, right?
Everyone has different likes, and dislikes. This much is obvious.
Some people love to spend their time play video games with friends, while others like to waste it on pushing for social justices. Sad fact of life? Or just a fact of life?
I think it will be nice if the whole world shared my values. Values of kindness, compassion and empathy. Where people would work towards building a community based on these values, instead of always chasing the dollar. This kind of thinking is just indigenous, is it not? I am sure they would rather me share their value instead.
How do I rank one way of thinking superior to another? Why would one lifestyle be better than another? How do I know if I "enjoy" life in a good, beautiful and true way?
Ah, the good, beautiful and true. The stuff philosophers are
always, always interested in deliberating about, discussing about, debating about. They have done so for the last 2000 years, and will continue to do so for the next 2000.
One thing I think Buddhism got right is this: Some things we don't rush.
(I really like how its philosophy has got that whole
there are no absolutes, except this statement, thing down pat.)
Going back to a previous point - I am not some special river. I am not a special person. I'm not a great river, or even a good person (by my own measure). I just happened to be travelling along the same direction, and now our paths have merged.
Could there have had been another river out there, flowing parallel to you that would have been just as happily merged? Of course there would have. Countless of them. Yet here we are, us instead of them. Why? Who knows. Is it worth trying to figure out why the land has guided us in this way? Possibly, but heck, that definitely needs to go into a post for itself.
I think there are just too many questions in life, to answer them all. (God knows we will have them answered when we pass.) So, when not paused for reflecting, all I can do is to sit back and enjoy the ride!
Now I feel like going to float down a lazy river. Hm, this reflection seems a little crazy and all over the place. Guess it has been awhile since I collected my thoughts.
22 August 2018
Welcome back, me.
Looks like the module that I am taking requires me to link to a homepage or whatever. I decided not to link to this blog. However, I suppose now would be a good time as any to restart the habit of written introspection.
It can additionally serve to be a journal of sorts to track my progress through the module.
I doubt I remember half the things I wrote previously.
I'm surprised that my posts are still intact, and not deleted.
Well, it's late, and I have work in the morning at 8, so there's one thing that's new.
I'm a working adult!
Older Post
13 June 2019
Song playing:
Solitude by
re:plus
What does one gain from giving up all worldly possessions and connections, to be alone, by himself?
What compels people to withdraw from the world, to be apart from society? Why do people take up vows of silence, live spartan-like lives, or commit themselves to meditative retreats?
What would I ever hope to achieve from a period of solitude?
Let's start with some quotes: "No man is an island", "Humans are social creatures". These quotes lead us to believe that we are not meant to be alone. In fact, generally, people tend to integrate themselves into groups throughout their lives. Being a part of a group, or community also means that we hold shared values. It is easy to fall in to line with the crowd and go with the crowd because that is what is good for us. Right?
May I propose the hypothesis that the pace of life of an average person is fast. Too fast. Too fast for the person to properly form his or her own independent thoughts and character. Without actively taking the steps to do proper reflection on each day's events, it is easy to slip into a mindless, thoughtless routine.
Just as a garden needs to be tended to in order to blossom, our own being needs careful cultivation in order for us to develop into our best selves.
It is easy to be distracted by all the sights and sounds of the world. They are beautiful, which makes them so powerful. All these experiences - chilling out with our friends, seeking new thrills, playing games, occupying oneself with work, going on holidays - help fill up the empty hours of each day. However, tragically, unfortunately, these superficial experiences ultimately do not challenge our thoughts and beliefs.
Until we put in the effort into understanding our past experiences, our past experiences serve merely as a log that tell
what we did in our lives. Until we carefully tend to the garden that we call our selves, will these experiences become a diary that explains
why we lived our lives that way, and also becomes a compass to direct
how we should strive to live.
So coming back to the question on what a period of solitude offers - it affords me time to be alone, without distractions, to look inward, and understand myself, cultivate myself. It gives me the opportunity independently to groom the better parts of me, and trim away negative traits that are detrimental to my self. The exclusivity of this activity allows me unfettered, uninterrupted time and space to carefully examine the garden that is myself, and tend to it perfectly.
I would liken our life experiences to seeds, and the act of introspection to gardening. I think my garden is full of weeds and could do with a bit of cultivation, so a period of solitude would certainly help get my garden into a presentable shape.
11 June 2019
I'm being reminded of a song as I write this.
Enjoy the Ride by
Morcheeba
The life that I live is like a meandering river. Yesterday I was headed in one way, yet today I move in a different direction. Tomorrow might just see me going somewhere else.
It's strange, when I think about the river: Will I be raging down as rapids? Would I instead flow as a gentle stream? Does it matter how I travel? How will a bend to the left or a slight right affect me downstream? Does it matter, as long as I keep going? Will carving a path through the woods lead me to a different end than one straight across the plain?
Thinking of life as a river makes me wonder whether there is something waiting at the end waiting for me. Am I destined, as all rivers are, for the vast open ocean?
See, the fact is that I don't really know. I don't know if there's really an ocean out there at the end. Neither do I know if I'd end up drying up halfway in a fruitless struggle down the hill.
What I can only do is to enjoy the ride down.
Rivers, tributaries and dis-tributaries, can be used to describe how our lives twine and inter-twine again and again. We meet by chance (or by fate) and travel together. Sometimes we split again, never to return to each other, moving our separate ways. Other times, the goodbye is temporary, and we rejoin farther down.
What's with all these river analogies, anyway?
I bank on them to drive an idea across.
I am by no means some famous river. I am one but one of a million different generic streams. I actually do like the idea that we are all headed to the ocean, in some sort of grand scheme of destiny, but I try not to hold on too tight to that idea. Destiny is a romantic concept, at least, until proven to be true to me. Being too in love with the idea might just lead me to disappointment.
For me, I just want to enjoy life today. Of course, what does it mean to "enjoy" life? That is a whole question in itself - and perhaps maybe its own post.
I think everyone is different. No shit, right?
Everyone has different likes, and dislikes. This much is obvious.
Some people love to spend their time play video games with friends, while others like to waste it on pushing for social justices. Sad fact of life? Or just a fact of life?
I think it will be nice if the whole world shared my values. Values of kindness, compassion and empathy. Where people would work towards building a community based on these values, instead of always chasing the dollar. This kind of thinking is just indigenous, is it not? I am sure they would rather me share their value instead.
How do I rank one way of thinking superior to another? Why would one lifestyle be better than another? How do I know if I "enjoy" life in a good, beautiful and true way?
Ah, the good, beautiful and true. The stuff philosophers are
always, always interested in deliberating about, discussing about, debating about. They have done so for the last 2000 years, and will continue to do so for the next 2000.
One thing I think Buddhism got right is this: Some things we don't rush.
(I really like how its philosophy has got that whole
there are no absolutes, except this statement, thing down pat.)
Going back to a previous point - I am not some special river. I am not a special person. I'm not a great river, or even a good person (by my own measure). I just happened to be travelling along the same direction, and now our paths have merged.
Could there have had been another river out there, flowing parallel to you that would have been just as happily merged? Of course there would have. Countless of them. Yet here we are, us instead of them. Why? Who knows. Is it worth trying to figure out why the land has guided us in this way? Possibly, but heck, that definitely needs to go into a post for itself.
I think there are just too many questions in life, to answer them all. (God knows we will have them answered when we pass.) So, when not paused for reflecting, all I can do is to sit back and enjoy the ride!
Now I feel like going to float down a lazy river. Hm, this reflection seems a little crazy and all over the place. Guess it has been awhile since I collected my thoughts.
22 August 2018
Welcome back, me.
Looks like the module that I am taking requires me to link to a homepage or whatever. I decided not to link to this blog. However, I suppose now would be a good time as any to restart the habit of written introspection.
It can additionally serve to be a journal of sorts to track my progress through the module.
I doubt I remember half the things I wrote previously.
I'm surprised that my posts are still intact, and not deleted.
Well, it's late, and I have work in the morning at 8, so there's one thing that's new.
I'm a working adult!
Older Post