About Me

I have done a lot of things in my life and have also worked in many different jobs to make a living and to experience life. This blog is just some of my musings, sometimes funny, sometimes inspirational, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes simple but all the time, it's just me.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

What matters most

In the end what matters most is
How well did you love;
How well did you live; and
How well did you learn to let go.

That is the wisdom of Zen Buddhism or I guess wisdom in general.

Interesting and a really good quote.

Yet sometimes what I find troubling about sayings from Gautama Sidhharta Buddha or even other prophets is they sometimes do not seem to practice what they preach.

While I am no prophet myself nor will I ever be one in my current lifetime, I do hope to be a better person in this life.

Let's assume that the quote above which is attributed to Buddha was actually spoken by him some 2500 or 3000 years ago.

Let's also assume all those esteemed scholars who write about Buddha's life have got some facts right.

So, Buddha was born as a prince, live in palaces, had a great rich life.

He got married at age 16 to his cousin Yashodhara and had a son Rahul.

He remained married for 13 years until age 29, his son Rahul was likely around 10-12 at that time.

At the age of 29, Siddhartha left his palace in order to meet his subjects.

Despite his father's effort to remove the sick, aged and suffering from the public view, Siddhartha was said to have seen an old man.

Disturbed by this, when told that all people would eventually grow old by his charioteer Channa, the prince went on further trips where he encountered, variously, a diseased man, a decaying corpse, and an ascetic.

Deeply depressed by these sights, he sought to overcome old age, illness, and death by living the life of an ascetic.

Siddhartha escaped his palace, accompanied by Channa aboard his horse Kanthaka, leaving behind this royal life to become a mendicant.

So, he ran away from his young wife and young son and he preaches about love, living and letting go .....

Hmm, he was good at letting go for sure but I have some doubts about how he loved and how he lived.

But then again, it is quite likely that he is not the one who said the quote above.

Who am I to judge right? Well, after all, aren't we all created in God's image.

Take care and be well.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The reality is ... nobody cares..
as everyone is a nobody...

This is the rule of life...

whether you do good or bad.. at the end of the day... all will be forgotten..

Case in point..
we might remember our parents and grand parents..(not so sure about great grand parents)..but definitely we cannot remember our great great grand parents .. they are all lost in time.. what is written or known about them will be lost from the memories of your children or grand children...

I have an uncle name Ramli. I know him. He died when my children were still small. When I die, Rambli will be lost in time because though I can tell stories of Rambli,..my children children will not know him...

So conclusion.. why do we want to be remember for doing good or bad..
All will be lost in time..

Good or Bad are just acceptable social norms of that particular time.