Enlightenment/Wood Chopping

Hello,
 
 
I thought 'enlightenment' involved accepting, rather than giving up,
whatever you have, whatever that is.
 
All I want from life is the ability to enjoy what I have. If that
includes a place in the country, with children scurrying around, bills
paid, etc, that's great. If it doesn't, rather than hanker after these
things, ideally I would be content with what I had.
 
Admittedly, if what I had, or all I had, was an endless round of wood
chopping and water carrying, I'd probably spend most of my time
internally griping, wondering why I couldn't be on a beach, with
handsome lover and suitably refreshing cocktail.
 
But that would be because of who I am, rather than what I was doing.
 
Unfortunately, my truth is, I gripe internally, regardless of
circumstances. I've spent enough time on beaches, in Bounty advert
splendour, to know, whatever I'm doing, wherever I am, ninety nine
percent of the time I'm craving something different.
 
Having increased control over the way I react to circumstances has
always been my goal!
 
It sounds such a modest ambition.
 
I've always liked these two quotes.
 
Shakespeare: "Nothing is either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
 
Milton: "The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of
Hell, and a hell of Heaven
 
For added measure, here's an observation by Captain James Cook, on the
Tahitians, from his journals:
 
"It is not indeed strange that the sorrows of these artless people
should be transient, any more than that their passions should be
suddenly and strongly expressed. What they feel they have never been
taught either to disguise or suppress, and having no habits of thinking
which perpetually recall the past and anticipate the future, they are
affected by all the changes of the passing hour, and reflect the colour
of the time, however frequently it may vary. They have no project which
is to be pursued from day to day, the subject of unremitted anxiety and
solicitude, that first rushes into the mind when they awake in the
morning, and is last dismissed when they sleep at night. Yet, if we
admit that they are upon the whole happier than we, we must admit that
the child is happier than the man, and that we are losers by the
perfection of out nature, the increase of our knowledge, and the
enlargement of our views."
 
Of course, the Tahitians had nothing much to do besides sit on beaches
with their lovers, only drinking Kava instead of cocktails!
 
 
Nicholas
 
 

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Received on Sat Apr 19 2003 - 02:32:24 BST