Purpose and Passion

           This particular entry I've put off for a very long time. Recently, I realised, in truth, the reason was probably because I was afraid to discover my own purpose...

           Yesterday, I attended a conference called RYLA Advanced. RYLA Advanced reminded me about many people who are doing some amazing things, overseas and at home. And so I decided to finish this entry.

            In accordance to Patañjali as quoted by Lee (2002), p.27:

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, all your thoughts break their bonds, your mind transcends limitations and your consciousness expands in all directions. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”

            Expanding:

“What our deepest self craves is not mere enjoyment but some supreme purpose that will enlist all our powers and give unity and direction to our life.” - Henry J. Golding as quoted by Lee, (2002), p.30

            Those who have listened to their inner voices and followed their purposes are the ones who have made the greatest contributions to and the longest-lasting impact on humankind (Lee, 2002), for better or for worse. Think of Jeanne d'Arc, Mohandas Gandhi, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela and, especially, Genghis Kahn. And it may be seen accomplishments and short term-goals are temporary, but purpose is immortal (Lee, 2002).

Most people have heard of the achievements of well-known business leaders following many obstacles. “Colonel” Sanders for instance, approached over one hundred banks before he was able to acquire funding for his now-famous food chain, Walt Disney went bankrupt three times before he built Disneyland, and Thomas Edison, in his attempts to perfect the incandescent light bulb, failed more then ten thousand times (Lee, 2002). It is apparent, persistence is crucial to success but only if on purpose (Lee, 2002). Without purpose persistence may only prove frustrating (Lee, 2002). For example, how often do you hear people complain about their jobs? And yet how many are unwilling to risk change? Could it be they are not aware of their own purpose? Consider:

1. What is the secret to finding your ultimate purpose?
2. What would you do if there were no limitations on you?

           Limitations are little more than illusions or delusions, occasionally they are imposed by society but mostly they are imposed upon oneself; they are perceived reality, and actuality in which there are no limitations, is the truth (Lee, 2002).

3. What would you do if you were financially independent, and could do anything you wanted on a full-time basis?
4. How could you maximally utilise your assets and resources to better serve human kind, to enhance the greater good?

     In accordance to Albert Einstein, it is best to strive not to be of success, but to be of value. Sometimes we attempt to find security and approval in conformity, which provokes inner conflict and confusion (Lee, 2002).

           

Only when we free ourselves from the craving for approval can we really know ourselves and our purpose (Lee, 2002). The road to our destiny runs through our nature.

            We are often lured from our spontaneous nature, by the illusion of security. The way of nature means embracing creative insecurity, and running with spontaneous change (Lee, 2002). By following the way of your nature, you are doing the work to which you are naturally suited, and the pathway to the river of your destiny reveals itself. All that’s left is to walk in and flow with it.

“When one is engaged in a favourite pursuit or a subject absorbingly interesting, the normal conception of labour or time and artificial social distinctions disappear from the mind, in fact, life itself is absorbed in the engagement, or it may be said that one’s life is tuned in harmony with eternal life.” – G. Koizumi as quoted by Lee, 2002, p.32

            This brings me to my next planned entry: Collapse

Individuality

One of Lao Tzu’s messages was, ‘Discover who you are. Observe the world around you and deeply contemplate your impressions. Do not rely on ideologies because to do so will rob your life of meaning.’ In fact it will give the ideology your power (Lee, 2002).

Some time ago I attended a Stanwell Tops; this is where I met Master Lee, and one of many things that stuck was a shared discussion about individuality. The shared discussion began something like this:

“Many years ago, I [Master Lee] attended a conference that lasted three days, but I only remember one concept. A charismatic and down-to-earth speaker named John Savage said:

“Most of the world’s social problems are caused by people being concerned about what other people think of them.”

           

He followed this with.”

“Most people think about themselves 95 % of the time, so even if someone really hates you, they have a maximum of 5%.

If somebody dislikes you for a particular trait, someone else will like you for exactly that same characteristic.”

Have you ever noticed, or overhead in a conversation, at work, in school or at home, that one thing someone else seems to complain about bitterly is exactly what had previously made you proud?

To me, like John Savage I believe the core cause of the vast majority of society’s problems is insecurity. For example, next time, when someone seems to be complaining about you or your work, don’t let yourself become upset or defensive; instead ask yourself why might what they’ve said upset you in the first place?

As everyone sees things differently, it’s entirely possible that they did not mean too hurt you at all likewise their criticism may be genuinely constructive.

As to those few people who seem to want to deliberately hurt you, we can again ask: why? Is it possible that they envy one or many aspects about you? This is a tough but important question because if we react to someone with intent then we are giving them our power.

“Every individual has a place to fill in the world and is important whether [they] choose to be so or not. – Nathaniel Hawthorne

This brings me to my next planned entry; Purpose and Passion.

Kudos

Balance

Even the most ancient sages acknowledged the counterbalances that exist in nature. Taijitu illustrates this. More recently, copious amounts of scientific literature suggest the force and torques produced by magnetic fields are an integral part of our existence. It follows that perception of disadvantage must have an equal and opposite perception of benefit (Lee, 2002). The key is finding it.

In accordance to Master Lee, 2002, Human beings are descended from a particle of immortal greatness. When we are born, however, western society and the church instils in us the concepts of “good” versus “bad”, “right” versus “wrong” or “us” versus “them”. It polarises rather then unites (Lee, 2002). Nothing is good or bad, before we’ve judged it to be so. Similarly, no one can make you feel inferior without your prior consent (E. Roosevelt, 1937).

As Constantin Stanislavski once said:

“In all beauty lies ugliness, and in all ugliness lies beauty and in all pain is pleasure, in all pleasure, pain.”

Clearly, all things are relative. If  in all light exists darkness, and in all darkness exists light, then, one cannot be perceived without the other (Lee, 2002). The most brilliant light for example, will just as readily blind you as pitch darkness. In being aware of this we can return to the perception of “it’s not good, or bad, it just is” (Lee, 2002). Because in reality, we make the decisions and we decide if a person or situation is good or bad, we decide whether a situation is right or wrong, we decide whether the circumstance is a source of happiness or sadness, and we decide wether a circumstance is a source of pleasure or pain (Lee, 2002).

In actuality, the situation or person is neither: good nor bad, right nor wrong, and circumstance is neither the source of pleasure nor pain, happiness nor sadness; it's just there (Lee, 2002). Masters of their own destinies realise that forces greater then themselves are in a state of constant flux and recognise that in order to maintain balance on the tight rope of life it is necessary to refrain from being judgemental - less they cultivate internal disharmony.

When sitting just sit, when walking just walk and above all don’t wobble!

– Zen Saying.

This brings me to my next planned entry: Individuality.

            Kudos

Wu-Wei

Wu-Wei (or Action-less Action) is a central principle in the Eastern Philosophy of Daoism. Wu-Wei affirms that one should live spontaneously, and in harmony with the natural flow of the Cosmos (or Dao). According to Daoism, human happiness occurs when one successfully detects and aligns themselves with the Universe (New World Encyclopaedia, Aug 2008). Therefore, gaining an awareness of life’s essential Unity is one key to happiness.

A helpful metaphor to understanding Wu-Wei is water; in being mindful of the inherent value of every person, their connection to us (Kardash, 1998) and the environment we become aware of Wu-Wei or the Eternal Universe and akin to water, salubrious to each other, the environment and ourselves.

In essence, life constitutes an organic, interconnected whole, which undergoes constant transformation (Kardash, 1998). Wu-Wei, therefore, is vigilance of oneself and of ones surroundings; it is action without intent (Loy, 1985). To me, the key is to be as water, formless, yet adaptive. Align yourself with the Universe. Act naturally, become insurmountable.

In accordance to Seng-T’san as cited by Master Lee (2002), p.51

"The Great Way, is not so difficult

For those who have no preferences.

When love and hate are both absent.

Everything becomes clear and undistinguished.

Make the smallest distinction however

And heaven and Earth are set infinitely apart."

This brings me to my next planned entry: Balance.

Kudos

The Universe

In this day and age it is not uncommon for me to be asked if I believe in God. In short, the answer is yes. To me, like Cicero, I believe nature herself imprints in the mind the idea of God.

In detail, having being raised a Roman Catholic, I initially learned to fear God. As I became older however, and was exposed to The Buddha’s teachings, I realised, I may have learned wrongly.  This is because in accordance to The Buddha; when we are afraid we a pre-disposed to anger, and when we are pre-disposed to anger; we can unintentionally hurt another’s feelings, and in hurting another’s feelings promote suffering. It was this insight that revealed to me a synergy between Christianity and Buddhism that had previously escaped me.

I realised, in promoting suffering, we are working against a Universal truth that has revealed itself in every major religion today;

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sum’s up the Law and the Prophets.” -  (Mathew 7:12).

This synergy has helped me to see God slightly differently too many of my fellow westerners. To me, God is no longer an entity to be feared, but a power of comfort, support and guidance, either strengthened or weakened (perhaps indirectly) by humanity’s actions. More explicitly, God is  the eternal animating force behind the Universe. The cosmos exists within God, who in turn “pervades” or "exists within" the cosmos. In short; to me, God drives the universe which in turn encourages human beings to seek wisdom through knowledge, so that in time they may be enlightened, and their inherent greatness regained.

In accordance to Master Lee, (2002), there is unquestionably a higher force that gives us clues when we need them and it is up to us to notice them.  I think he may be right, which ties nicely into my next planned entry: “Wu-Wei”.

Kudos

On defensiveness

Oftentimes I find myself bemused, almost exasperated, by how quick some people are willing to attack others whose views or lifestyles differ too widely from their own. For me it simply makes no sense. After all if by making a concerted effort to not only gain knowledge, but also to understand another's view; then, aren’t we, by way of that effort enriching ourselves as well?

In accordance to Master Lee (2002), the ego seeks security by attaching itself to whatever it thinks it needs to survive. Ironically, it is the psychological commitment to separation and the attachments of the ego that give the feeling and appearance of lack. Yet, as Master Lee (2002), so cleverly surmises, if we are experiencing ourselves as one with all of life how could we know any lack? I would be happy to hear other people’s answers to these questions. Personally, I am in agreement, and such a question ties in neatly with my next planned entry: The Universe.

Kudos

Foreword

First and foremost, I'd like to thank those friends who've encouraged me to write. I would also like to thank Master Lee; who taught me to think, and my many teachers who taught me to question.