The parody of desires
I was having lunch with some colleagues the other day and one of them said that "I don't understand why people want to have such a huge house, I am happy to have a decent sized home with four walls." Another colleague said that people always start small and in the end want more and more. For instance, when you have a house, after a while you want a bigger house. If you have a Japanese make car, after a while you wish for an intercontinental car. People are never contented with what they have, chasing never ending material gains and pleasures. How many people can actually say that they are happier or are perfectly fine with having less?
But on top of chasing material needs and gains, one must not forget that these are just superficial. Aside from growing in a material sense, one much also grow spiritually, improving the way that they treat others, and even themselves.
The parody of desires is that even of you own the most expensive car, largest house at the most posh central district, land the best job, and have the best looking spouse, without having integrity and respect for others, you won't be happy. Success, money and rank will not be prescribed on one's tomb. During one's funeral, you won't have people talking about how fast a person climbed their career ladder or what rank and powers the person had, people will talk about how good the person is, the character traits of an individual, and how the person helped him or her in one way or another.
A person's success is measured, in my definition, how much of a positive impact you have made on other people's lives - not how rich or famous you are.
While we chase material wants, climb the career ladder, thinking of ways to win the rat race, it also helps to sit back and think - am I improving my character, am I being a better person by the day? Don't forget, there is karma in life, and as a Buddhist I feel that it is important to spread kindness and not take the route of creating unnecessary quarrels and unhappiness among people to climb up the ladder.
与佛同在
CC
But on top of chasing material needs and gains, one must not forget that these are just superficial. Aside from growing in a material sense, one much also grow spiritually, improving the way that they treat others, and even themselves.
The parody of desires is that even of you own the most expensive car, largest house at the most posh central district, land the best job, and have the best looking spouse, without having integrity and respect for others, you won't be happy. Success, money and rank will not be prescribed on one's tomb. During one's funeral, you won't have people talking about how fast a person climbed their career ladder or what rank and powers the person had, people will talk about how good the person is, the character traits of an individual, and how the person helped him or her in one way or another.
A person's success is measured, in my definition, how much of a positive impact you have made on other people's lives - not how rich or famous you are.
While we chase material wants, climb the career ladder, thinking of ways to win the rat race, it also helps to sit back and think - am I improving my character, am I being a better person by the day? Don't forget, there is karma in life, and as a Buddhist I feel that it is important to spread kindness and not take the route of creating unnecessary quarrels and unhappiness among people to climb up the ladder.
与佛同在
CC
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