CONTENTMENT The new term at the School of Practical Philosophy started a couple of weeks ago. I wasnt able to attend the first class but went this past Saturday. The word - or the concept - for this week is CONTENTMENT. The assignment is: Before leaving home in the morning, take a few moments to remember your true nature. BE CONTENT. Begin the day in contentment and return to it whenever you notice its absence. I take this assignment to be to recognize contentment - or be aware of it - and also to recognize its absence. Is there any moment in your day, when you feel genuinely and fully content? I’ve come to see - and not in a bad way (and maybe you can challenge me on this) - that genuine and true contentment is impossible. Because contentment is the lack of “want.” Not necessarily desire, in the sense of I desire a Mercedes, or love, or health or peace of mind - but a underlying murmur of “want” that runs below the surface only because we’re human and we experience time. I’m just terming it WANT for lack of a better way to name it - as opposed to desire which has an object. The want may have an object but it’s subtle. Every movement we make - or any thought that occupies us - has a “need” or a want as its object. Just my reaching for my tea at this moment implies a LACK. And it’s ambiguous and complicated. Do I really LACK that sip of tea? Do I really need it? Yes or no - the movement, the fact that I exist in that moment and that I interact with my environment implies a desire, a need, a lack and therefore I’m not truly content. Even the desire to reach the next moment, or to find the right word - means not being truly still or content. Even in meditation, the desire to still the mind (I’m guessing this becomes a non-effort eventually - yea like maybe after 20 years!) there is a reaching. Okay so now that I’ve gone on and on, here is a guy - Scott Kiloby - that I ran across this morning. And he addresses this predicament and all that it implies in a deep, articulate and personal way. If my words above sound like rambling to you, you’ll find that Scott expresses these ideas - and the whole notion of duality and separateness - beautifully. It’s an hour interview - but full of insight and definitely worth it. Yea, you have the time. Just listen. And I’d love to hear your thoughts! https://youtube/watch?v=SU0KkuLZstE&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 17:02:08 +0000
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