Christie C. “Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” ―
Gautama Buddha
I went to one of my favorite walking trails after work one day to get some peace. At the lake, I watched dozens of painted and snapping turtles floating about in the lake. There are so many of them now! Some of the passersby think someone has been feeding them since they like to congregate at a particular bridge. I’m not saying I want to be a wild reptile or a mammal, but I do occasionally envy the simplicity of their lives. Turtles, fish, foxes, and all have the simple task of staying alive using the wild resources around them. Humans have bills, corporations, institutions, departments, and all manner of bureaucracies and inefficiencies designed to keep a handful of power hungry psychopaths in charge. To get away from it all, I walk the dirt paths and touch as many trees as I can while I go.
I checked out some back roads at the trail this time. It was an overcast afternoon with plenty of friendly hikers, snapping and painted turtles, and rippling waves on top of the lake. The sky couldn’t decide whether or not it wanted to cry, but overall I was happy to be in that quiet place while I hope and meditate for those in pain because life does not get the opportunity to choose its sufferings.
The older I get, the more unfair things look and are, but in my quest for simplicity and peace of mind, I often look toward the Buddhist concept of The Four Noble Truths:
- Dukkha, the First Noble Truth of suffering
- Samudāya, the Second Noble Truth of the cause of suffering
- Nirodha, the Third Noble Truth of the end of suffering
- Magga, the Fourth Noble Truth of the path to the end of suffering.
Accepting the fact that suffering comes with life put me into a healthier state of mind. Pain comes with the territory. As the golden leaves rained down on me, I realized that it is not that I accept suffering, want it to happen, and believe it is always necessary, but that suffering is a component of living and exists on a spectrum of heartbreak, torture, illness, social erosion, and pollution that we experience at different degrees. Despite this, we can still help others to alleviate their pain. We can attempt to remove the things that cause cravings and distress. This will put us a foot closer to happiness. What we do today is what matters most.
Then, I saw a group of deer running ahead of me. I got a bad feeling, and decided to go home.
