neither happy nor sad
life follows its course
in endless cycles
spring’s sunshine
creates new flowers
and brings more rain
without winter frost
some cycles are incomplete
sterile apple trees
freedom
neither happy nor sad
free from duality
castle and flowers
inviting spring thoughts
walking down the path
Written for Carpe Diem Haiku Kai – March 9, 2014. From many points of view, freedom would be, the power of doing what one wants. This is not the Buddhist point of view. Freedom is being able to live life without the strident contrasts of duality … it’s being content with one’s life, without overloading that contentment with undue emotions and ambitions.
In our age of consumerism, our freedom is eroded daily by induced needs … perhaps we should try to meditate on what freedom is all about. In my personal meditations I’ve concluded that if I live in a state of induced need and wants, something or someone is my master, if I have a master, am I free?
Bastet and Sekhmet's Library 
this is something that has been on my mind a lot lately. Without contentment there is no real happiness. And certainly a goal oriented life of striving is not in line with being content. But then all of the great innovations and movements in culture have come from craziness and restlessness. Its a balance that we all have to find for ourselves and am working on.
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Well…I think that it’s maybe the emotion that we put into innovating etc. that’s the problem…this is hard to put into words. Once upon a time, people were contented to have a car, a washing machine but above all to have their family around them. There’s nothing wrong with progress or innovation or buying a car etc. The problem is our emotional focus. If we are just striving for things and things are the most important focus of our life, then we’re going to become slaves of things. Of course if we focus on a relationship with too much energy, we’re still going to become slaves of that relationship. So, yes, it’s probably something to do with how much and in what way we invest emotionally into what we do. The middle road and wu-wei imply being in harmony without being hyper about what we do…so no great sense of let down and no highs. I’m actually still meditating on all this 😉 as I think you can tell.
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This tells me that I’d be a terrible Buddhist. I think one problem (at least where I am) is that one can’t really relax when basic necessities can’t be afforded. I’d love to be content with what I have, but food, water, and shelter are always an issue. Funny how scraps of paper, bits of coin, and electronic data have become more important than the actual necessities of living.
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Well, that’s not exactly the concept and I’m sorry I didn’t get it across properly. It’s the emotions behind what we do that counts. Obviously I think if you’re living on the verge of disaster, it’s not going to be easy to be detached emotionally. The metaphor in Siddharta’s life is an example. From being a pampered prince to a complete pauper, eating a grain of rice a day…hee he found that you can’t be “free” so he chose the middle road. Now from this to consumerism, there is a big difference. It’s the constant seeking more with all the emotional involvement that throws everything into kilter. Or at least, that’s how I see it, for everyday life. Now becoming a monk is something different and not a choice I would make 😉
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I agree, freedom has as many meanings as there are people. Different paths for each. We each have own opinion. Some know what works for them. Others search. Being content with what we have depend on where we live, the society into which we were born. The thing is to know ourselves. Once we know who we are and what we need, joy and contentment follow. No one else can tell us what we need, or how to live, in order to to be happy; that is something we each need to decide for ourselves. Do not follow the path of others, instead make your own path…it’s the only way to live.
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You’ve got it completely right from my point of view! Thanks for writing this!
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You walk the path, sooner or later you find something, or something will find you. It may not be what you were looking for, but it will be worth examining.
Honey on the Way
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Too true!
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Yes, a bit early for spring where I’m -but it has already given us loads of wonderful flowers – hope the frost stays away now .. a bit too late.
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Let’s hope and the way spring is popping here, I feel that soon it will make its way north!
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You are your own master Bastet … there is no one in the world who can have his or her own master, because deep inside we are all teachers and therfor we are all free to master our own skills, or own thoughts, or own life and our own freedom. Freedom is withinn everyone of us and waits to come out to be cherished …. Namaste.
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Exactly you put it so well! Namaste.
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Namaste
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