Imperturbability
What is it, and how do you get it?
One of the thoughts that has been slowly formulating in the back of my conciousness, and brought to awareness in recent years, is simply this: We ALL have our own beliefs, dogma’s, and reasonings. But in the end, what is the ultimate reality of things?
After 50 years, I have finally reached the serenity that allows me to accept the thoughts of others without feeling an impulse to change their minds. It is so liberating to be in a place where I can accept that others are what they are, and nothing is required of me, because ultimately we all bear final responsibility for what we have chosen to be.
For so many years of my life I was haunted by feelings of inadequacy, guided by fears, and blinded by ignorance. And then there was the anger! Anger at the way things are. Anger at the way I am. Anger at life in general.
A life filled with such things is hardly a life at all.
But all these things are a direct result of ignorance.
So is the desire to change others.
Ignorance can be defined in many ways, but if you observe the word carefully, along with it’s attendant synonyms and antonyms, you will find that it is closely related to the word ignore! It is the opposite of the word enlightenment. A good definition of ignorance is: “The failure to see reality as it really is.”
How could you see reality as it really is? You are ignoring it!
There is, however, a direct antidote for the condition of ignorance. That is to see! However in order to ’see’, we have to be able to re-examine all our preconceived ideas, concepts and beliefs.
That would explain why there are so few enlightened people in the world! Very, very few people are willing to let go of all the beliefs and conceptions they have nurtured and developed over a lifetime, even if these conceptions and beliefs are wrong, and are the source of their suffering!
Understand, I am NOT here to tell you what to think! I am NOT here to tell you that reality is the way I see it! I am NOT telling you that all your ideas, concepts, and beliefs are wrong! What I am telling you is that you must examine them very, very carefully to be certain they are in line with reality. It is the automatic assumption of their correctness that you must drop.
For example, their is an ongoing movement today generally known as “New Age Enlightenment.” Full of wonderful dogma, brilliant ‘feel-good’ concepts, and strange new points of view, it promises to solve all mankind’s problems.
To me it sounds sort of like the last ‘new’ thing to come along.
Think about it. Reality has been around for a long, long, time. If “New Age” were the answer, wouldn’t it have been discovered before now? This is just my thought on the subject, but I am pretty sure that Ultimate reality hasn’t changed much since the ‘beginingless beginning’.
Seeing reality as it really is, is an ongoing process that takes you to deeper, and deeper truths as you progress. Remember the finger pointing at the moon? I am here to point. It is the moon you want to see!
