"You are farmers of this life,
I am a farmer of future lives.
If you examine carefully you will see
Who receives more benefit."
-Milarepa
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Most of us slave away at our lives, expecting some measure of happiness to come. After all, we have been trained very carefully to believe that from hard work comes success. Success in our culture is defined as having more money than the next guy, some enviable social status that sets you apart or above in some way, newsworthy sex with a beloved partner or many, children that outshine other children, a body that reflects good eating habits, exercise and genes, fashion-forward clothes (or the inverse, deliberately not fashionable clothes, the better to proclaim your disdain for the the superficial), a country home or at least a share in one, relationships with people you deem more than you (the wealthy and the famous) and so on. Days and nights are spent chasing after vacations, raises, better apartments, multiple orgasms and Manolos.
This is why our present day culture is called 'degenerate" by the masters.
Ask any honest rich, beautiful and powerful person: they will tell you that these things in and of themselves don't make you happy. Often, they are the source of much pain. The rich, the beautiful and the powerful have a hard time determining who really loves them. At least when you are poor, ugly and powerless,
you know who your real friends are.
Little consideration is given to what Master Milarepa instructs us is the real source of your happiness, which is the happiness of others. The world is your projection: you must give to others what you wish to experience yourself.
Figure out what it is you want and set about making sure someone else gets it first. This law of karma applies to every single area of your life.
Hopefully, you are wanting more for yourself than what was described above. Hopefully, you have realized that only a Buddha is really happy. So, how do you become a Buddha? By thinking, speaking and acting like one. That is, by looking out for everyone's welfare EXCEPT your own, and in so doing,
INSURING your own welfare.
Giving away enlightenment every day, Kelly
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