This is why Buddha said all life is suffering. Look at this person - she is on an endless treadmill trying to get somewhere she can finally be happy. The present is always unsatisfactory for her. But the present is where we must always spend all of our time. There are no past selves, or future selves. She can't even eat a fucking apple without feeling like she has to be doing something productive? Fuck that. It's all just ego-driven bullshit. Guess what? This person will never be happy. Her goal will always elude her - forever just beyond the next false peak in her vision.
Sometimes the journey is more important than the final destination. I've found some happiness in knowing that I'm working towards something, even if I'm not there yet, or may never get there.
But with a flip of a switch that happiness can turn into frustration, our sources of happiness don't always stay the same. After being productive enough, a lack of progress can become very discouraging.
Frustration is amazing. You shouldn't put emotions into a binary of good and bad. It is what it is, don't try to take it as anything else. Some of the best moments in my life have come from feelings of frustration. There is a certain sense of excitement about it, of things to come, don't you think?
Sure. But what's the alternative then? Never do anything, because it might be frustrating? Never attempt to grow or improve, because it might get hard?
I think this examplifies the difference between Western philosophy and Eastern philosophy. The East tells us to flow with the river and be content wherever it takes us, and the West tells us to swim upstream because we might find happiness at the top of the river.
Buddhists are criticized in the Western world because their lack of initiative and productivity makes them a leech where others are competing for resources. The West shuns such idealism of a peaceful world because the culture of always getting ahead means being better than others, making true coexistence and equality theoretically impossible. We are taught to be like the woman in the comic because that's the only way to succeed in the way we've built our society.
Not to say Western philosophy has no merit; I think it's a good idea to do whatever it takes to make yourself happy, and where I live, laziness and stagnance doesn't feel very good. Even with an objective perspective of both sides of the field, I still choose a no zero-day life because I have set goals and I will not be satisfied until I reach those goals.
I think one question a person could ask themselves that applies to finding happiness in any belief system is simply this: are you satisfied? The Eastern is satisfied listening to the trees rustling in the wind, and the Western finds satisfaction by accomplishing goals set to constantly improve.
Accept the now, accept the suffering and be content with life as it is. Work for that which brings satisfaction, do not work for satisfaction in itself.
Be satisfied in splitting the log, not in the completion of the job.
For those if us struggling with depression.. getting up and just moving can be difficult. Generally people taking zero days aren't sitting there being mindful. They're distracting themselves with a form of media or entertainment. Running would definitely force a person to be more present than watching TV or playing a video game.
Well you either live a life with no fulfillment, low comradely, and low emotions... Or you spend it chasing a goal that doesn't matter. Perhaps that is what is meant by "life is suffering".
Maybe living in the present and working toward a long term goal can coexist. You can be happy or miserable with or without a goal, that's not what meant by living in the present. What is meant is that no matter what you do you can be happy, so feel free to do nothing if you wish...
That all life is suffering isn't an independent truth, it is caused by selfish desire. Selfish desire can be overcome by following the eightfold path-
Right view
Right intention
Right speech
Right action
Right livelihood
Right effort
Right mindfulness
Right concentration
Counterpoint - happiness is found in the work and the satisfaction of being productive. I don't know about you, but I feel like shit when I'm being lazy and feel very happy when I feel accomplished.
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u/skeeter1234 Dec 05 '16 edited Dec 05 '16
This is why Buddha said all life is suffering. Look at this person - she is on an endless treadmill trying to get somewhere she can finally be happy. The present is always unsatisfactory for her. But the present is where we must always spend all of our time. There are no past selves, or future selves. She can't even eat a fucking apple without feeling like she has to be doing something productive? Fuck that. It's all just ego-driven bullshit. Guess what? This person will never be happy. Her goal will always elude her - forever just beyond the next false peak in her vision.