Every thought, form, feeling
and situation in life is temporary
In chapter VIII of “A
New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle there’s a story about the inevitability of change. That story made me aware
of how powerful an influence, temporary feelings have on my life. It also gave
me a tool against that destructive behaviour. I am hoping it may do the same
for you.
According to an old sufi story,
there was once a king in the middle east, who was constantly torn between
happiness and despair. The slightest thing would provoke a strong reaction in
him, and when he felt happiness, it would swiftly turn into disappointment or
hopelessness.
The king eventually became
so tired of himself, and his life, that he decided to face his problems and
call for help. He was notified of a wise man in his kingdom, who was said to be
enlightened. The king pleaded for his help, and when the wise man came to see
the king, the king told him: “I want to be as you are. I want balance and
clarity in my life – And i will pay you any price you demand for that insight”.
The wise man responded: “I
might be able to help you, but this insight is so valuable, that the entirety
of your kingdom will not be enough to pay for it. That’s why i will give it to
you as a gift, if you will honor it”. The king promised he would, and the wise
man went on his way.
Weeks later the wise man
came to the king again. This time bringing a jade shrine. The shrine contained
a golden ring with arab letters inscribed on it. The letters said: “This too
shall pass”.
“What is the meaning of this?” the king asked as he stood baffled. The wise man told him to always carry this ring on him, and to always look at it before he judged anything again. Good or bad. “Do this and peace will be with you always” the wise man said.
What “This Too Shall Pass”
really means
It seems that this frame of
mind will not only serve as consolation when you feel pain in life – It also
sounds like you shouldn’t get too excited about good things, because your joy
will ease away soon enough anyway. Let us examine it a bit deeper.
What the sentence really
means is, that you should do your best, not to judge the situations you find
yourself in. Be they good or bad. The words do not that mean you
shouldn’t praise happiness in life, and they are not meant to simply
comfort you when you feel pain in life. They have a more profound purpose,
which is to make you realize that every situation is temporary. Every situation
is temporary, because every form and every feeling in life is temporary.
Becoming aware that change
is inevitable
When you are aware, that
every form and every feeling is temporary, you can develop an abundance in your
life. It will be possible for you not to identify yourself with form and
feelings. Not identifying yourself with your situations does not mean you will
fail to experience all the good things in life. It will actually make you enjoy
them more, when you accept that all things are temporary and that change is inevitable. Because realizing this will make you
praise the good situations in your life, as long as they last, without the fear of losing them. When you are
free of the chains linking you to your current situations, you are free to
develop a higher perspective of the situations in your life. You are no longer
trapped in them.
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