Hi TAXMASTER,
I've just got back to the city so I've only just finished reading your messages.
I think you are exactly right.
We, as people, in the majority do not really take into account our spirituality (some call this self conciousness).
Some people go to church (or say they do) for a quick fix, listening for half an hour a guy in the pulpit telling them how good they should be. Then at ten o'clock it's off to the pub, come back for lunch, have a nap and wait for Monday to get back into the grind.
But FEW people have actually taken time out to explore themselves. I had a couple of years to do this when I was younger. At that time I lived in an old car travelling around the country. I was able to distance myself from the hustle and bustle of a 'normal' life and had time to stand back, and look at society from the outside. It was quite revealing.
I won't bore you will details as I would need to write a book, but suffice to say, from then on, I decided to keep on moving. The easiest thing I could have done up to that point was to move back in with my parents, but I decided, for good or bad, to keep on moving forward.
After a few years, I was living in Basel in Switzerland and got a call from my sister who informed me that an old schoolfriend of mine was starting a school reunion and wanted me to go. I telephoned my schoolfriend and she asked me what I had been up to for the last ten years, and I told her, travelling, performing (I was a vocalist) and that I was calling her from Switzerland. I asked her what she had been up to and she said, "Well next Thursday I have my driving test". I asked myself, that if that was her highlight from ten years, what the on Earth was the rest of the time like?
A year later she told me that she went to visit Turkey (encouraged by my tales of traelling) - the first time she ever went abroad - and she thought it was wonderful. But she also said that she felt dumb, because she didn't speak Turkish and everybody there was bending over backwards speaking broken English to try and help her out.
Okay, why am I telling you all this?
To contribute to a society does not mean, although it can include, doing a professional job. During my adult life, I think I can honestly say, even with the hardships that I've had to face, I've been on one huge holiday! Contributing to society is a lot deeper, it means the reason behind what you are doing. If your intentions are noble, for sure you will be helping society.
I'm not saying that everybody should be as honest as the day is long, but I mean, even if we lie, we do it because of a noble cause, it becomes a help to society. So that consciousness (or spirituality) we feel, when we do our actions is what is important.
The churches tell us that we should be good, otherwise we will go to hell. That is not the reason to be good. The reason to be good is because WE WANT to be good and no other reason. The minute one begins to think that they are being good for ANY OTHER REASON, then they are on the road to misery.
Over here in Brazil, I'm trying to get the locals where I have a small farm to help each other, not to give expecting to receive, but to give because they see a need and THEY want to. Between myself and my immediate neighbour this tack is just starting to manifest itself. This expanding, as I see it, society will get better.
Doing good deeds doesn't mean selling your soul, or helping someone out because it makes you feel good (which is the same thing as selling your soul), nor does it mean doing something of super huge proportions.
I make a point of doing at least one favour a day. It doesn't matter te size of the favour. I think that if the favour can be for someone you don't know, it's even more important.
As for the reactions of people losing large amounts of money, I think they are agonizing over nothing. Firstly, money is made for that purpose, to win or to lose. The moment you spend your money, ou lose it. If you spend it on a merry go round ride, I ask you, are you better off? Of course not. Once that time has gone and you are with less money, you've lost it. So if you lose it bit by bit, or all at once, it's the same. Money was made to lose.
Also, if the persons' life was money dominated, in other words that 'worked hard' and saved and saved and saved, then they will have left out one of the most important things in life. Enjoyment.
I was in a bar in Paris some years ago and met up with a French guy. I asked for a 'bier blonde' and he asked for a 'bier framboise'. I commented on the difference of the price of bier, the blonde being three times cheaper than the framboise and made the mistake of telling him that I thought he was wasting his money. The French guy made an experiment with me. He made me taste the blonde bier and asked my opinion. I told him it tasted of lager. He then made me taste the 'bier framboise' and asked which I enjoyed the most. When I told him the 'bier framboise' he asked me a question that stuck with me from that time on. "Why spend your money on something you don't really like when you can spend it on something you totally do? - Who's wasting their money?"
I know that it seems a paradox between wat I said about the merry go round and the bier, but the outcome was still the same. I left the bar with less money that I had entered (albeit a little wiser).
I hope my text isn't too long. I'll wrap up for now and chat again.
Best regards,
Steve
Quote:
Originally Posted by TAXMASTER
I know what I said was going to appear as harsh. Most of us are tied into our own little world. We associate with our friends, families, co-workers who are on aaproximately the same rung on the social ladder. you pass those who are less fortunate by on the street or you see them in wal-mart when you go shopping but you really do not know their stories because you do not get that close to them.
I am a tax preparer and see about 2ooo different families from January 1 to april 15. Most of these people are return clients and I develope relationships with them. Many are not the type that you would have over for dinner. But over the years, I become somewhat involved with their stories more so than the average person would be. Because they are on a different level, these people would generally associate with those on that same level. By getting a close look year after year, I see the attitiudes and the motivational factors displayed by them and I have come to a few conclusions:
Generally, we are all where were at on the social, spiritual & financial level we are at because that is where we want to be. occasionally, something happens to us that we get knocked doun a rung or two on the ladder and with assistance, we can get back to that level. If we are artifiicially helped to a level that we do not understand, or deserve, we will fall back to the level that we are accustomed to once the outside assistance discontinues. the only permanant way to the next level is through "sweat equity" so to speak. We have all read about people hitting the lottery and 3 years later filing for bankruptcy. Every one has known someone who had nothing, inherited a lot of money then blew it all and now have nothing. It is a state of mind. you think so you are.
Now in the greater scheme of things, did anyone ever think that maybe the souls that are here that might be sacrifised in some grand scheme of things were doing it willingly on a soul level? Maybe as far out as it sounds that these things must come to pass to bring about a future that is better for overall soul developement.
I am not saying I am right but I bring it up for discussion purposes.
Namaste'
ps most of us have all supported non productive people in our household at sometime or another but those people are called kids and they grow up and hopefully become self sufficient and most importantly contributors of society. How long must we support our fellow man who do nothing but take and contribute nothing for humanitys sake? Unless you are in an iron lung machine, you can make some contribution in some way.
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