I'm sure each of you have experienced this -- You read a thought or sentiment that you've read countless times before, but for whatever reason, it strikes a different chord in you than previously. I experienced this yesterday while reading Do Nothing and Do Everything: An Illustrated New Taoism
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The sentence I read was
It got me to thinking about the cause of war and, in every case, it boils down to want (or desire). Sometimes we want what others have (e.g., land, wealth, resources, prosperity, etc.). At other times, we want others to have what we have (e.g., religion, ideology, worldview, etc.)
We can dress it up as national security, self-defense or coming to the aid of another country, but all that is window-dressing. When we remove all the rhetoric, hyperbole and hubris, we're left we want.
If we drop this down a notch to our everyday relations with others, the reason that we get into fights and arguments is because of our wants. The bottom line reason we get frustrated or exasperated with other people or situations comes from our wants. Whatever type of created conflict a person can think of -- even internal ones -- our wants and desires are at the root.
Though I understood it before, it is now even clearer to me why the ancient Taoist sages so harped on the idea of being ever desireless. Remove desire or want from the equation and all these various conflicts dematerialize. War or conflict cannot exist in a world in which people are content with what is.
.The sentence I read was
If each person has peace in his or her heart, there will be peace in the world.Really straightforward. It's the kind of sentiment that certainly is nothing new.
It got me to thinking about the cause of war and, in every case, it boils down to want (or desire). Sometimes we want what others have (e.g., land, wealth, resources, prosperity, etc.). At other times, we want others to have what we have (e.g., religion, ideology, worldview, etc.)
We can dress it up as national security, self-defense or coming to the aid of another country, but all that is window-dressing. When we remove all the rhetoric, hyperbole and hubris, we're left we want.
If we drop this down a notch to our everyday relations with others, the reason that we get into fights and arguments is because of our wants. The bottom line reason we get frustrated or exasperated with other people or situations comes from our wants. Whatever type of created conflict a person can think of -- even internal ones -- our wants and desires are at the root.
Though I understood it before, it is now even clearer to me why the ancient Taoist sages so harped on the idea of being ever desireless. Remove desire or want from the equation and all these various conflicts dematerialize. War or conflict cannot exist in a world in which people are content with what is.
HI RT
ReplyDeletegreat wise post here. I SO agree. wow.
love you
gail
peace and hope
I was going to add to "desire," "fear," but of course fear is just an extrapolation of desire. But, when our leaders want war, they don't try to persuade us out of "desire" but exploit "fear." Same thing. Just an observation.
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