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My View on the World

comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
edited August 2005 in Buddhism Today
I have a strange view on the world. I have this view because I know I am an intelligent person and I feel like I am stuck with a bunch of apes. I look at people around me and I just don't understand what's wrong with them. It seems people just have no clue as to what is going on around them. I know I am going to get answers like "to each his own" or "no one's perfect" or "let people belive what they want" but I just watch them and they have no idea, absolutly no idea. I feel like I am dealing with cavemen. I know as a Buddhist I shouldn't feel this way but I do. I think I was born a few hundred years too early.

Comments

  • _BeautifulSpringtime_BeautifulSpringtime Veteran
    edited June 2005
    You are me - three years ago!

    Keep meditating and maybe you'll discover why you think they are stupid apes.

    PM me if you have any questions or need help.

    Peace,

    Dave
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Thanks a lot. I will.
  • AnitaAnita
    edited June 2005
    People do not understand the actual reality of things. I mean, I'm one of those people that will actually sit and think about things. I can think about something kinda small and before I know it, I'm breaking it down piece by piece by piece. I always think about reality..

    The funny thing is you sit there and think your so different and say "people" like I am not a person. I'm just a person like everyone else. I guess I just feel like I see things a little deeper.

    I know what your saying comic! :)

    I love deep conversations about reality, so you can pm me anytime you want. ;)
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Thank you.
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited June 2005
    Ha. That is exactly how I feel about people most of the time. I try my best to be respectful, quiet, and kind to people whenever I am in public.....and then a bunch of guys walk by spitting everywhere saying things like ,"F-You and your F-in Mother" throwing garbage on the ground, etc. It really seems sometimes that nobody cares about anything. You silently wonder why we haven't become extinct yet with Neanderthals like that running all over the place. It's the most difficult part of the practice for me to see everyone equally. I want to try and teach these people that what they are doing hurts everyone around them, even themselves, but they would rather punch me in the mouth than hear any wisdom come out of it. I suspect that is one of the reasons why the Buddha encouraged his bhikkhus to live in the forests away from such people. That way they could have some peace to practice in, as well as, seperate beginners from such grossly negative influences. The subtle ones are hard enough as it is. I do my best to feel pity for people who act like this, trying to realize that they are lost and have no idea what harm they are doing to themselves. The Buddha said that good spiritual friends are the whole of the path to Ananda once, and maybe this is a reason why. With all the people blindly stumbling through life you need a few good friends to help you on the path, if just for the encouragement alone. Most people who act like "apes" will harass those that seek to better themselves out of ignorance or jealousy. It takes a lot of inner strength to continue to practice despite all of this. I commend anyone who tries. We all have faults and defilements and we need to help encourage those on the path to keep it up and not get discouraged by other people's ignorance or negative opinions. The most important thing to remember is DON'T GIVE UP. No matter how much you feel overwhelmed or alone in this world - keep praticing. We are all friends in birth, sickness, old age, and death whether we know it or not.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Well now I have met others like me. I am feeling better now. All of my friends are not Buddhist but they are not neanderthals either. All of my friends are intelligent people not out to ruinnthe world. I feel like the apes runnning around just need a few hundred more years of evolution. I look at my father who when I was young was always ready to fight. Now thta my mother was killed and he is all alone he seems to not be as aggresive as he was. He has lost a lot of his will to live and he is as irresponsible as ever but he is changed. I don't see my father ever changing much more. He has met a woman he works with who he says is very nice.
  • Maria22Maria22
    edited June 2005
    I run into the same problem on a daily basis, almost to a point of frustration. I feel like shaking some people and waking them up to reality, because they're obviously completely out of touch with it. Viewing the world differently creates a communication barrier that is incredibly hard to break through, you just don't see eye to eye. I attribute a lot of the ignorance to the facade our culture hides behind. Materialism clouds the mind of the average person and they fall right into trap laid out by the media. Personally I don't like being "sold" happiness, which our culture (capitalism) so often does. Happiness does not have a price tag. If people aren't skeptical and analyze what they hear, it's easy to be brainwashed into living in an illusion. I think most Americans would rather take the "blue pill" and live their lives sleeping, rather than being awoken by the truth. :-/
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    I like my possesions. They provide me with entertainment. If I lost them I wouldn't care all that much. I guess it would bothe rme but I would get over it. I am just more worried about my family's well being. I like to get more stuff for the sole reason of the challenge. I want to make as much money as possible only to challenge myself and see if I can. When I get old I just want to work on projects and spend time with my family. I also like fishing but I never keep the fish.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    Well sometimes I keep them but I only keep them to put in the pond I am building.
  • AdianaAdiana
    edited June 2005
    comicallyinsane wrote:
    Well now I have met others like me. I am feeling better now. All of my friends are not Buddhist but they are not neanderthals either. All of my friends are intelligent people not out to ruinnthe world. I feel like the apes runnning around just need a few hundred more years of evolution. I look at my father who when I was young was always ready to fight. Now thta my mother was killed and he is all alone he seems to not be as aggresive as he was. He has lost a lot of his will to live and he is as irresponsible as ever but he is changed. I don't see my father ever changing much more. He has met a woman he works with who he says is very nice.

    Jason,

    Count me in as being like you. I see people being so rude and disrespectful to others and daring one to even do anything about it. I know. I used to be one of those people. I have mellowed over the years and I find that picking and choosing my own battles is better for me these days. As I get older and deeper into my particular sect of Buddhism, I am even learning to just ignore people that choose to be nasty. I look at myself now and the way I was back then and I just shake my head with shame! Man! I cannot believe I used to be like that! I am not going to kid anyone here and say that PRESTO---my anger problem is gone because it is not; I am just learning to control it better. I have been a recovering alcoholic for seven years now and I like my life a heck of a lot better. I am a work in progress and I am learning how to be comfortable in my own skin. That is a good thing in my opinion.

    Adiana :):)
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    well I hope you make it. :)
  • AnitaAnita
    edited June 2005
    Its unbelievable the people that are rude in this world. I work at a bank, and I say hello and how are you and they just look at me. I guess they have in there head that I am serving them. I mean I guess in all technicality I am, but I mean I am person like you..and you are no better. ^_^ I wish people could sit back and really look at how they treat people. :banghead:

    Adiana, I'm glad to hear that you have started to be comfortable with yourself. I truely hope everything works for you! :bigclap:
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2005
    I've always been known as the odd one... even Nick looks at me sometimes and says "don't be weird" but he means he actually wants me to go on being whaccky!! people used to ask me how on earth I could be so cheerful all the time and this is what I replied (it used to be my mantra for a while, but it was a bit long, so I replaced it with the one below):

    "Well, I wake up in the morning, and I ask myself; 'Do I have anything to be happy about?' and 'Do I have anything to be miserable about?' If the answer's 'No' to both, then it's better to be happy for nothing, than to be miserable for nothing!!"
    Kundo
  • wolfscalissiwolfscalissi
    edited June 2005
    what if the answer isn't "no. to both" federica? Then your in a real quandry eh? ( just playing D.A.!) :rarr:

    ^gassho^
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2005
    Well, valid question, D.A., If the answer's 'yes' to 'happy' then well.... sorted!!
    If the answer's 'yes' to 'unhappy', then I believe in sharing; tell everyone what's ticking you off, make them all miserable too, then you can rise above it, because everyone else feels like crud, but at least you've off-loaded!! :lol:

    *puts on serious, intense and deep 'feel my sincerity' face*
    I guess it happened a couple of times, but to be honest, because I had got a reputation for being cheerful all the time, it kinda made me resolve not to 'let folks down 'and shatter the image, if you like.... so I'd "put on a happy face" and before I knew it, things were better anyway. If I really had a downer, I'd usually be able to find a good friend to confide in,but honestly.... it really was so rare.... and even rarer today!!
    Kundo
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    federica wrote:
    and even rarer today!!


    What about tomorrow? ;)
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2005
    rarer & rarer..... "I am sooooo happy - how on Earth could I be otherwise?!?
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited June 2005
    I was just joking. LOL I love humor. It can make the mood better in any situation.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited June 2005
    yah, I know..... ;)
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I realized why was it so some time before. It seems that some of them never think of death in their whole lives... And instead of living life properly, they find it better to spend entire fortunes on materialistic things while they are young, reason: when im old i won't have a chance at all these. Well that's true, but they suffer because of that, though they may not realize.

    It is our job to help all around us, so I think we should try to not condemm them but help them. Give them little suggestions from point to point.
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited August 2005
    No matter how obnoxious we see others as being, they are still sentient beings with Buddha natures identical to ours. In fact, everyone we meet and see has been our mother at some time or other. So what good does it do to criticize them and dump on them for being ignorant sentient beings? Better, I think, to try to muster up some compassion for them (difficult, I know) and pray that at some future time we can help them attain liberation.

    Just my 2 cents... (no change required!)

    Palzang
  • kinleekinlee Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Just a dream? Just like the movie "Matrix".
  • grainnegrainne
    edited August 2005
    For my two pence worth

    I like Dave's answer.

    I don't think you have to like/agree/enjoy everybody around you. In fact to disagree with them is probably very healthy. Initally I must admit your posting grated on me a bit, but I had to stop and ask myself why.

    For what it's worth, when people bug me, I look at two pictures I have one is of the Dalai Lama and one is of a tibetan monk who's name I can never pronounce or spell (I carry it in my walet) but both of them have a happy genuinly peacefull look in their faces. That makes me believe that there is no way they could have that genuine look of complete peace if they are angry with the people around them. Believe me, I don't know how to do it either, but, I know I would like to achieve that kind of peace, ultimatly. And I KNOW that I never will while Im angry, like you are with some of the people around you.
  • anatamananataman Who needs a title? Where am I? Veteran
    edited April 2014

    Resurrecting the past here @jason & @federica, after reviewing posts from the past.

    Things change, but they don't really change do they.

  • NevermindNevermind Bitter & Hateful Veteran

    @comicallyinsane said:
    I feel like I am dealing with cavemen.

    Welcome to the club. :p

  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran

    @comicallyinsane said:
    I have a strange view on the world. I have this view because I know I am an intelligent person and I feel like I am stuck with a bunch of apes. I look at people around me and I just don't understand what's wrong with them. It seems people just have no clue as to what is going on around them. I know I am going to get answers like "to each his own" or "no one's perfect" or "let people belive what they want" but I just watch them and they have no idea, absolutly no idea. I feel like I am dealing with cavemen. I know as a Buddhist I shouldn't feel this way but I do. I think I was born a few hundred years too early.

    Sounds more like you're leaning toward a Hindu caste system than Buddhism.

  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    @anatman 2005? LOL I don't even read past the first page unless I am searching for at topic.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Are you honestly that bored that you condemn us to repeat the past?

    anataman
This discussion has been closed.