ADVISE FROM AN OLD MAN

Native Americans venerate age – elders.  It is my experience that age does not confer wisdom – if you were a stupid person throughout your life, you don’t suddenly become sage just because you age.

That said, I am offering some advice as an elder.  

Everyone whose blog I read and everyone who reads my blog is in a state of confusion and stress because of the election results.   

We need a perspective and I offer this:

I am on the back side of my seventh decade.  I may not live to see the end of a Trump Presidency.   I do not choose to spend my last precious few years stewing and discontent because of things beyond my control – a Donald Trump Presidency.   These are years with the woman I love, in this beautiful world that I will never get back. 

Life is constant change.  To survive you must adapt to change.  It is only through accepting change that you can live in harmony and balance.

Buddha stated four truths:

1.    A life of discontent is like a wheel out of kilter.

2.    Discontent originates with desire.

3.    If we will identify the cause of our desire and move away from it, we can bring life back into balance

4.    The Buddha offers eight attitudinal perspectives to move beyond discontent and live a fuller life amidst change.

Buddha’s enlightenment was realizing the beauty of a young girl, the refreshing taste of water and the contentment in a bowl of rice.

Four hundred years before Christ the Buddha told people to recognize the things you can change and change them if need be; but also recognize the things you can’t change and accept them and move on.

It is time to move on. 

Before enlightenment

 I cut wood

 I carried water

After enlightenment

I cut wood

 I carried water

Today it is fifty degrees and windy.   I am going to have breakfast, kiss my wife, fill the bird feeders and split some more firewood.  This afternoon I will have a tuna fish sandwich for lunch, perhaps take a nap with my wife and this evening I have a new book to read.

Two books I might suggest:

Buddhism Plain and Simple and Buddhism Is Not What You Think both by Steve Hagen. 

Or perhaps watch a good zombie flick

the Ol’Buzzard