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Teja Jo

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The ego creates suffering? Does suppression of the ego lead to " sustainable happiness?"Is love the suppression of ego?What does charity do?

If everyone worked together or independently to help people around them attain happiness, “sustainable happiness” could be afforded to everyone.Finding one’s calling in life is a hard one, especially because the odds are stacked up against you.There are always obligations, expectations, indoctrinations, reputations, and other things that just get in the way.Find your calling and all these things will suddenly fall on the back burner.Sure, the call of these memes will not disappear but they will not fight for control of your life, and hijack your happiness.Life, education, parenting, learning should be geared to finding what makes you who you are; rather than, taking who you are and finding how to be geared.The world needs a paradigm shift.It needs a shift from competition, status, and money to isolating and developing talents.Everyone has a talent or talents; and we have to learn how to bring those out.Allow that talent to flourish, remove the obstacles, remove the constraints of modern life and we have happiness.What if we took “the make a wish foundation” idea and took another step, maybe even a few extra steps than that, and started granting the wishes of the masses?We can make a doctor, a cancer researcher, a pro skate boarder, a dancer, a teacher, a microbiologist or, let a man run with the bulls, finance a lifesaving surgery.When the human mind is involved anything could be possible, anything could be conceived, and anything could be achieved. Let’s start granting wishes, answering prayers, make dreams a reality.Why not play God?When we start caring about each other, there is no limit that can stop us from doing great things; there is nothing that can stop 7 billion minds from reaching happiness.Let’s make happiness: sustainable, affordable, and ordinary.Happiness should not be for the few, misery should be.We can give more than just money or a check.We can give support, help, or any other service to make these dreams possible. Let’s make some happiness.

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Topics: Buddhism Dreams and reality alternative sustainability community sustainability happiness memes
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    Colleen Steen 500+

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    Aug 12 2012: Teja Jo,
    I do not think/feel it to be a good idea to suppress any part of our "self". The ego does not "create" suffering. It is how we choose to use the ego that determines what impact it has on us and the way we live out lives.

    You ask..."Does suppression of the ego lead to "sustainable happiness?...Is love the suppression of ego?"

    Not in my humble belief and experience! Suppression is suppression. Love does not suppress, in my opinion. Love accepts. When we can "know" ourselves and accept the different "parts" of our "self", we learn to use all "parts" in harmony and balance. Why do you think, as humans, we have all these different "parts"? So we can spend a lifetime trying to suppress them? That doesn't make any sense on any level.

    We are multi-sensory, multi-dimensional beings. The best thing we can do for ourselves AND the whole of humankind, is recognize and use effectively all of our capabilities. Do you know how much energy it takes to try to suppress something? Suppression is resistance to what is. What is the point in doing that to ourselves, or anyone else?

    I do not agree with your statement.... "Finding one’s calling in life is a hard one, especially because the odds are stacked up against you. There are always obligations, expectations, indoctrinations, reputations, and other things that just get in the way"

    These "things" you mention are all part of the life experience, and in my perception do not "get in the way"...they ARE the way. I have never had the feeling that "odds are stacked up against" me. Life, is life, and most of the time, the life experience includes challenges.

    I agree that we need a "paradigm shift", and part of that shift could include the idea that to "know thyself" is one of the most important ideas we can nurture.

    You say.."remove the constraints of modern life and we have happiness." The shift can include acceptance of the life experience and all it offers:>)

    • Teja Jo

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      Aug 15 2012: To point number one. There is a phrase in french, le petite de morte. It means the little death, This refers to climax of love between two people. Isn't it interesting that they call it this? I believe that they explain it this way because in this action two separate individuals , lose that thing that says "I". There is a break down of what is "I" and what exists outside. Love is the destruction of ego, if only temporarily. When something is accepted into your mind, there is a blurring between the universe that lies within and the universe that lies without. Love removes the world between these two separate universes. And the line in between, is the ego. The ego suffers to keep itself alive. It must attend to the worries. Think of not "I" , but some one else and the result is happiness. In each good deed this happens, is but a few moments. In these moments we feel pleasure because empathy and action allowed the inner universe of different beings to merge but for a little while, in kindness. This is why " a purpose that is greater", a group, a religion, a team, a family that is together experiences the feeling of happiness, of pleasure. It is the happiness that arises out of expanding the mind. This is one of the main , consequences of meditation and the supposed feelings of serenity and peace; or should I say happiness?

      And at times people are born into this world, which circumstances that are stacked up against them. But, it possible to overcome them. Even wealth, and luxury can be obstacles to happiness. Happiness is not the same for everyone, but everyone has to find their path to happiness. This is the challenge of life. It is the happiness of pursuit, the pursuit of happiness.

    • Teja Jo

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      Aug 15 2012: More so, the ego desires its own destruction as a part of its own nature to allow the separation between it and the outside world to become in separate. The ego craves and therefore it suffers. Each physical remedy is the result of this craving. Yet, nothing can satisfy the ego, so it only wants more. The ego is so accepting because it is searching for that connection between the inner world that it resides and the outside world it desires to be apart of. The paradox is that only in moments when one works to satisfy the needs of someone else or focus on the outside universe , rather than the inner one, do we satisfy our own craving.
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        Colleen Steen 500+

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        Aug 15 2012: Dear Teja Jo,
        It sounds like you are trying to give the ego a LOT of power and make it a seperate entity outside the whole of "us". The ego is part of us, and we have the ability to give the ego our attention and energy.....or not. The ego does not "desire"....the ego does not have a "nature" of its own...the ego does not "crave" or "suffer". The ego can indeed be satisfied when we find peace, harmony and balance within ourselves, which projects out into the whole of humankind. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of speculation regarding what the ego is, or is not, and it causes people to misunderstand.

        With all of your very long comments on this thread, it appears that you are trying to lecture, rather than have a discussion.

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