There is a lot of time to do things. But is there also the energy at the time the time is available? And the feeling to do a productive thing? And is it worthwhile to do that thing?
One has to take the long view. And one has to consider what one really wants to do. Of course, one has to consider what one has to do, too. If one has to do anything at the time.
I like to write a lot. I like it a lot. I like to do art, too. But writing is so smooth.
I am a philosopher. And an artist, at least in my estimation. And I think my estimation will be society's estimation. Mankind's.
I think the reason I haven't sold anything is that it will be useful for mankind to have all my work together. Not scattered. It is ahead of its time. And later it will be all together and available.
Is there any value for me in this? As our Teacher told us, "Creativity is the anti-dote to stress". There is stress in collective consciousness, and creativity is my way to deal with it. To deal with the poison of it (the stress). My consciousness is affected by the collective consciousness it seems.
I think that the more evolved one is, the more responsible one becomes for the collective consciousness. One has to deal with it directly (the collective consciousness). One takes on others' karma. One helps others to deal with the results of their past actions.
It seems to me now, that our Teacher said that we aren't to take on others' karma. I'm trying to remember the context of that. Something like,"We help others, but we don't take on their karma".
That's a good question, can one take on another's karma. And is it wise?
I've been told, "You should always be giving". But if someone owes us something, shouldn't we ask for it?
"As ye sow, so shall ye reap." Is reaping in this analogy an action we must do? In order to receive the fruits of our labors (or actions)? In business, one provides a service and presents a bill. One would receive the result of one's service anyway, even if one didn't provide a bill to the client. "For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction." Something goes from us and an equal something comes to us. But if we don't present a statement, the client is not bound to pay us, at least not by social law.
Is it wrong not to present a bill (statement of what was given and of what is to be given in return)? In other words, should we always be giving, and never asking?
The Vedic Tradition tells us that there is a state of Liberation. That it can be gained during one's lifetime and enjoyed on Earth and forever after. And that the liberated (or Enlightened) man accepts whatever comes unasked. But that doesn't answer the question of whether or not we should ask for anything.
Is it wrong to ask for anything, at least for a Liberated man? A liberated man doesn't need anything, he doesn't depend upon anything from anyone else. His Self is the Self of all others, which is true for all of us. But the realized man knows this by direct experience.
The non-realized are weak, helpless, like children. The realized man should help them to grow up right. He has a parental role to the non-realized.
If a child has wronged his parent, is it the parent's duty to tell the child this? Can the child correct the wrong he has done? Even if not so, is it helpful for the child to know he has wronged his parent? Even if he can correct it, is it helpful for the child to be asked to correct the wrong he has done to his parent? How can the child correct the wrong to the parent?
It is the child's dharma (duty) to learn, and to entertain his elders. That's what one man told a group of people including me.
I wasn't very entertaining. At least I don't remember trying to be entertaining for my elders. We can't love by trying to love. And we can't entertain by trying to entertain. If a stand-up comic tries to entertain, he will not be spontaneous and natural. So also with a musician or a writer. Certainly he wants to entertain, to give; but he can only do so by giving himself completely to the task at hand. Not by thinking about being entertaining.
Have I wronged my parents? Has any child wronged his parents? "Judge not, and be not judged."
Has any parent wronged his child? The Vedic Tradition states that, "The course of action is unfathomable". But if he has, he will suffer the consequences. "The laws of nature cannot be deceived." And they are invincible.
