From a moral point of view, having the right intentions can lead to a higher state of Nirvana. Subsequently, I tackled 3 different arenas within the realm of possibility this week.
The process is threefold.
Intention of Renunciation: To renounce something is to give something up, or simply refrain from being too emotionally or physically attached to it. The real issue isn’t exactly WHAT you give up, but instead the mindset that you shouldn’t really get attached to too many things in this world (because realistically at any moment you could lose any of them). Because we live in a world of possessions, it’s hard to imagine truly a world where we aren’t attached to things. There’s a reason why we should though, realizing that people halfway around the world don’t have the material luxuries we do. Giving things up is subsequently a necessary part of having the right intentions.
And so, on each day I “renounced” certain things: which included socializing on Monday, AOL instant messenger on Tuesday, Facebook Chat on Wednesday, the hobby of reading on Thursday, being cheap and not spending my gas money on Friday, Candy Crush on Saturday (particularly difficult), and Snacking on Sunday. Though these things were relatively easy to give up for one day, if I had to live in a world where I simultaneously couldn’t do everything I wanted, I’d struggle much more.
Intention of Good Will: We are kind to others and exhibit good will in an effort to overcome the feelings of anger, ill will, hatred, and aversion. I have always been one to try to surround myself with positive people, but at the same time it remains a much bigger challenge to inevitably be “the better person” in a relationship.
My good will this week remained in my experiences with youth at work Monday to Friday at the YMCA, my good will in communicating with classmates with a friendly demeanor on Tuesday, my patience with students in detention to buckling down and getting to work, my returning to a friend an item she misplaced, my dropping off a coworker at work whose car broke down, my dropping off of a friend at a train station after a liberty conference, and my weekly endeavors in participating in community service adventures. In the end I always strive towards being kinder, more thoughtful, and exhibiting feelings of good will to all that I interact with (whether they get on my nerves of not ***aka students in detention).
Intention of Harmlessness: Being a pacifist, it’s not particularly hard for me to live a lifestyle where I try to refrain from harming or doing violence to others. Compassion and empathy play a key role in shaping how I interact with others. Harmless activities include running, getting my old food, calming down whenever I feel angry, participating in a service organization, drinking in a classy way (not to the point where I’m drunk), attending a liberty conference with motivations to change the world, and salsa dancing (although I gave up after 10 minutes).
End Result: Intertwining these three elements took quite a bit of work, and in the end they felt like three separate categories to improve on falling upon one large umbrella. In the next couple of weeks I hope to simultaneously achieve all these elements at the same time. I subsequently grade myself a B for the week.
Next Week: Right Speech
