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Empty Pursuits | Lessons from Walden by Henry David Thoreau

American Naturalist, poet, and philosopher wastes no time exposing falseness and empty triumphs of Life in his book Walden.

From page 1, he sheds light on the utter hysteria that he found himself in, after returning to Concord, Massachusetts.

He saw the Chinese in the acts of serving penance, while Brahmins performed “spiritual” acrobatics. He witnessed the sons of the farmers tirelessly working on inherited farms almost with contempt.
He observed savages and civilized men labouring away their
life for apparently no substantial reason.

Thoreau was baffled that everyone around him was just constantly busy scouring for penny, to afford shelter and clothes.

He goes on “And in the process, inhumanely contradicting themselves, lying, flattering, showing fake generosity, making themselves sick so that they can gather something to be tucked away in the face of sick days, stacking away anything no matter how much or how little.”

 

 ”

Men, from their birth, occupy themselves in superfluously coarse labors of life, that its fruits cannot be plucked by them

– Henry David Thoreau

 

He is pointing to the unnecessary gestures that we keep ourselves indulged in throughout our lives without ever asking why or for what.

It is the ultimate foolishness of Mankind.

 

Obeying to your inner darkness only strengthens its grip on yourself 

– Acharya Prashant

 

Reminds me of a story of a Rich Beggar.

There was a young beggar, who made a living by begging, promising himself that one day he would stop when would had enough.
He kept his earnings in a bag and kept filling them. Days became months., turned into years.

Bags were getting full one after the other but he never stopped to check.

Until one day he dies on the road begging.

Authorities check his belongings and turns out,
he could afford a better living than the 
very people he used to beg from.

These acts we carry out every day, we have taken it as Truth in the absence of an inquiry for a better option; an option to Live differently.

 

 

Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion 

– Jack Kerouac

 

Seriously, have you ever asked yourself  ” What the hell am I doing? Why am I living like this? Do I have to be this miserable? “

If you answered yes(which is rare) well, congratulations, you get to experience the feeling very few people in History have ever felt.

 

Introspection is a blessing in the guise of existentialism 

– Malay Khatri

 

It is only when you take a Hard stop and look at yourself, that you can unlock your true potential and True Self, who is, by the way, you’ll soon find out, an absolute badass, Full of Life and Free.

Constant introspection will reveal your lies in real time and that’s all one needs to do to improve.

A good rule of thumb is a little shame. Yes. Laugh at yourself, curse yourself for lying and contradicting.

Each instance you break your promise, give yourself punishment. Punishing yourself is the least harm you can do to yourself because Life is Cruel.
Missed today’s gym session? No problem you work out 2 times the next day.
Did not read 10 pages? Not to worry, read 20 pages the next day.

Don’t let yourself go easily away. Take accountability. You made a mistake, it’s your job to correct it. 

Always monitor yourself.

It will be daunting at first but after a while, it will be so natural that you won’t even notice. You’ll immediately feel a disconnect right in the moment when you’re involved in unimportant matters.

That’s the state of mind you should be striving to achieve.

A Constant Reminder.

That is the true Spirituality, finding the center of your being that makes you restless and incomplete; and instead, operating from the center, from which you feel complete, and at peace, is the Mindful Living.

 

Humans must introspect inwards, and one who refuses is an Animal. Anyone who only observes the outward is an Animal 

– Acharya Prashant

 

Spirituality or Nirvana is not some magical experience that you get presented with; like Harry Potter getting chosen by his First Wand. Spirituality doesn’t “choose” you.

It’s a dangerous myth which loads of so-called “Enlightened Gurus” claim it to be.

Never get tangled with such people or their content.

If it makes you feel Happy, ecstatic, excited, materialistic, lusty, turn around and run! It’s the danger best avoided like Tsunami.

The purpose of Life can never be being Happy. Read this if you want to know why.

 

Spirituality is being constantly at War with your Self 

– Malay Khatri

 

Don’t get tangled in the stupid chores of life. Work only so that you can afford minimum and that’s it. Once food, shelter, and clothes are done, stop.

Everything that you’re doing, constantly ask yourself, is it making me see the falseness? if it’s yes, continue; if not withdraw.

Seeing the false is finding the Truth. Truth is not something hidden mysteriously somewhere like a treasure. It is not something you “Find out’ or ‘realize” because it’s not material.

The only way to sort of “find” the Truth (for the lack of a better word) is to identify and eliminate everything that is not the Truth.

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