Samsara

Samsara is sooooo seductive! Things look so real and soooooo attractive! We feel we cannot live without them. We get the money together, maybe borrowing from others, and buy them. When we see something in the shop window, it looks so appealing. When we buy and own it, then it becomes something really special. IT IS MINE! I OWN IT! WE FEEL SOMEHOW NOURISHED AND SATISFIED. For the first few days MY new possession is so much fun and exciting. After a few days we start to lose interest. Several days later we completely forget about it. What several days before was something we could not live without, suddenly fades into oblivion. Life is like this. What we feel we cannot live without one day, becomes faded and lackluster. The more we have, the more we want. Contentment is not something graspable. In fact, grasping is the source of the problem. A grasping attitude and a clinging heart, always wants more. It is never content. In is in fact the exact opposite of contentment. On the other hand, feeling we have enough and feeling satisfied and grateful, brings inner peace and contentment. A sigh of relief. If something is lost or broken, no problem. Our attachment to things lessens and we feel much happier inside. Eventually although we love this life, our grasping to it also lessens. We experience less fear and anxiety. We feel more content filled with inner peace.