3 APRIL 2023 THE PRISON OF DOING

Beyond the prison of our doing, lies the freedom of simply being. We have all been born into the constraints of our family situation. As part of the family we were born into, we must also adhere to the rules and expectations placed upon us by our government and our country. We must conform to the rules of society, both verbal and non-verbal. We succeed in life only so far as we are able to play by the rules and meet the expectations of others.

The majority of people do not mind being told what to do. They obey, often complaining, but unwilling to rock the boat that is both a vessel of safety, and a prison. While seemingly participating in this world based on capitalism, they grasp at straws of happiness. They are never fully content, but they become comfortable with the vague sense of unease that hangs like a cloud above them. They may feel that something is missing from their lives – that there should be more. They paint over the images of their lives that make them uncomfortable by finding a myriad of ways to cope. They color their dull existence by drinking, smoking, doing drugs, or indulging in sex, or sports, or gambling. They use every kind of distraction to ignore what disturbs them. Others turn to religion, join a monastery, or seek answers from psychics, astrologers, or spiritual gurus.

From the moment we learn to walk and to talk, we are told what to do and what not to do. We were born into a world where we have been “should on” and made to feel that it is what we “do” in life that matters. But, it is not at all what matters. When we are gone, very little will be remembered about what we “did.” We will be remembered by our “beingness.” How we were perceived by others is how we will be remembered. Were we kind? Were we honest? Were we brave? Did we smile often, or did we frown and begrudge our circumstances? Will others remember us as angry, judgmental, hateful? Or, will they recall the light that we reflected? As we busy ourselves in the doing, let’s remember to free ourselves often to the present moment. Let’s be who we truly are and not the story that we have come to believe.