Principles
Why do we have principles? What are they? Do they help or hinder us? Do we want to keep them?
A principle by definition is an important underlying law or assumption required in a system of thoughts, a standard of moral or ethical decision-making.
Growing up we made up our minds about things. I talked about that before. We are taught by our surroundings what is right and what is wrong, and come up with things that we either principally do or don’t do. We think that we need to control our life’s; we think we need guidance by our ideas to prevent us from doing things that are not good for us. Some might say if we do not have the principle, “Do not kill” what would happen to the world?
Well, first of all even though it is a principle in our life’s and it is one of the Ten Commandments it is happening constantly around the world and in this country. Is not killing a principle of mine? No, it is something I am naturally not interested to do. But I cannot project my view of things onto others. For some of us some guidance might be needed to know what is acceptable and what is not.
These standards are only necessary as along as we live under the control of our minds/egos. A liberated mind, a mind that is not attached to the body naturally follows the cosmic laws. Only when we believe we are the body we have to kill, we have to hurt; we have to suppress or to steal because we are afraid. When we reach a deeper understanding there is nothing to protect nothing to fight for.
The final goal is to transcend our ego but that is hard to reach. So let’s keep the main principles like. “Do not kill” for the moment and look what else we do base on our standards. This is of course different for each and every one of us. Let’s make some of them up.
I only date Hispanic girls. I only want to be with somebody who does not want to get married. I only want to do photography. I only like white walls. I only use Macintosh computers. I only shoot with Nikon cameras. I only date girls under 30. I only can live in New York. I only fly American Airlines. I only eat vegan food. I only do Ashtanga yoga. I only drink water. I only use Kodak film…….
This list can go on forever. But what are we doing? What do all these principles have in common? The word “only.” What does this mean? We are controlling life. We decide what is right for us and toss all the other options and possibilities out of the window. We closed our minds to so much. Let’s say I have the principle to only date Hispanic girls and one day run into a really nice Asian girl. I will not go out with her because she does not fit the “code” that I have invented. I miss out on life because I would have had a really good time with her but I don’t have that experience because I set up my own limitations.
I am not saying that we should not have likes or dislikes. I make statements like the made up ones above. I say,” I only use Macintosh computers” but I always ad “at the moment” to what I say. That means nothing else then that right here right now I feel very strongly about doing things a certain way but it is not written in stone, I am willing to change.
Principles are nothing else then prison walls. They limit us from living a full life because the cut out some of the experiences we could have. They are always created by our limited minds based on the ideas of and illusionary ego that has no idea of what is good for us.
Life is not stagnant it is forever changing. Does that mean that I will contradict myself? Of course I will. Things that were right for me ten years ago are not right for me now. Who knows what happens to ideas I have now in the next couple of years. Principles hold us back from growing. They want to make sure that everything stays how it is that nothing changes. But that is not living.
To be free means to be able to adjust your ideas how to live your life. It means to flow with the river of life to and to be able to go wherever it takes us.
"Freedom." Williamsburg/Brooklyn 02-15-08 at 05:04 PM.
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