Socrates and the Examined Life

Photo essay about the trial and death of Socrates who said the unexamined life is not worth living.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Socrates
• trial
• death
• unexamined life
• social conditioning
• unconditioning
• Be yourself
• meditation

[YangSword9x]

Heaven = perfect place, simply put all desires are achieved and desire to live/exist continues on forever.

Other place = perfect place, same thing, but somehow desire to live/exist diminishes/stops.

Simply, put I wonder which of the two places will my desires be?

[kozmovpassana]

@YangSword9x Desire is the cause of all human misery and suffering.

This is the central message of Gautama Buddha, as explained in his Four Noble Truths.

Peace.

[YangSword9x]

@kozmovpassana so what happens to a person with no desires? He should lose the cause of all human misery and suffering and be at peace.

If a human has no desires then doesn't he die because of hunger or predation?

Is the lost of all desires a good or bad thing, from a point of view of the universe and/or oneself limited view?

[kozmovpassana]

@YangSword9x A desire is a want, not a need. And wants are incessant -- they can never be satisfied because the want is always for MORE. There is never enough for any desire or want, but there is always plenty for every need. A need is in the present, but a want or desire is in the future, and the future does not ever exist -- it is unreal, a mental construct of an ego-mind that distracts from the here and now. To desire to be desireless is a desire. Your true identity is desireless. Peace.

[YangSword9x]

What do we do when we don't like to be stuck with a mother cow crying for days and seeing a calf seperated, but we like to drink milk?

Is this hypricritical? What is a hypricrit?

Is it saying something, you do not do?

Preaching, what you don't practice?

So we should do what we feel is right?

Or is it, teaching/saying what we actually do do?

Being true to what we do, or is it what we feel?

Habit/tradition/Society, or undeniable true secret emotions/desires?

[kozmovpassana]

@YangSword9x All "doing" is of the ego-mind. Only "being" is real and truth. One does not love (verb); rather, love (noun) or loving (gerund) happens on its own accord. Likewise with gratitude, it just happens on its own, and one cannot "do" it. The word hypocritical can mean whatever the author wishes, as long as he or she defines it clearly and unambiguously, and then uses it consistently in the same context. Jesus of Nazareth is quoted as reportedly saying a lot about one kind of hypocrites.

[aanglero]

@kozmovpassana Very well said.

[YangSword9x]

Thank you for your response. I now have more information to process on the subject. I thank you for the help to making more progress in my thoughts.

Oh, and I like to do the peace sign too. LOL!

PEACE!

[kozmovpassana]

@YangSword9x There are no problems or questions, except in the human mind that invents them to create a need for the ego, the false idea of separation from the whole existence. All goals are products of the ego-mind for the same reason -- to distract one from truth.

You clearly have an excellent mind that penetrates deeply, and the escape from the mind (however efficient and useful as an instrument) is the beginning of pure, first-hand, personal, existential experience of truth.

Peace.

[kozmovpassana]

@YangSword9x Nirvana means literally "to snuff out the candle flame," and nirvana can be interpreted as the snuffing out of the flame of desire. Nirvana = no desire, not even the desire for nirvana. Desire can never be achieved; it only leads to misery and suffering. To desire means to seek to be different in future from what you are now, but that places you in the future which is not real. Spiritual enlightenment is the absence of all desire, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Peace.

[YangSword9x]

Oh where is a place where trouble will no longer be possible?

Problem = human designs desires not achieved

So the goal is an environment that all human desires/goals are achieved.

If all things are achieved, will it be good enough to want to exist in forever?

Like taking a relaxing hot tube bath, shower, etc.

Or will it be satisfaction, the end of all desires to live?