On Appreciating Everything Equally
Attachment is a difficult thing. In one sense, it allows us to enjoy life, to make the most of our experiences — yet there are many instances where we could’ve been more temperate, more methodical, and certainly more unmoved. I have come to the conclusion in my life that, in witnessing good and bad events, one shouldn’t let their emotional center be shaken, and furthermore, that no event should supersede another. Everything that happens to us is obviously meaningful, but our reaction to those happenings is significantly more meaningful.
In using the phrase “appreciating everything equally”, I am attempting to get at the universal detachment of Zen and Stoicism, as well as Buddhist and Hindu thought. There is the idea of something called equanimity, or an even-minded disposition towards all things. Rather than feel connected to some particular thing, person, or idea, we may find value in the creation itself, the whole unity. I say this because, when we mentally fixate on particulars, we attribute too much importance to them — too much thinking towards one direction leads to neglect of the whole experience, and that is no way to live. The great unhappiness of being a person is when we take it too seriously, and focus too much on the parts rather than the sum of the parts. The parts merely underlie the experience itself.
There is too much to know, too much to learn, and too much to do. Given that we are not perfect, the best we can do is strive patiently. In seeing ourselves as apart from our mental constructions, we may be able to live without overbearing expectations. Life is harsh either way, for it is a fundamental test of character. My understanding is that the mind misleads us into the land of imagination, the land of concepts, and the land of hypothetical possibilities — we are only able to speculate on reality in these lands, which is not enough to actually make a difference. The mind is an interpretive mediator between reality and our subjectivity, so it’s fundamental that the philosophical framework of a mind is rational and well-ordered. Otherwise, I fear that the mind begins to develop many assumptions, and can do nothing but live in its contrived world.
In love, there can also be heartbreak — this is why the center is always the right place to be. In a well-ordered person, no words, emotions, or experiences can take them away from themselves. Beholden to the good and the bad alike, we may recognize that life isn’t necessarily unfair, but rather, it tests us according to what we lack. Why would we drift away from the center? Surely, all things must be appreciated, for even the worst of tragedies offer us something to think about, something to learn from, something to strive towards. Even the most punishing of truths, which seem to arise from our battle with our expectations, may in fact set us free from the vicious cycle. Beholden to karma, we may appreciate the whole, and only then could we really live a good life. The need to be connected is a great need, especially in the most difficult stages of our lives.
I am not always able to appreciate everything. However, in my search for the truth, I realized that it greatly helps. The power of the mind is in its ability to accept new ideas, and to reconsider old ones. No experience has to be better or worse than it really is, assuming we are humbly operating in terms of truth. In such uncomfortable times, it is beautiful to try and love the whole.
Thank you.
