Spirituality Revealed

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I can remember a day when all i had to do was be, more when I was a kid

“Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat, what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body what ye shall put on.” Meaning you should not put too much thought into the future and stay in the present moment (psychologically speaking).

This statement created many controversies, arguments and debates among many, including philosophers (elite, I don’t belong to). Some even say that economy would collapse if we behaved like this. If we don’t plan and think for tomorrow; how we’re going to get out of bed? Life demands that we act, not stay in bed for the rest of our lives. How do we catch a bus, go to work, pay bills, pick up groceries, tomorrow morning doctor’s appointment? All these practical functions require planning-thinking for tomorrow, which is “now”, (we can only think in the “now”) tomorrow by the calendar. Surely this statement doesn’t have practical application. Is it something else that was meant by it? Could it be that it has instructive meaning, to do all these things, but without worry and anxiety over tomorrow, which also requires thought, but that wouldn’t be a practical thought, it would be a distractive thought with no value whatsoever. Because all these things will happen anyways or will not happen. We can easily predict that, that’s everyday life, it’s what happens. Then why worry and be afraid? Is it because we’re addicted to worrisome? If we don’t worry something really bad may happen? Or, do we feel we’re not in control? As if worrying ever gave us control over something. It seems like the point to this statement is not to get distracted by those destructive thoughts. Because whether we worry or not life goes on. Then why worry? It will happen any ways, or it will not happen, the best course is to keep quiet and carry on. If each time we would go into the car, thinking we might get into an accident we would never drive away. But accidents happen, yes, they do; so, what? Will that stop us from driving? But I may lose my job. Yes, you may, and how is worrying help you keep your job, maybe you should worry that they will keep you on this job.

Now let’s consider a state of mind that constantly worries, frantic, living in perpetual state of anxiety, full of thoughts about tomorrow or even about the next moment. That would be restless mind, that man is insecure, neurotic, agitated, irritable, afraid, miserable, wrapped up in his-her little unpleasant world, and it’s called the story of ‘me’. Setting up expectations for themselves followed by disappointments, depressions and this horrible need to be somebody, as if they were nobody. Tomorrow or the next moment I will be happy, and tomorrow never comes, and when it comes it will be this moment. And all this is nothing but a noise in our heads, thoughts. Some practical, the rest, useless and the result is that we’re not at peace with ourselves therefore, not happy. Hence, “Take no thought for the morrow” serves to instruct, to enlighten a man to show that there is no need to worry. That worrying is nothing but a thought, a play of the mind.

Are you enjoying washing the dishes? Appreciating the dish? The food that was on it? Or are you only washing them to get to the “clean kitchen” in the future, and suffering until that point?

The story of the toll booth was beautiful and completely struck me. THAT clicked for me. Thank you, Eckart.