Truth Be Told

 My friend/colleague John shared this list today. It's from a book called If You See the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him. I haven't read the book but apparently the idea is that we need to stop looking for enlightenment outside ourselves and turn inward to find it. I don't understand everything he has on this list of eternal truths but I like the sense of humor and wisdom in it. Right now, the ones that especially speak to me are numbers 6-9, 14, 28, 40 and 43. How about you?
 

Eternal Truths

1.   This is it!

2.   There are no hidden meanings.

3.   You can’t get there from here, and besides there’s no place else to go.

4.   We are all already dying, and we will be dead for a long time.

5.   Nothing lasts.

6.   There is no way of getting all you want.

7.   You can’t have anything unless you let go of it.

8.   You only get to keep what you give away.

9.   There is no particular reason you lost out on some things.

10. The world is not necessarily just. Being good often does not pay off and there is no compensation for misfortune.

11. You have a responsibility to do your best nonetheless.

12. It is a random universe to which we bring meaning.

13. You don’t really control anything.

14. You can’t make anyone love you.

15. No one is any stronger or any weaker than anyone else.

16. Everyone is, in his/her own way, vulnerable.

17. There are no great men(women).

18. If you have a hero, look again: you have diminished yourself in some way.

19. Everyone lies, cheats, pretends (yes, you too, and most certainly I myself).

20. All evil is potential vitality in need of transformation.

21. All of you is worth something, if you will only own it.

22. Progress is an illusion

23. Evil can be displaced but never eradicated, as all solutions breed new problems.

24. Yet it is necessary to keep on struggling toward solution.

25. Childhood is a nightmare.

26. But it is so very hard to be an on-your-own, take-care-of-yourself-cause-there-is-no-one-else-to-do-it-for-you grown-up.

27. Each of us is ultimately alone.

28. The most important things, each person must do for him/herself.

29. Love is not enough, but it sure helps.

30. We have only ourselves, and one another. That may not be much, but that’s all there is.

31. How strange, that so often, it all seems worth it.

32. We must live within the ambiguity of partial freedom, partial power, and partial knowledge.

33. All important decisions must be made on the basis of insufficient data.

34. Yet we are responsible for everything we do.

35. No excuses will be accepted.

36. You can run, but you can’t hide.

37. It is most important to run out of scapegoats.

38. We must learn the power of living with our helplessness.

39. The only victory lies in surrender to oneself.

40. All of the significant battles are waged within the self.

41. You are free to do whatever you like. You need only face the consequences.

42. What do you know…for sure…anyway?

43. Learn to forgive yourself, again and again and again and again…