0 Understanding

_29.6.2021_ Understanding is the true power and power equals happiness. When Buddha said that life is suffering, I think so many people do not really understand his notion. The root of desire is suffering, the lack of the object that is desired. I rarely see happy people anywhere no matter their social status. As a photographer, I've been to many luxury hotels and listen to people's conversation. In term of happiness, they are not different from most people. Money doesn't buy happiness. Most people complicated their own life. They are eaten by nothing, the predator is their own ignorance. Most people are greedy. They want more and more. Their desire is limitless. And they always want what they do not have. Minimalist people who live with less are happier. They face less problem dealing with stuffs. The cause of greed is ignorance. If you do not want to be famous, you do not want to show off, little is enough. There's no need to join rat race. No need to pursue wealth by renting out the lifetime and labor to the degree of overworking. To understand is to forgive everything without exception. People are angry to something they can't comprehend and can't understand completely. I'm angry to someone who steals my money because I don't understand her reasoning and her whole situation. If I were her, probably it's the best option I have, to steal. To understand is to escape from suffering. I understand life is suffering and nothing I can do to save animals from food chain nor I can make people to think correctly and not to suffer from their ignorance. At most I can do it to myself. The cause of suffering is ignorance, the cause of desires that causes suffering is also ignorance. I agree to Socrates that there is only one good; knowledge, there is only one bad; ignorance. If I feel unhappy about life it's because I don't understand that life is suffering. Understanding this is the key to happiness. To accept everything and to forgive everything without exception need deep understanding. It's normal to suffer and then just work to make life better, to suffer less. Rather than complaining the darkness, it's better to lit a candle, Buddha said. What happens always happens as it happens. It follows the natural law, the chains of action and reaction, cause and effect. Spinoza said, you can love god but can't expect god to love you back. In Bhagavad Gita, Khrisna said, "You are entitled to the work but not to the result". Naval Ravikant said, "Be impatient to the work, be patient to the result." The key of happiness is low expectation plus hard work. To be the giver and not the receiver. Let people steal your money, cheating on you, use you, and forgive them all. They do that because you are better than them. They are unhappy ignorance people who think that being bad can lead them to happiness. Pity them for that. If it happened that you are short, ugly, poor, and lonely, you can still be perfectly happy with Spinoza recipe of happiness, understanding and knowledge. There is no need to envy others or to change your body and condition to be different person. Trying to be happy makes people unhappy. First accept that life is suffering, then behave to lessen the suffering by acquiring knowledge and become wise. There is a son who tells his father that he is in a big problem, the father says whether his problem will kill him or not, the son says no, and the fathers says that it's not real problem, just take it easy. When I read stories about Nasruddin Hoja, Zhuang Zi, and other wise men, I learn that life is actually easy. People suffer from their own imagination. If you are unhappy because you are really hungry, it's understandable. But if you are unhappy for not having luxurious life, not famous, having less stuffs than your friends, you are suffering from bad reasoning. I'm getting married in several months. I understand what is expected of me to be a good husband is to be rich one. It's unspoken expectation. I don't care no matter religious the girl is, what she wants is more money. I will highly respect to people who behave consistently to their belief. They praise the sages who live simple and careless life but they behave as if nothing is more important than money. They won't respect poor people, they despise them. Their behavior, speaking, believe, and emotions are not in synchronize. Their emotions contradict their own words. In short no one is less greedy than others no matter their religion belief, social status, gender, and race. The only factor that differentiates them is their knowledge and understanding. If I expect someone to behave like Buddha or Zhuang Zi, I am crazy. I can't expect fish to fly and lion to eat grass. It's their nature to do that and it's ok. I love them all. All the differences and all the problems, uncertainties, randomness, volatility, those things make life worth living and interesting. Life is suffering and it's ok like that. If I do not suffer, I do nothing. I won't work harder because I have no desire to have more. I will love my wife and understand her. This is life and it's natural to suffer, to want more, to be greedy, to do what seem amazing and promising. I've been deceived by friends and strangers, my bikes were stolen, and all kinds of misfortunes happened to my life. I forgive them all. I forgive all suffering that had happened, is happening and will happen to me. I take them with both hands open. I understand that life is suffering and it's ok. I still love it. Amor fati, said Nietzsche. Love your fate. Love your life with everything inside. Love your spouse will all her characters. If you have low expectation, nothing can disappoint you and make you unhappy.