I’m reading Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World written by the Dalai Lama right now and just had to share. The Dalai Lama quotes the eighth-century Indian thinker, Shantideva, who said the following:
If there is a solution, then what need is there for dejection? If there is no solution, then what point is there in dejection?
The Dalai Lama calls this the “no need, no point” approach to dealing with problems. He goes on to say “If a problem has a solution, then it should not be cause for excessive worry. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, we should simply work with determination to reach the solution. If after careful consideration we conclude that there is no solution to be found, we gain nothing by worrying. Instead, the sooner we acept that the problem cannot be rectified, the easier it will be to carry on with out lives. Either way, there is no point in excessive worrying! Not only does it do us no good, but it can severely harm us by making us weaker, or worse, it can lead to depression.”
Truer words were never spoken! Now, to assimilate that into my life. There’s the rub!
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