Quote: Kings and queens of the past were mere slaves of their egos, making them among the most miserable of humans. Let's set a different example for the youth of tomorrow.
(Hans VRo)
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Fairy tales have made us believe as children that kings and queens and princes and princesses were living a happy life ever after, after they had conquered some evil forces within their immediate circles. What we believe as children is not always easy to give up, and the longer we believe something the more difficult it may become to change our opinion about it.
I just came back from a trip to Europe and spent some time in the wonderfully beautiful area of the Loire Valley. It has a huge number of castles and each castle has its own story. The more one reads about what is known about the life of royals and the aristocracy in the old ages, the more one gets convinced that aristocrats were really bad people filled with jealousy, intrigue, lust, lies, deception, vice and the like.
None of these (jealousy,...) is compatible with peace of mind and true happiness. So even if they lived in the biggest castles with the most enchanting views on woods and rivers, most likely they were among the most unhappy people, filled with stress, fears and worries.
As we know, the values of humility, truthfulness, honesty, helpfulness, love and kindness are key to true happiness. That is why perhaps every now and then we know about members of the then-aristocrats ran away from it as teenagers or in their early twenties, choosing willingly for a simple life, living the true values. Just remember how Buddha, Saint Francis and many others were born in great wealth but renounced it completely to live lives of simplicity and contemplation.
Today we do not have to go and live in poverty to flee from the complex life of the rich. We can maintain a comfortable life with a decent amount of wealth, and still choose consciously to live the values of honesty, kindness, love, humility, and so on.
Deep inside I believe that a kindness revolution is just around the corner. Let us start it today.
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Note: this blog is not copyrighted. You can freely use the quote or share the essay. If you do so, please include author at the end (Hans VRo)
(Hans VRo)
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Fairy tales have made us believe as children that kings and queens and princes and princesses were living a happy life ever after, after they had conquered some evil forces within their immediate circles. What we believe as children is not always easy to give up, and the longer we believe something the more difficult it may become to change our opinion about it.
I just came back from a trip to Europe and spent some time in the wonderfully beautiful area of the Loire Valley. It has a huge number of castles and each castle has its own story. The more one reads about what is known about the life of royals and the aristocracy in the old ages, the more one gets convinced that aristocrats were really bad people filled with jealousy, intrigue, lust, lies, deception, vice and the like.
None of these (jealousy,...) is compatible with peace of mind and true happiness. So even if they lived in the biggest castles with the most enchanting views on woods and rivers, most likely they were among the most unhappy people, filled with stress, fears and worries.
As we know, the values of humility, truthfulness, honesty, helpfulness, love and kindness are key to true happiness. That is why perhaps every now and then we know about members of the then-aristocrats ran away from it as teenagers or in their early twenties, choosing willingly for a simple life, living the true values. Just remember how Buddha, Saint Francis and many others were born in great wealth but renounced it completely to live lives of simplicity and contemplation.
Today we do not have to go and live in poverty to flee from the complex life of the rich. We can maintain a comfortable life with a decent amount of wealth, and still choose consciously to live the values of honesty, kindness, love, humility, and so on.
Deep inside I believe that a kindness revolution is just around the corner. Let us start it today.
-------------------
Note: this blog is not copyrighted. You can freely use the quote or share the essay. If you do so, please include author at the end (Hans VRo)
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