"Know that the body is a fragile jar, and make a castle of your mind" -BuddhaSome people may think that their most important features are the ones seen by their peers. Specifically in today's society filled with visually aesthetic appeal and a truthfully distorted ideal of the human body, it goes to show what is really valued most. But given little consideration and less than sufficient admiration is the human mind. If we can afford to spend so much time and effort on enhancing our image, why shouldn't we treat our minds the same way. In this quote, Buddha refers to the body as merely a fragile jar. The idea that our body is nothing more than a vehicle for the human mind. It can be broken, manipulated and modified but is still very fragile. To put so much effort in such a delicate yet empty jar is simply illogical. The mind, however, is what we should really be worshipping and fortifying. To make a castle of the mind is important because we would be nothing without it. It is the foundation for anything we create, and the anchor to our entire being.Without the mind we are not unique, nor are we capable of any intellectual significance. Without it, we are simply a jar.
Sure, you can sculpt the body to be socially desirable, modify it to stand out with piercings, prosthetics, makeup, or decorate it with the most elaborate tattoo art, but it will serve no good in the end. For all jars return to mother earth sooner or later. You can only do so much with the body before there is nothing left to add. But with the mind, there is no end in sight. An abyss of opportunity and possibility. The mind is what creates possibility, it is what maintains stability, it is what depicts between reality and insanity. If you accept that the body is nothing more than a fragile jar, you can begin to make a castle of your mind. Filling yourself with the joy of knowledge, exploring the depths of your imagination and fantasy, and most of all, keeping a balance of peace within yourself that can only be found within the immense castle that is your mind, carried by nothing more than a decorative, fragile jar.
So true
ReplyDeleteI didnt really understand this quote in the beginning but you made me get it. It is very true we should spent as much time enhancing our mind as we do with our outer image. Imagine what we can do if we learned to use all of our brain, the things we can do? Great post cant wait for the next.
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing post and a pleasure to read. If people (especially women) spent half as much time on reading as they did on their makeup, there would probably be more women CEOs and less porn stars in the world. It's really sad that people are so shallow in today's society; however, little do they realize, it's the pretty people that generally have hideous personalities.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right, the body is fragile and can easily break. It's much more sensible to work on the mind rather than the body in that respect. However, the body one is born with is priceless, and most importantly, yours. I believe that if people wish to improve their bodies through means of body art and physical exercise, but, their are sensible limits that people should realize. Great post, it's very insightful and I look forward to the next one.
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