Required Reading: Letter 28: On Travel As A Cure For Discontent
“You must lay aside the burdens of the mind; until you do, this no place will satisfy you.”
I remember a saying from pastor Randy Morrison; heard it from him first at least; but it turns out to be a fascinating book by Jon Kabat-Zinn of the same phrase “Wherever You Go, There You Are”. It matters not if one moves from a slum to a mansion; I’ll tweak the phrase, ‘Wherever They Are, There They Are’. For it is not the body that is enjoying such new surroundings; rather, it is the mind; the soul which must interpret such pleasures and for many it’s unpleasurable; for the faults of the past haunts them!
We must make it our solemn duty to cure the mind so that the whole being is in perpetual joy! There is no contentment in moving from place to place thinking that where one finds himself is hard to survive. Rather, one may find as Seneca states “…although that which you seek—to live well—is found everywhere.” Nonetheless, he cautions as we know, there are times and places that are injurious to many and one is not forced to live in such places or during such times—war causes even a peaceful soul to become restless; hence, it is of utmost benefit to leave such a place in time of trouble!
Also, to be forced to live in a noisy environment; a neighboorhood that is so full of incivility is another time one must contemplate moving; he describes having to deal with the forum which would be in matters which relates to our nowadays Congress—there seems to be an air of not getting along; stay away from such environments as he states “The wise man will endure all that but will not choose it.” Become free from the worry of your own faults as well as those of others.
There is beauty and peace everywhere once we become free of mind. There is no need to flee from one condition to another; from one place to another; the culprit lies inside—let him out! And live in peace where you find yourself. There is a reason why you are where you are. Discover after deep introspection, that it is YOU who got you this far and it is YOU who hold the key to travel inwards as a cure for discontent! Farewell.
Word of the day:
Novelty (noun): newness; new or unusual thing or occurence. (The Oxford American Desk Dictionary and Thesaurus 2nd Edition).
Quotations:
“You need a change of soul rather than a change of climate.”
“… Though you may cross vast spaces of sea,…your faults will follow you whithersoever you travel.”
“Why do you wonder that globe-travel does not help you, seeing that you always take yourself with you? The reason which set you wandering is ever at your heels.”
“Anything you do tells against you and you hurt yourself by your very unrest; for you are shaking up a sick man.”
“The person you are matters more than the place to wish you go; for that reason we should not make the mind a bondsman to anyone place. Live in this belief: “I’m not born for any one corner of the universe; this whole world is my country.”
“…there are some places which are also unwholesome for a healthy mind which is not yet quite sound.”
“… But what does it matter how many masters a man has? “Slavery” has no plural; and he who has scorned it is free.”
“The knowledge of sin is the beginning of salvation.” -Epicurus.
“For he who does not know that he has sin does not desire correction; you must discover yourself in the wrong before you can reform yourself.”
“Therefore, as far as possible, prove yourself guilty, hunt up charges against yourself; play the part, first of accuser, then of judge, last of intercessor. At times be harsh with yourself.”
Questions:
1) Do you have the urge to always travel so as to “change the scene”? Do you know why you feel this way?
2) Are you living in a congenial environment? If not, could you move to a better one advantageously?
3) Do you think it is the people you know as friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. the reason for your discontentment?
Activities:
1) Plan a trip to change the scene for vacation rather than to flee your present condition.
2) Write down what you dislike about your present condition.
3) Write alongside a possible remedy to these conditions without the cure being moving; unless your neighborhood is a dangerous place to live or your job and or career is very uncongenial.
