Philosophy in India

I guess you could call this a follow up to my first Shantaram entry. This book has really gotten me thinking about my own life and what philosophy I live by.I was a philosophy minor at Gonzaga...not that means much because I was never really good at remembering whose philosophy was whose. They were mostly all pessimistic and as the eternal optimist, I couldn't relate to most of the people we studied. Life is supposed to be happy! Isn't that what we're all hear to find? The sand-between-your-toes kind of happiness? At least that's my version of it. Just the sound of the waves and the sand between my toes....maybe a Carona or two as well....

Here are some more phrases from Shantaram I've dog-eared:

"Sometimes we love with nothing more than hope. Sometimes we cry with everything except tears. In the end that's all we have - to hold on tight until the dawn." ---I think we've all seen people cry with everything except tears: A hunched over walk, shuffled feet, and that glazed over look of defeat. Like your eyes can see everything and nothing all at once. I think it's interesting that he ended that with "until the dawn" because that look in a person is all about light. There is a light in one's eyes that can darken...but most of the time, night fades and the dawn returns. That's how you know a person is healing.

There are only three big questions, the book says: Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going? -- I'm refraining from answering all of these with sarcasm - my go-top response when I don't have an intelligent answer . (Maybe another one should be, what is happiness?)

'"What characterises the human race more, Karla once asked me, cruelty or the capacity to feel shame for it?" I know now that it is neither of these, but rather, it is forgiveness.' --I have to agree that I think forgiveness seems uniquely human. The ability to forgive, or rather the choice to forgive, seems to differ between all of us. I know I forgive others too easily sometimes. I know I make mistakes all the time and when I do make those mistakes, I want the people around me to forgive me...so I forgive them. It's a karma thing I guess....which isn't very alturistic of me. Most recently, Chanel...my very good friend from undergrad. I'm missing her wedding, and I was supposed to be a bridesmaid, to be here in India. I hope someday she'll fully forgive me for that. I love her dearly and know that her wedding will be EPIC!

Sorry if these sort of entries are boring! But if you don't like it...don't read it! :) If you want to add something or a topic, just leave a comment