Wielding The Sword Of Detachment: Five Steps To Achieving Great Personal Freedom

Let's face it. We live in a culture of shameless opportunism; the kind of world where profit, convenience, and self-promotion are relentlessly pursued and glorified. The urge to succeed; to attain money, status and power, has numbed our minds and blunted our sensibilities. Friends and family find themselves pitted against colleagues and clients for bits of our precious schedule. Families are torn apart by cell phones, laptops, conference calls, and business trips. Televisions become babysitters, gifts replace affection, and success excuses shortcomings, while failure negates virtues. Such symptoms of social decay manifest themselves when the value of a human being is measured in terms of whether he is useful or detrimental to our own agenda.
In taking this approach, we have effectively dismantled the essential framework of cooperation and understanding that is humanity’s only hope of survival. Sadly, even the material prosperity that results from this approach has its roots in great human suffering, and in an indifference that is overwhelmingly apparent. This indifference and the problems that result from it would require an almost Herculean counter-effort on the part of those who seek to restore to humanity, the dignity of its individuals and, through it, a semblance of meaning to the term ‘humane’. This need to attain and preserve such an existence necessitates a new breed of man; a man who would be of heroic stature; one who truly understands the value of balance, equanimity, austerity and devotion. This type of social reformer would be willing to charge fearlessly through the wilderness of human complacency and would have to be extraordinary in many ways to be up to the challenge of what amounts to a global revolution. In addition, our hero would need to demonstrate one particular form of heroism that is not only greatly neglected, it is most often not considered heroic at all, but rather is seen as something useless and contemptible. The social doctrine of heroic charity.
The consensus is that the things that apply in the workings of charity; such as self-sacrifice, loving the unlovable, aiding the needy, and fighting for those who cannot fend for themselves is unprofitable, and unappreciated. However, this is the view of a culture that is rapidly destroying itself and, therefore, a view that is well worth questioning.
The Taraman wielder walks this path of heroic charity; which is best described as the active and unwavering mercy toward those who seek no harm, coupled with a relentless resistance to those whose hearts are filled with malice and who are quick to leap into mischief. His joy is found in doing the greatest good, while his peace he obtains by doing no harm.
We are all offered but a brief moment of time on this earth to render our lives meaningful. This meaning is being sought out in countless ways; as many ways as there are people to pursue them.
Some people chase meaning in material and sensual pleasures. Some in the raising and guiding of children. Others cling to religion or to nationalism or set out to discover life's meaning for themselves and others.
I find meaning for myself in the search for what it is that makes life well lived. I prefer to examine the process of living, rather than its goal or its value.
To me, our goals don't survive our deaths. Trophies lose their value long before they are ever auctioned off or doled out to an heir.
Value is useless as well. It can mean nothing to someone who has ceased counting forever.
It is the very process of living that gives our life meaning. The calming feel of a deep breath, or the flushed heat of a tender kiss are my mysteries.
What forms the exuberant thought brings us joy?
What brings on the maddening confusion that feeds our rage?
These questions are the building blocks of a life well-lived to me.
The best materials for building a good life are those that are solid as iron when used, and then when unused, turn to dust.