I don't have a refrigerator at my place so leftovers are kind of tricky. In late Autumn and early Spring it's easier because I can sit my leftover dinner outside through the day and have the rest the next night. That works in Winter, too, so long as the food will tolerate freezing. And sometimes during Summer, when I have guests over, I put ice in the cooler and cook a bigger meal and again my leftovers will keep for a bit. But usually, I cook a single meal and consume it all.
I don't have much storage either, so I don't really stock up on food. I keep some canned goods on hand, and dry goods like rice and nuts and pasta. Things that tolerate Summer's heat and Winter's cold. In the colder months I keep eggs and cheese and butter and things like that on hand, but more delicate foods, like produce, have to be bought and eaten right away.
I don't make shopping lists anymore, since I buy one meal at a time. And I just make mental notes when I run low on other consumables like toilet paper and paper towels and...well that's about it for other consumables.
My lifestyle forces me to be very deliberate about buying and storing and consuming things, especially food which has to be dealt with immediately. There's no opening the refrigerator door to see what's inside. Instead, as I begin to get a little hungry, I begin lining up my next meal.
I rarely waste food these days. I like that. I like being more in tune with my consumption and not stocking up on things. I'm not sure why that's appealing to me, but I like it. It's sort of that way with everything at my place. I know what I have, and I don't have much so I can keep track of it all. And I know where everything is. It feels good for some reason.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Our Endless Desires
On my way to work this morning, I listened to a radio broadcast of a religious sermon. It was about greed and desire and money and property and its relationship to spirituality and I was very moved by it. I'm not particularly religious, but I'm fascinated by religion. I love talking with people about their religious beliefs, and observing how their beliefs impact their lives.
I always look for the common threads that run through religions, and there are many I think. There's always a deep connection to the culture in which the religion is rooted. And the telltale signs of cultural shifts that pushed and pulled the doctrine along the way, keeping it relevant. And of course, the promise of answers to our most difficult questions. Solid, authoritative answers that help quiet our minds and bring us comfort, when the religion is good.
My own beliefs are now a patchwork tapestry, woven from these common threads. The wonderful, colorful teachings of Hinduism with its ancient stories, and its practical teachings of Karma, and Yoga. The Christian teachings of love and compassion and forgiveness. The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. The self-discipline of Islam. All good and helpful messages.
And perhaps not surprisingly, these common threads seem to align, like warp in a loom. They all seem to point in the same direction, toward spiritual growth. Toward a higher place that promises to make us better. Better for ourselves, and better for each other.
But it's a difficult direction to follow, so our religions try to guide us and help us along the way. They warn us of the pitfalls, like temptation and desire. They encourage us to be strong. They promise reward, and sometimes threaten punishment. All in the name of making us better.
This morning's sermon focused on greed and desire. Boring, right? We've heard it all before, "Greed is bad!" And so it went with this sermon. But then the speaker took an interesting turn. He started to paint a picture of an afterlife. A realm in which possessions could not enter. A place where we are separated from all those things that once made us happy and comfortable. Where not even our bodies are allowed. Where only our spirits may dwell. And that image struck me. Not because I necessarily believe in such an afterlife, but because of the symbolism that it has for this life.
We spend so much of our time struggling to acquire. Hedging ourselves against an uncertain future by accumulating as much as we can each day. We have too much fear, and not enough faith. Our religions warn us about this, but we're too weak or afraid to follow the advice. And so we continue, endlessly searching for pleasures in the niceties of the world, trying to find solace in the knowledge that we are like so many others. And so it goes, and we grow old.
There's a deeper level of satisfaction that we're missing I think. A greater potential that remains unrealized in each of us. And I can't help but see that it's our endless desires that are at the root of our struggles.
I always look for the common threads that run through religions, and there are many I think. There's always a deep connection to the culture in which the religion is rooted. And the telltale signs of cultural shifts that pushed and pulled the doctrine along the way, keeping it relevant. And of course, the promise of answers to our most difficult questions. Solid, authoritative answers that help quiet our minds and bring us comfort, when the religion is good.
My own beliefs are now a patchwork tapestry, woven from these common threads. The wonderful, colorful teachings of Hinduism with its ancient stories, and its practical teachings of Karma, and Yoga. The Christian teachings of love and compassion and forgiveness. The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. The self-discipline of Islam. All good and helpful messages.
And perhaps not surprisingly, these common threads seem to align, like warp in a loom. They all seem to point in the same direction, toward spiritual growth. Toward a higher place that promises to make us better. Better for ourselves, and better for each other.
But it's a difficult direction to follow, so our religions try to guide us and help us along the way. They warn us of the pitfalls, like temptation and desire. They encourage us to be strong. They promise reward, and sometimes threaten punishment. All in the name of making us better.
This morning's sermon focused on greed and desire. Boring, right? We've heard it all before, "Greed is bad!" And so it went with this sermon. But then the speaker took an interesting turn. He started to paint a picture of an afterlife. A realm in which possessions could not enter. A place where we are separated from all those things that once made us happy and comfortable. Where not even our bodies are allowed. Where only our spirits may dwell. And that image struck me. Not because I necessarily believe in such an afterlife, but because of the symbolism that it has for this life.
We spend so much of our time struggling to acquire. Hedging ourselves against an uncertain future by accumulating as much as we can each day. We have too much fear, and not enough faith. Our religions warn us about this, but we're too weak or afraid to follow the advice. And so we continue, endlessly searching for pleasures in the niceties of the world, trying to find solace in the knowledge that we are like so many others. And so it goes, and we grow old.
There's a deeper level of satisfaction that we're missing I think. A greater potential that remains unrealized in each of us. And I can't help but see that it's our endless desires that are at the root of our struggles.
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