Random Thoughts On Meditation, Spirituality, and the Instant Noodle Culture...
First of all, this is a semi-serious collection of thoughts about life and living, the quest for spiritual liberation, and how our ordinary life seems to be in conflict with the search for ultimate truth. I'm not here to find fault with any philosophy or religious belief, just trying to understand and let out some of my own confusion. So, that's that, and here goes...
I consumed a few instant noodles during my time at the university. Back then, I and my board mates will just heat up some water to add to the Nissin Cup Noodles in the morning, quick breakfast, and off to class, we go.
Otherwise, we will just eat at one of the many "carinderias" (eateries) in and around the university belt in Manila in between classes.
This went on for a few years and extended to the time when we entered the workforce. As you can imagine, being trained to eat like this had its drawbacks. And together with some other nasty habits and vices I've picked up along the way, my health became problematic. Instant gratification via vices and bad habits equals bad health.
The instant noodle solution became the "go-to" solution for any problem that I face in life. Let's dissect this a little further. I would just as easily "talk" to my math professor over a few bottles of beer and cigarettes. Instant grade. lol
For financial considerations when looking at a job opening, one of the first things that I look up is how much will the job pay me and does my profile, experience, and expertise match with that. If it does, then go for it. If not, I ask, "Is there a way for me to 'meet' the qualifications required of the job?" I did land jobs that are way over my knowledge, experience, and educational background. I did well in some but not for the others. There's a reason why human resources make a checklist of requirements for a particular job and why not, that's their job. I applied for a call center agent when I was still a student which required fast typing skills. What I did was to go to the computer shop every day before or after school and practice on the typing tutor app. I became one of the fastest touch-typists in the company. I started earning from part-time jobs during my freshman year, even before graduating. Instant financial gratification. This affected my grades and had to drop a few subjects because of this and some of my other vices but hey, that's the other end of the stick that I picked up together with the part-time salary.
Reflecting on it, once my friends and I entered the rat race, we grew farther apart, but still had time to enjoy a few beers at Mayrics or 70's Bistro. We discussed politics and philosophy and the latest news. We didn't really touch on the subject of spirituality that much being with academicians and intellectuals who wrote award-winning essays and poems, and musicians who dabbled in social activism.
Work and personal circumstances gave us an excuse to grow farther apart from each other and grow into our own paths to personal growth.
I became interested in meditation and yoga during this time. I found groups to study with, or most of the time it happened the other way around, the groups found me.
I wanted to explore and experience what it felt like to be at peace with myself, to be happy, to smile at the world when I see a beautiful sunflower, or just be content with myself and what I have.
In a way, the cup noodle mentality that I had paved the way for me to seek out a healthier lifestyle. And, my bias for instant gratification led me to seek and to search for the corny stuff - the reason for man's existence. Why am I here? There's only so much beer that we can drink and rock concerts to attend. But most of all, doing all of these things won't fill that gap, that void in life. Speaking of the void, there's also that seeking for the "void" of pure bliss and consciousness, an empty mind, and no agenda. So, the cure to that void of emptiness or sadness in life, I needed to search for the spiritual void of emptiness or nothingness, if you will.
To sum up what I'm talking about, instant noodle is man's way or the ordinary, the meaningless life of suffering and confusion. Meditation is the process of awakening. It is the way to wake up to a different, higher form of reality. Samadhi is the goal. It is the be-all and end-all of life.
To live is to find the ultimate truth, and we use our "ordinary" life, our personal victories, and defeats to point us in the right direction.
That's if folks. Thanks for reading my ramblings. I haven't posted anything about meditation and spirituality for a while and freewriting helps me in the process of "upgrading" myself. Hopefully, it will resonate with others who are experiencing these things and have gone through the same things in their life. and in the process learn from my mistakes.
Have a bright and lovely day everyone. Mabuhay!
*The images were created using canva.com. The texts used are mine.