“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
This may seem like the most obvious and uninsightful quote yet. However, we can imagine this quote is implying that ending up where we are heading might be a bad thing. Why might that be the case? If we always have a plan and are sure of our destination and are sure of the path to get there, we may be disappointed. We should stop expecting and cease our attachments, especially to expectations. While becoming detached from expectations we must also learn about the impermanence of everything.
Knowing nothing is permanent is different than having an expectation of something disappearing. If we drink from a favorite glass daily, expect the glass to always be there for us to enjoy, then we will be very unhappy when it finally falls off the shelf and shatters. Expecting it to fall and shatter leads to suffering as well as it will cause unnecessary fear and neurosis, and may cause us to buy 10 more glasses!
Instead, knowing the glass will break some day causes us to thoroughly enjoy every moment with the glass. We must really consider this point, sit and be mindful of it, walk and be mindful of it while observing the world around us. We are all glasses, the world, the universe, all made of glass. Our path, our destination of where we are heading, all made of glass.
I really want to tell you how much I appreciated this. I rarely comment on things but this gave me such a clear understanding. Thankyou
Am delighted with this more explicit explanation. I was asked to write a forum post by explanation this quote and this really helps in understanding it and put me on shape to construct my argument. Thank you a lot.