Philosophy: the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

As I sit on a small wooden chair in a room filled with heavy, thick Cambodian air, I look across from me to see a humble man dressed in an orange robe. His eyes smiling at me with the depth of compassion and the lightness of youth. I look back at him with eyes full of wonder and respect. He starts the conversation by saying- “you can ask me anything” “don’t worry about offending me, I am here for you”.

There are 2 beautiful woman beside me from Holland, who have also decided to take part in this discussion and one of them starts by saying “can you tell us a little about yourself?”

He smiles and says that as a boy he was in school and was failing at it. In grade 9 he quit school and as all his friends moved away, he decided to become a monk. That was over 10 years ago now. Since then he has learned to follow the 200+ rules that are part of his service, yet claims his life is a simple one. He says he is blessed with a bed, lots of spare time and daily blessings of food from the community. He says he has compassion for everyone who is not a monk because we have a harder life. We have to learn how to make money and survive and thrive in a world that is full of suffering, cravings and attachment.

I asked him why we get sick and what I took from it, is that it is our ‘Karma’ and that just like nature, we have our season of death. That this world is full of suffering and that we can not attach to it but rather walk the path of it, knowing that it is our destiny. That the only thing we can do is focus on ‘no harm to other living beings’ and to be mindful of all your actions. He also said that we must gain knowledge but that it was important to not have that knowledge stay in the mind, but to make sure that we integrate it in our hearts, so we can understand whether it is our truth or not.

I asked him if he was happy and if he thinks he will be happy in his future. He looked at me and said ‘no’. This is a place of suffering and it is okay. I think what he meant is that he is not attached to or trying to be happier each day. He is just staying present and taking in each moment for what it is. He is trying to live a moral life and most likely hoping it will help his karma for future reincarnations. He did however say he thinks he is happier than we are. That as a monk he feels blessed to live a life without burdens or worry. All I’m thinking is, hmm, no problem- all he has to do is be moral and follow a few hundred rules each day to help suppress his cravings. He has taken the road less travelled and believes it as ‘his truth’. I’m guessing he doesn’t have a bucket list stashed under his bed! It makes me wonder- is it wrong to crave a better life? To want more?

As I feel his words penetrate my mind and my heart I understand more about this philosophy and way of life. The recognition that we are all equal, that we should find our way of embracing suffering and that each decision we make will impact our future, as we live out our past decisions.

So how will you impact your future? Are you following your truth?