What Determines Value?

[turiya]

Interestingly, I posted a thread in another forum recently: "What matters?" To you, those around you, plants, animals, Earth. It seems like for a lot of people, after doing the spiritual thing for a long enough time, the question "Okay, but what really matters?" arises. It's a biggie.

I'd say... Love. (The unconditional, boundless, timeless sort.)

Which reminds me of this video:

https://youtu.be/5FV_MMC7frw

(I love that creator of the video chose Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters", performed by D Strings Trio as background music.)

[rachMiel]

Interestingly, I posted a thread in another forum recently: "What matters?" To you, those around you, plants, animals, Earth.

I'd say... Love. (The unconditional, boundless, timeless sort.)

Love, yes, in all its forms: beauty, awe, compassion, kindness, tenderness, affection, wonder, understanding, generosity, honesty ...

[Webwanderer]

And I would add to that most excellent list... appreciation. Appreciation seems as close as one can get to unconditional love in this environment. Appreciation is love without expectation. Uniquely different from gratitude in that it is not so much thankfulness as it is approval. This is life... in which I am well pleased.

Hmm. Another interesting aspect of the word appreciate is that it literally means an increase in value. Is that then a key component of what determines value in life? How much we appreciate the life we live?

WW

[snowheight]

And I would add to that most excellent list... appreciation. Appreciation seems as close as one can get to unconditional love in this environment. Appreciation is love without expectation. Uniquely different from gratitude in that it is not so much thankfulness as it is approval. This is life... in which I am well pleased.

Hmm. Another interesting aspect of the word appreciate is that it literally means an increase in value. Is that then a key component of what determines value in life? How much we appreciate the life we live?

WW

It's possible to fall into a complete and unconditional acceptance of the present, exactly as it is. This might be more difficult for some than others depending on circumstances, and isn't a suggestion to fatalistically surrender to tomorrow being the same as today or yesterday. In fact, it's not something that a person can will to happen, not something that they can set out to do.

But when the mind is quiet, and the senses are attentive, there is an underlying perfection to be found in every moment of life, even the ones that suck.