An ostrich or a pessimist?

[donq]

As I know that the ostrich hides from danger by burying its head in the sand (and thinks the danger is gone by not just seeing it.) And it also refers to a person who refuses to face reality or recognize the truth. To be an optimist like an ostrich would make our lives more comfortable? Really?
When I think so hard about what is the problem? what is the problem free? what is the solution? what to do to reach that solution? will that make me become a pessimist?
Anyway, there was a spiritual warning about this in the old Chinese text, Nei-yeh (Inner Cultivation or Inward Training) - 4th Century BCE,(here translated by Harold Roth, I used to read another version):

The vital essence: it is the essence of the vital energy.
When the vital energy is guided, it [the vital essence] is generated,
But when it is generated, there is thought,
When there is thought, there is knowledge,
But when there is knowledge, then you must stop.
Whenever the forms of the mind have excessive knowledge,
You loose your vitality…

By concentrating your vital breath as if numinous,
The myriad things will all be contained within you.
Can you concentrate? Can you unite with them?
Can you not resort to divining by tortoise or milfoil
Yet know bad and good fortune?
Can you stop? Can you cease?
Can you not seek it in others,
Yet attain it within yourself?...

Deep thinking generates knowledge.
Idleness and carelessness generate worry.
Cruelty and arrogance generate resentment.
Worry and grief generate illness.
When illness reaches a distressing degree, you die.
When you think about something and don't let go of it,
Internally you will be distressed, externally you will be weak.
Do not plan things out in advance
Or else your vitality will cede its dwelling.
In eating, it is best not to fill up;
In thinking, it is best not to overdo.
Limit these to the appropriate degree
And you will naturally reach it [vitality].

Hmm…as for the part “In eating, it is best not to fill up” is very hard so me. Still working on it.

[donq]

Whenever the problem arises, the solution always doesn’t come easily. Sometimes, it even seems to be impossible. Maybe what we need that time is thinking outside the box?
I think you heard about the "nine dots" puzzle before? The goal of the puzzle is to link all 9 dots using four straight lines without lifting the pen and without tracing the same line more than once.

        .  .  .
        .  .  .
        .  .  .

Here’s the solution:



Anyway, what I want to point out here is, sometimes, the solution becomes problem because of our tricky minds. And that’s why spirituality is a must to “know” our minds.

[donq]

Trying to solve my own problem is already complicated enough, so not to mention about trying to solve the other’s problems (when I’m not asked for.) I read the following story long time ago and used to think it was pessimistic view. But now, well, I feel a  bit different.

"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to Wei."
"What will you do there?"
"I have heard that the ruler of Wei is very young. He acts in an independent manner, thinks little of how he rules his state, and fails to see his faults. It is nothing to him to lead his people into peril, and his dead are reckoned by swampfuls like so much grass. His people have nowhere to turn. I have heard you say, Master, `Leave the state that is well ordered and go to the state in chaos! At the doctor's gate are many sick men.' I want to use these words as my standard, in hopes that I can restore his state to health."
"Ah," said Confucius, "you will probably go and get yourself executed, that's all. The Way doesn't want things mixed in with it. When it becomes a mixture, it becomes many ways; with many ways, there is a lot of bustle; and where there is a lot of bustle, there is trouble - trouble that has no remedy! The Perfect Man of ancient times made sure that he had it in himself before he tried to give it to others. When you're not even sure what you've got in yourself, how do you have time to bother about what some tyrant is doing?
"Do you know what it is that destroys virtue, and where wisdom comes from? Virtue is destroyed by fame, and wisdom comes out of wrangling. Fame is something to beat people down with, and wisdom is a device for wrangling. Both are evil weapons - not the sort of thing to bring you success. Though your virtue may be great and your good faith unassailable, if you do not understand men's spirits, though your fame may be wide and you do not strive with others, if you do not understand men's minds, but instead appear before a tyrant and force him to listen to sermons on benevolence and righteousness, measures and standards - this is simply using other men's bad points to parade your own excellence. You will be called a plaguer of others. He who plagues others will be plagued in turn. You will probably be plagued by this man.
"And suppose he is the kind who actually delights in worthy men and hates the unworthy-then why does he need you to try to make him any different? You had best keep your advice to yourself! Kings and dukes always lord it over others and fight to win the argument. You will find your eyes growing dazed, your color changing, your mouth working to invent excuses, your attitude becoming more and more humble, until in your mind you end by supporting him. This is to pile fire on fire, to add water to water, and is called `increasing the excessive.' If you give in at the beginning, there is no place to stop. Since your fervent advice is almost certain not to be believed, you are bound to die if you come into the presence of a tyrant…"
-from “The Complete Works Of Chuang Tzu” (Translated by Burton Watson)

P.S. My personal note here – I apologize if any of my post bother you. I just thought of something from my memory and wrote it down and shared it. I really don’t know if you like it or not. You have your right to dislike it. It's ok. But it would so be ugly if I still post it when everyone hates it. So, whenever there are less than 10 clicks on my post (thread) I will stop posting. Deal?