An Eschatological Laundry
List: A Partial Register of the 927 (or was it 928?) Eternal truths
Reportedly first published in Voices Magazine,
fall 1970, 6 no. 2:29.
Reprinted by Sheldon B. Kopp, If You Meet the
Buddha on the Road, Kill Him!, Bantam Books, 1972-1988, p.233-234
[Title of book is justified
as follows: “No meaning that comes from outside ourselves is real. The
Buddahhood of each of us is already obtained.”
onlythefacts.org does not view all items on this list as factual or as words to live by. Readers should rely their own discretion and experience for guidance.]
1. This is it!
2. There are no hidden
meanings.
3. You can't get there from
here and besides there's no place else to go.
4. We are all already dying
and we will be dead for a long time.
5. Nothing lasts.
6. There is no way of
getting all you want.
7. You can't have anything
unless you let go of it.
8. You only get to keep
what you give away.
9. There is no particular
reason why you lost out on some things.
10. The world is not
necessarily just. Being good often does not pay of and there is no compensation
for misfortune.
11. You have a
responsibility to do your best nonetheless.
12. It is a random universe
to which we bring meaning.
13. You don't really
control anything.
14. You can't make anyone
love you.
15. No one is any stronger
or any weaker than anyone else.
16. Everyone is, in his own
way, vulnerable.
17. There are no great men.
18. If you have a hero look
again: you have diminished yourself in some way.
19. Everyone lies, cheats,
pretends (yes, you too, and most certainly I myself).
20. All evil is potential
vitality in need of transformation.
21. All of you is worth
something if you will only own it.
22. Progress is an
illusion.
23. It can be displaced but
never eradicated, as solutions breed new problems.
24. Yet it to necessary to keep on
struggling toward solution.
25. Childhood is a nightmare.
26. But it is so very hard to be an
on-your-own,
take-care-of-yourself-cause-there-is-no-one-else-to-do-it-for-you
grown-up.
27. Each of us is ultimately alone.
28. The most important things, each man
must do for himself.
29. Love is not enough but it sure helps.
30. We have only ourselves, and one
another. That
may not be much, but that's all there is.
31. How strange that so often it all seems
worth it.
32. We must live within the ambiguity of
partial freedom,
partial power, and partial knowledge.
33. All important decisions must be made on
the
basis of insufficient data.
34. Yet we are responsible for everything we
do.
35. No excuses will be accepted.
36. You can run, but you can't hide.
37. It is most important to run out of
scapegoats.
38. We must learn the power of living with
our helplessness.
39. The only victory lies in surrender to oneself.
40. All significant battles are fought
within oneself.
41. You are free to do whatever you
like. You need
only face the consequences.
42. What at do you know . . . for sure . .
. anyway?
43. Learn to forgive yourself, again and
again and again and again . . .