The Handle of Life

I have just met a friend, someone I have been knowing for 18 years. He happens to drop by to my city so we catch up. 

We were at the top of one of the stars hotel at Marina Bay and enjoying our chit chat. 

Time ticked and night crawled and we were about to part, when he shared of his life philosophy. 

We, the matter/body we have, is just a form of energy thus energy can be transformed and not destroyed when we die, he said. We are just a small dust in the universe. Through  meditation we can attain peace and free from attachment, he continued. 

I presented him with a realistic case. Say, you are out of job and no money. Your son is sick and you cannot send him to hospital, what would you feel? Hence don't you have to worry on daily affairs of money and have good secured job?  As I predicted,  his calm answer is that our son is not really our son. 

Yes, because in the energy concept in the universe all are just flying dust and we have no attachment.

I explained to him the concept of Christianity in 'his language'; that if we are the energy aka spirit, we are longing to be united with the Source of Spirit the God. And only God can reach us and not we try otherwise. 

That's the problem with Christianity, he said. It's just about get saved, reborn and nothing changed in your life. You do not have the tools to attain peace and mind control, he said, unlike meditation. 

I feel like deja vu. Actually we had something like this conversation 18 years ago. I remember he shared to me that from the TVRI's mimbar agama, the pastors looked like restless but the others are calm and composed. 

The fact now is that he looks much calmer than I am and more peaceful. As he said, if you know you are just energy in the universe you will be from worry. He still believes the existence of God who would also predestined all, though. 

As for me I have spent the first hours sharing my work stress and the worry of city life and money. 

I feel like deja vu. 

I tried to explain that rightfully if one believe in Christ, his mind will be changed and he will attain peace too. But I could not go further as I have no peace to display. 

I conclude that to handle life there are 3 or 4 ways. 

One is if you think the futility of life and the vanity in it and you will feel life is light and just laughter. There is no real pain but illusion and we are just form of energy. Your son is not really yours, he is just energy related to you. Not attached. 

Second, if we think there is something to chase, to achieve and to overcome in life and lucky enough, your last name is Riady, for example, so you can make things happen. 

Third, we think like the second one but our resources are very limited and our strength is weak - we will end up neither here nor there. Life is a constant worry and dissapointment. 

Fourth, we think there is something in life, and meaning and purpose and it's real. And we believe wholeheartedly in perfect faith that the God will take care of us like He does to the sparrows and the lilies - in that perfect faith you will surely be freed of worry. This is also on the basis that such God exists and He will not make the smallest mistake else the faith will be abused. 

So either go extreme left or right. Woe to you if you are in the middle.