Letters to a New Generation
Vanity Through Scripture
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
Even if you hate yourself, it is done in vanity. For who can dislike their appearance if they have no attachment to it? And even if you say you don't care what people think, it is done in vanity. For who can say they do not care what others think without wanting others to think that they do not care?
"One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises. The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again."
Nothing stops. It does not stop for you or the person to come after you. It is constantly moving onward, yet never thinking about the places it has yet to reach or the places it has already traveled, for this is vanity.
"All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."
People are never satisfied. They are always moving towards something they cannot see, something they cannot hear. They will never find it, because it is already known. Their minds consume them, traveling and suffering from unreality. Everything has a weariness and a danger; everything is poison. Why then do the animals have no fear of the unknown? It is because everything they know is known. They have no thought or idea of the unknown, no belief of the formless or desire of vanity. Everything is known, and what else is there? Nothing. Only a chasing after the unreality.
"I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind."
This vanity is a heavy burden. Many people carry it with them for years upon years, others for all of their lives. It is filled with an unsatisfied yearning for unreality. It is a chasing after the wind; you'll never catch it. You will never catch what you yearn for, or become satisfied with this burden of vanity. If you are not satisfied with what you have or with what you know, you cannot be satisfied with any unreality. There is no unknown. Everything you know is known. If you are not satisfied with the known, you cannot be satisfied with the unknown, because you already know it.
"Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!"
What difference is there between the foolish man and the wise man? None. They are both of the same flesh and blood, the same life and the same death. Essentially, everyones' life is the same. We are all life, and life is us. We are all whole. Never perfect, but always whole. It is only how your mind interprets this life that is different. And what difference is this but one of meaninglessness? We are equal, we are life itself. Vanity is a suffering and a burden. Self-hatred is also vanity. Self-hatred is life-hatred because we are life. And how can we possibly hate life? It is meaningless to do so. What purpose does this festering hatred have, what place does it stay?
"For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”
No one knows, and so it is unknown. It is an unreality. Everything we know right now is all we need to know right now. And everything we know is known. It cannot be unknown; it can only be changed. An idea is nothing more than a chasing after the wind.
"Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?"
Nothing is better than what we know right now. Rejoice within the work, just as you rejoice within the profit. Who can bring you to see the things that will be after your work? Who can bring you to see the things that will end your suffering? Who can see what is after him, if what is after him is unknown. Do not live in unreal things of the future, for they are meaningless.
Live right now, and you will have no vanity.
Even if you hate yourself, it is done in vanity. For who can dislike their appearance if they have no attachment to it? And even if you say you don't care what people think, it is done in vanity. For who can say they do not care what others think without wanting others to think that they do not care?
"One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever. The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises. The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again."
Nothing stops. It does not stop for you or the person to come after you. It is constantly moving onward, yet never thinking about the places it has yet to reach or the places it has already traveled, for this is vanity.
"All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing."
People are never satisfied. They are always moving towards something they cannot see, something they cannot hear. They will never find it, because it is already known. Their minds consume them, traveling and suffering from unreality. Everything has a weariness and a danger; everything is poison. Why then do the animals have no fear of the unknown? It is because everything they know is known. They have no thought or idea of the unknown, no belief of the formless or desire of vanity. Everything is known, and what else is there? Nothing. Only a chasing after the unreality.
"I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind."
This vanity is a heavy burden. Many people carry it with them for years upon years, others for all of their lives. It is filled with an unsatisfied yearning for unreality. It is a chasing after the wind; you'll never catch it. You will never catch what you yearn for, or become satisfied with this burden of vanity. If you are not satisfied with what you have or with what you know, you cannot be satisfied with any unreality. There is no unknown. Everything you know is known. If you are not satisfied with the known, you cannot be satisfied with the unknown, because you already know it.
"Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!"
What difference is there between the foolish man and the wise man? None. They are both of the same flesh and blood, the same life and the same death. Essentially, everyones' life is the same. We are all life, and life is us. We are all whole. Never perfect, but always whole. It is only how your mind interprets this life that is different. And what difference is this but one of meaninglessness? We are equal, we are life itself. Vanity is a suffering and a burden. Self-hatred is also vanity. Self-hatred is life-hatred because we are life. And how can we possibly hate life? It is meaningless to do so. What purpose does this festering hatred have, what place does it stay?
"For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?”
No one knows, and so it is unknown. It is an unreality. Everything we know right now is all we need to know right now. And everything we know is known. It cannot be unknown; it can only be changed. An idea is nothing more than a chasing after the wind.
"Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for who can bring him to see what will be after him?"
Nothing is better than what we know right now. Rejoice within the work, just as you rejoice within the profit. Who can bring you to see the things that will be after your work? Who can bring you to see the things that will end your suffering? Who can see what is after him, if what is after him is unknown. Do not live in unreal things of the future, for they are meaningless.
Live right now, and you will have no vanity.