A thread on how to live the best life:
Aristotle wondered about life's purpose. Why do people take action? For example: Why do I go to work? To earn money. Why do I want money? To survive. Why do I want to survive? etc... He noticed that one can keep asking "why" ad infinitum.

But ultimately, he concluded the ultimate answer to this infinite regression of asking "why?" is to be happy NOW. And once you know why, you no longer need to ask why! Furthermore, Aristotle didn't mean to be happy in the way we typically understand it in English. He used the

word eudaimonia. This is more accurately (but not perfectly) translated as "flow state." He observed that the flow state is inherently fulfilled and happy, needing nothing to point to for meaning or purpose.

This conclusion is in complete agreement with Buddhist philosophy.

The Gita describes eudaimonia as "selfless action," which is action for the sake of itself, with no attachment to the end result. Surfing, dancing, singing or meditating would be perfect examples of selfless action. No motive for these activities other than the very participation

in the activities themselves is required.

But why did Aristotle produce Alexander the Great? Comparatively, why did the the Buddha's philosophy produce Zen Masters, Yogis and millions of peaceful and blissful lives? Aristotle made further conclusions concerning HOW we can

obtain the flow state. He observed that birds, as flying animals, are happy (in flow) when they fly. Similarly, humans, as political, social, and thinking animals, are happy (in flow) when they are bending the world to conform to their best judgments. But be careful, there's a

nuance here. Just as the purpose of a dance isn’t to get to the end of the dance, the purpose of bending the world isn't to have a bent world, the purpose is to do the bending. This is where Alexander the Great comes into play. Alexander the Great, as a manifestation of

Aristotle's philosophy, attempted to bend the world to his, and Aristotle’s best judgments. Impressively, Aristotle in his genius, didn't have to do the work personally. He used Alexander the Great as a TOOL to carry out his own philosophical conclusions!

Comparatively, the

Buddha observed that we can be completely fulfilled and in a state of flow while we are in the meditative state, or during ordinary daily activities. So an expression of Buddhist philosophy can be a completely unremarkable person, a cave dweller, A Zen Master, or even Ghandi. No

bending of the world is required.

So, who's expression of flow do you prefer? The Buddha or Aristotle? Both agreed on the value of the flow state. But Aristotle suggested we SHOULD engage in politics, whereas the Buddha wasn't interested in what SHOULD be, but rather, he was

interested in what IS. Nevertheless, is it even possible to NOT bend the world to your judgments? And if you could avoid bending the world to your judgments, wouldn't that still be a way of bending the world to your judgments? Truth is a paradox, after all.