Let fame, that all hunt after in their lives,
Live register’d upon our brazen tombs,
And then grace us in the disgrace of death;
King
Love’s Labour’s Lost Act I, Scene i, Line 1
And he continues,
When, spite of cormorant devouring Time,
The endeavor of this present breath may buy
That honour which shall bate his scythe’s keen edge
And make us heirs of all eternity.
Therefore, brave conquerors,-- for so you are,
That war against your own affections
And the huge army of the world’s desires,--
Our late edict shall strongly stand in force:
And it goes on. That’s right, this is the opening of the play. And the edict that the king refers to is the agreement between he and three of his friends that they will live for three years without the companionship of any women, whilst fasting and sleeping only three hours a night.
Now this brings up something truly interesting. Last night I was reading an article about Buddhism. The author was talking about how humans seek satisfaction through eating and other worldly pleasures, but that these pleasures are, at best, fleeting, leading to dissatisfaction. And this is what Buddhism understands and mindfulness meditation can help cure. To perpetually pursue satisfaction is suffering. To become aware of this process and gain distance from it through mindfulness provides relief.
So, is the king in Love’s Labor’s Lost is a Bhuddist? You tell me.
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