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Essay On Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

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What is the best way for an individual human being to lead an easy life? Is there a way? And if there is, is it worth it? I will use Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to search for an answer. In this story, there are a group of people who are tied up in a cave and sat in front of a wall, unable to look behind them. Behind these people is a raging fire. In between the fire and the group is a barrier. There are puppeteers hiding behind this barrier, holding their puppets above their heads to cast shadows onto the wall that the people are facing. These shadows are all that the prisoners know. They believe that the shadows are reality, that they are the truth. These people think that the shadows are not shadows at all but are the real deal. However, …show more content…

This is a state that many devout Buddhists spend their whole lives reaching. The knowledge that you must possess, in this context, is not statistical or mathematical knowledge. One must have a full understanding of the meaning of life, the things we see and the way we perceive them. In order to reach enlightenment, you must rid yourself of all burdens that have been placed on your shoulders. There are many different ways of doing this, but you must find your own way to put your ego aside, forget your creature comforts and totally embrace the world around you. Although the process to enlightenment is extremely difficult, the end result, if you do reach the ultimate state, is worth the lifetime that you have dedicated. When you have reached enlightenment, you have the knowledge, the right frame of mind to live your life the right way. To make a good decision, you must first have the correct information. This is what enlightenment is. You can make smart, wise decisions with who you support in politics, what you will fight for, and who you will allow in your life. Even if you do not reach the state of enlightenment, the journey would have put you on the right path anyway. Enlightenment will lead to a wiser

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