What do you think of the impression this man has left?

Because he was true to what he perceived to be his purpose – that is all each of us can do. Helping others, teaching, activism is my purpose and I could never ever lead his life and would consider my life wasted if I did that but I can not, in any way, say he wasted his.

I believe it is a selfish life, helping no one.

I’m not qualified to judge how another person chooses to spend his/her life. Since I cannot calculate the ripple effects of his actions, I cannot tell how many people he has helped either directly or indirectly. Nor do I believe that it is incumbent upon me to make any judgement. I can only account for the decisions that I make and the actions that I take.
I learned long ago that there are two things that I can control in this world. What I say and what I do.

A truly remarkable feet….I mean feat!

Whether or not a person has wasted their life is totally dependent upon the person in question. How are we to determine his net contribution to society? Even then, who are we to judge him on his net contribution to society? I would say most of us are unable to answer that question in form w/the ridiculous high altruistic ideal that we put upon ourselves.

@faye Apparently not entirely unhelpful, perhaps.

The footprints have become a source of inspiration to younger monks at the temple. “Every day I come here and every day I look at the piece of wood, and it has inspired me to continue to make the footprints myself,” Genden Darji, a 29 year-old monk in the monastery, notes.

He has served as an inspiration to others at the monastary. That’s something.

For what it’s worth…, you’ll find a similar deep in-print of my arse in my chair.
Seriously need to spend less time on Fluther.

I believe that all monks, and religious that sequester themselves are a drain on society. If they used their time to study and propagate some scientific or philosophic idea, maybe they contributed but if they lived in isolation and did nothing but inspire other “no loads” then they are just a masochistic waste of skin.

You’d think that after the first few years, he would notice God wasn’t answering.

Did sandpaper socks have anything to do with it?

I don’t think I’m qualified to judge the value of people’s lives.

I think it’s awesome!

That man has most likely been places the avarage Joe will never go, psychically speaking.

The amount of DISCIPLINE it takes to reach a contemplative state and remain there, is HUGE!

I’d be careful to not put this guru down, maybe one out of 100,000’s could ever attain that measure of discipline to lead such an acetic existence.

“I’d be careful to not put this guru down, maybe one out of 100,000’s could ever attain that measure of discipline to lead such an acetic existence.” seriously @Coloma ? What’s the point. If he teachs no one, if he learns nothing, and has nothing to pass on. It doesn’t matter if he learned the secrets of the universe if the knowledge does nothing to help others. If he did learn anything and takes it with him, it is the same as if he did nothing but eat and excrete. His whole contribution to the world is add to its supply of crap and carbon dioxide. It seems like a total waste of a life.

@Ron_C

Well, as always it’s perception.

A lot of schools of thought and philosophy would say he was contributing by simple being, at peace. India and many other countries revere those that go fully into their beingness.

Sooo, I dunno, peaceful, non-violent, non-consuming, disciplined, I think these are a lot of positives.

Can’t really argue with that.

Anyway, he doesn’t seem to have harmed anyone and that’s more than a lot of people can say.

To each their own, our opinions vary, but does it really matter to the individual in question?

After his death, his footprints ought to be removed from the temple and moved th the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I admire him more than someone who devotes their life to making money or being a celebrity.

Incredible.

The best you can say is that he got out of this world without hurting anyone. However he didn’t help anyone either. I submit that he was either stupid, lazy or extremely fearful of the outside world.