Shit. Lots of shit happened. But hey, it's life. See, the last few months have been very hectic, more so than usual. My wife was diagnosed with not one but two types of cancer. She moved with the kids to another city for treatment, and I will join them next month. Now, the weird part is I haven't gotten upset or bitter. Nothing. I just shrugged my shoulders and said "meh. Shit happens. People get cancer every day, so why not us." I dunno why, but that was my reaction. So I wonder about what some people say as a criticism of Zen and Buddhism, that it makes people detached robots. Now I know that is an "extreme", but I can see where it comes from. Of course I am worried, but I am also accepting the facts. Getting all hot and bothered aint gonna cure her, so why go through it. In a podcast I once heard a tale where this woman who lost her son went to the Buddha and asked him to bring back her son to life. Buddha says "OK. I will bring your son back to life if you can bring me some mustard seeds from a household that has never experienced the pain of death." The woman goes out and soon enough finds out that there is no household that has never experienced the pain of death. Now, I could give a shit either way if the story is true, the message is what is important. So, when the inevitable happens, I just need to accept it as a part of life, and try and explain it to the kids as best I can. Thats all I got time for, but I hope to post again soon.
hey, i like your practical approach here... for me all I do is lead with my emotions and find it hard to move from that space. I hope your wife is okay - and that it isnt too weird being away from her and the kids?
Also, I got your post about NaNoWriMo! It's awesome you are doing that too... and I love the sound of your project. If you are on twitter we can chat about it... or we can swap emails. bookbirdlives@gmail.com
I will probably incoorporate this into my first post, but here goes. I'm just a dude that got into Buddhism. I'm not an expert by any means. Some readers will certainly know more than me. I'm a jerk and a wiseass at times. I'm just me. No more, no less.
Heat Wave
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There is a heat wave in the South East and South-East Asia region.
Temperature ranges from 37C to as high as 48C. Areas where it is extremely
hot, people ...
Embodying Nondual Awakening with Judith Blackstone
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In this episode Ryan Oelke chats with Judith Blackstone, contemporary
spiritual teacher, psychotherapist, and founder of The Realization Process,
and aut...
An update
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A few years ago, my Zen teacher went back to Japan mostly because he was
asked to be the teacher of another temple in Honshu, in addition to the
one he...
Democracy and Associations
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*The Atlantic* has an article in this next month’s issue, “Americans Aren’t
Practicing Democracy Anymore,” that hits on some points on the degeneration
o...
Losing Everything
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The hurricane has me pondering. This one, Irma, is just now hitting the
tip of Florida. You can follow it on Twitter if you have a high tolerance
for exc...
My New Book: 'Caring For a Loved One With Dementia'
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I am delighted to announce the release of my new book, 'Caring for a Loved
One with Dementia: A Mindfulness-Based Guide for Reducing Stress and Making
the ...
"Happiness" on Independent Lens.
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Independent Lens is an excellent PBS program that has often covered
Buddhist topics. I had the opportunity to watch an advanced-screening copy
of the docum...
1 The Whole World Is Medicine
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*The whole world is medicine*
(This post was originally done in 2010 as a quick offering for a group koan
salon. I rewrote it in Spring 2014)
Chinese El...
These koans…
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Koans are flexible. They are metaphors we can take in our hands. They form
in between the spaces where we apply pressure – a fist of emptiness. Koans
expan...
More blogs to enjoy!!!
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Thank you for visiting Treeleaf Zen. This blog is no longer being updated.
Please enjoy the archives. Here are some other blogs you may also enjoy:
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Monkey Mind Has Moved to Patheos
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Thank you for visiting. After being hosted happily for some years here at
Blogger I've accepted an offer to join the team at Patheos.
You can link to my Mo...
---- ANNOUNCEMENT ----
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Dear Readers,
Mater Nishijima has not been in good health for some months.
So, updates of this blog and answers to your comments have been suspended
for n...
How Does a Microwave Work?
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When I put a cup of water for my tea in the microwave, I press a few
buttons to set the time, hit start and before I know it… hot water. I
cannot think of ...
hey, i like your practical approach here... for me all I do is lead with my emotions and find it hard to move from that space.
ReplyDeleteI hope your wife is okay - and that it isnt too weird being away from her and the kids?
Also, I got your post about NaNoWriMo! It's awesome you are doing that too... and I love the sound of your project. If you are on twitter we can chat about it... or we can swap emails. bookbirdlives@gmail.com
or on twitter I am spacecadet31
catch you soon!
Thanks for the visit! I like that word counter you added to your blog!
ReplyDelete