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.
Snippets of Wisdom
-
There is truth and wisdom in every one of these proverbs, maxims,
axioms... If, at first, you do not understand what is being said, re-read
it until you d...
Leigh Brasington on Ayya Khema
-
In this episode of *Our Beloved Teachers*, dharma teacher Leigh Brasington
reflects on his transformative experiences studying with Ven. Ayya Khema,
one ...
Aggregates at play...
-
A relative recently indirectly criticized my stance on undocumented
migrants and sanctuary cities by writing "there are some people on here who
have the...
Redlining and Kit Houses
-
I was listening to the new 99% Invisible podcast, The House that Came in
the Mail, which is on the kit homes of Sears and Roebuck from 1908 until
the 194...
The Ongoing Opportunity of Aging
-
The sandy beach is the ultimate barefoot experience. Once the sun is high
the sand is exquisitely hot. You dance over it to the water's edge, where
the...
Coming off the grief ride
-
for now when your insides have been shredded you’re extra defensive,
extra distant, extra tender what you allow to touch you, which isn’t a lot,
goes dee...
The Ups and Downs of the Holiday Season
-
Today's article is a guest post from Gregg Krech. Several years ago, I had
the opportunity to take a weekend workshop with Gregg on Naikan, which is a
powe...
Time Is Not the Problem
-
Whenever I say I did not have time to meditate today, that is not true.
Rather, it is that I did not use my time wisely. If I pay careful
attention, and I...
"Happiness" on Independent Lens.
-
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
-
*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…
-
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!!!
-
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:
Zen M...
Monkey Mind Has Moved to Patheos
-
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 ----
-
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...
Dreams
-
A short while back, Amanda Linehan wrote a post for her blog "Look Far"
entitled; "Reflection: Keeping Your Dreams Alive In The Face of Reality".
Basically...
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