Dear Anita,

I apologize because you do so much here to try to help people. And, I can not even answer your post correctly.

Tommy

Zen master Hakuin lived in a village and was well respected for his teachings. Then, one day, loud voices are heard from the neighbor’s house. The parents found out their daughter was pregnant. They wanted to know who the father was and kept asking her. She responded by saying the father was master Hakuin. When the daughter had the baby, the parents brought the baby to master Hakuin and said that he must take care of the baby since he was the father. Master Hakuin responded, “Is that so?” The master’s reputation fell. Still, Hakuin took very good care of the baby. After a year, the daughter could no longer hold her tongue. She finally told the truth and said the real father of the baby was the boy in the fish market. The family went to Master Hakuin and apologized and asked for the baby. Master Hakuin said, “Is that so?” and handed the baby over to them.

Dwelling upon the way one wants things to be and it doesn’t turn out that way … it is called suffering. Acting with wisdom and compassion … that is where I see happiness. I wish you happiness.

Anita,

Sorry. May be something I read long time ago?

Personally, still on this journey.

Still practicing, meditating. Still learning.

Tommy

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Tommy.

My apologies to any I may have offended. To me awakening has to be worked upon to bring it to maturity. Hearing the lack of guidance and pitfalls, it does not align with all that I learned about awakening to the truth of ones nature. The experience of the mind fallen away. The sense of being whole like finding one’s head was attached to one’s body all the time one was lost.

Ones last thoughts are usually generate thru the Karma. What one sows is what one reaps. If you plant an orange tree then an orange tree will grow. If you live by the sword then you will die by the sword. Of course this then brings in the questions about free will and predestined determination of actions or predetermined destiny.

No simple thought will determine whether one is re-born a man or bug or animal or amoeba. That is part of Karma. If you want to know how you got here then look at where you were. If you want to know where you are going then look at where you are. The only constant is that all things will change. And there is a cycle to everything. Look at the universe and you can see the truth.

Just wondering what Shakespeare said, … Nothing is good nor evil but thinking makes it so.

Buddha once related a story of a village of the blind. Rumors were that the next village would attack with elephants. Not knowing what an elephant was, they had someone bring them an elephant to discover what is an elephant. Three blind men went to discover what an elephant truly was. One man said it was like a big flap of cloth as he felt the ear of the elephant. And, another said it was like a rope as he felt the tail. The third man said it was like a heavy column as he felt the leg of the elephant. Enlightenment is like discovering an elephant. First glimpse, of the truth is not the whole truth. And enlightenment has many depths. Like shining a flash light into the deepest dark space. It only illuminates that which it shines upon. There is much to discover. Bliss is not the goal. Stepping into the dog poop is part of Karma when one is part of the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Sorry, think I read this somewhere??

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Tommy.

Well, you asked for other’s opinions?? Let us look at the situation. Alone. Head injury. Covid-19. Isolation. Question: Where does the mind go for relief? Looking at options. Death? Drugs?? A past love??? I am glad you found relief in yourself and your memories. You acted upon your emotions and thoughts. If it does not turn out the way you want then can you move forward? If you dwell in the past then will it cloud your mind and trap you in suffering? I hope you find yourself.