I dont know exactly what I want to say or where Im going with this, if anywhere. I just had to say somethings and this is a good outlet for me.

Over the past few years of my life Ive seen things about life and the end of life that has opened my eyes to what it is I do, and what I seek in my life and in my training.

A few years ago, someone close to me dropped dead as they walked towards the refrigerator. Someone else who was close to me chose to take the life of another man over addiction. And just a few days ago I saw a man die, after struggling for eight months after a very serious car accident. When he came out of his coma he was fine, then over the next four months he lost his leg and liver. Two days before he died, I saw him ingest enough morphine to drop a bull elephant.

A man never knows how or when he will go, only that one day, he surely will pass from this earth. While we may not agree on what we believe happens after death, almost all of us believe that we have tomorrow coming. We base our life on the thought of tomorrow, and often fail to enjoy or examine the things in front of our faces in the here and now.

For example, take a look at the conversations you may have here. Its easy to dismiss the thoughts or opinions of a simple screename. Sometimes, this happens regardless of some profound thesis on The Martial Way. When things are so short, and can end so abruptly as life can, it seems that one might take a moment to look around thereselves and really see what there life is truly about.

Life is much too important to be taken seriously.

No matter beliefs, people as individuals want to live a good life. (I'm speaking in generalities here) I think we have to find the happy medium between planning for the future, and understanding that the future may not be planning for us.

Let's remember that leading a good life doesn't just lie in what we do to make a good life for ourselves, but also in touching other lives in a beneficial way.



Great post, Chen. However, I think this falls under the 'Philosophy' category. Thusly moved.

(Oldman, your thoughts?)

I'm of the opinion that it's all about death. Of one kind or another. I consider my practice to be part of a meditation on death. A consideration of impermanence (sp?)...and flow.

Life...Death...two sides of the same sword...inseperable. Seeing them as the same thing, at the same time...releases one from fear of dying.

Quote:

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I'm of the opinion that it's all about death. Of one kind or another.

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Especially that one kind, that most of us spend our lives pursuing... "La Petite Mort"

One way to experience the dissolution of ego. For beginners.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's unfortunate that that is what so many people focus their efforts upon, especially when done so with selfish intentions.

As I've said before, life is far too important to be taken seriously.

HAPPY THE MAN

Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.
Be fair or foul or rain or shine
The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.
Not Heaven itself upon the past has power,
But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

John Dryden

Wow that excellent. I really like that!

I was a little bit moved after reading this thread this morning.. so much so that I copied it and sent to to Doc@russbo.com ..

the email I sent that accompanied the link is below

" You know... I think people may like to pretend that they don't remember that the reason I say the things I do is becaause I've seen so many ways people have lived and 've died and have a more eclectic awareness of how differnt fates are put together and how they look throughout various points of becoming ..

After reading this thread, for some reason it brought back memories of sitting with my cousin I used to hang out with growing up aand running amok through our teens and early twenties through all manners of lifestyle and social and financial positions and interactions ..sitting alone next to him dying as his brains were seeping out of his head until he opened his eyes, shed 1 single tear, squeezed my hand and died.. he was only a yr older than me..

I know that between us our world travels and studies have privvied uus to alot of this kind of awareness that alot of other people don't know and may never..
I also know that as a Doctor, policeman and kazillionaire who grew up in New York as the poor love starved son of a poor single mother, you are aware of some of how these things go down yourself..

to view those things as a mother though ... as a female when it's mostly men who see life that closely and graphically along the developing spectrums ...and as a woman who gre up poor mysellf to become a poor single mother ( in lieu of other viable fates to pursue) and female knowing how and the results of how wee women act and react to those situational points and the various consequences and impacts that contributes to those various fates is not something that you men can claim... share the other awareness side as you might ..

I think just to acknowkledge those in their entirity and intricasies and say out loud that 'there might be a bettter way we can come up with', is imo a really great start to finding another alternative and offering it to others.

we knOw it's hell to watch people die and suffer as they as they do..that's why we choose benevolent career paths and so on,.. and as easy as it miiight be to down play that it iis real people's real lives and deaths that we're dealing with.. doesn't make it any less so..

Ii'm saying there mUst be another way to go about it that's alll good and doesn't have to end Up in one of those horrors ,and if you can't concede that.. then youU yourself friend are sending them to exaactly one of those. . conciously or otherwise.

I hope you hear what I'm saying by that and can understand why it is that, even if it is an ongoing experiement, I'm so adamant and don't give up.

God Bless You.

Amitabah.

******** **** ( aka Blooming Lotus)."

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