Crisis

from JoeUser Forums
With palms together,
Good Morning All,
 
Nothing is forever.  Oh, how we resist this simple truth!  Beaches erode, we attempt to shore them up; age takes its toll, we attempt to repair or prevent it; our economy goes to the dogs and, yes, we try to buttress it, prevent the loss of our fortunes.  Everything changes: its the nature of the universe.
 
Yet, our safety is threatened.  Our comfort and security is in question, not in some far off desert, but right here on Main Street.
 
What to do.
 
A few months ago I was threatened with a serious reduction in my pension.  I freaked. We were in the process of our credit review and the closing processes on our new house.  My mind was not as elastic as I had hoped.
 
What I did:  I saw my psychiatrist; I took time to sleep, to practice meditation, but I also took the time to engage the VA and the DAV. I was committed to health regardless of outcome.
 
Zazen helps us see clearly that life is a full process of birth and death...to the point that we see there is no real birth or death, just universal process. In this we come to relax a bit.  Life goes on.  We really have all that we need.  Like trauma teaches, we learn to value this moment itself regardless of its particular flavor.
 
Counseling helps us as we begin to sort and organize: we develop priorities, we learn to respond appropriately.
 
Engaging the problem directly, with as little emotional tidal wave behind us as possible, is also wise.  We must assume responsibility for our priorities, our decisions, and the consequences of those decisions.
 
Lastly, we must be willing to teach ourselves to let go of that we cannot change.  We cannot be responsible as individuals for the world and the world's economy.  We can only do what we can do on our own level, then let the rest go. 
 
So difficult.  We are addicted to news, to up to the millisecond computer reports, and a thought that if we are only fast enough and wise enough,  we can save ourselves.  Perhaps.
 
The greater truth is that we are not our wealth or our possessions; we are not our status in the world or the power of our armies. We are just people, little buddhas, who need to awaken.
 
Practice mindful attention, practice zazen, practice life. 
 
religion
1,477 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

The less you have in the first place the less you have to lose. My advice? Dump it all, and live free or die!

 

Morning LW,

 

I'm with you on your sentiments.  I, too, lived most of my life on the poor side, until I reached middle age, went to grad school, and started a practice...even then it was tough as running a business and growing it causes much giving back to the company. 

 

As a Buddhist, I practice to not become attached or overly invested in possessions.  My anxieties of late have been less about me than my family and our country.

 

I have an idea.  Why don't we as a nation pursue this line.  Let's stop making war, pay down our debt, and live within our means.  To do this we have to reduce spending...like on massive weapon systems, armed conflict, and the like, invest in our infrastructure, and increase our national income. 

 

We could teach budgeting, credit management, and financial planning to our children and ourselves.

 

Just a thought.

 

Hope you are feeling better.  Health is a precious thing.  I wish you much of it.

 

Yours in the dharma,

 

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Hello Again,

 

There is little worse than chronic pain to deal with, yet deal with it we must.  Coping strategies, such as dissociation, pain meds, etc., help yo "get us through" really dark times, but to continue through life itself requires us to deal.

Dealing means coming to real terms with life as it is.  In your case it is daily suffering; in my case, it is daily suffering.  OK.  So?  We breath in life, we breath out life.  We embrace each breath, LW. 

We get into spiritual trouble when we let our brain do the talking.  Our brain will produce thoughts that take us away from reality and put us into dreamland.  We start to think about life without pain, life without anxiety, or life without fear.  Yet there can be no such thing as there can be no light without dark.

Respites are only good if they nurture us and help to sustain us over the long haul.  I know you are getting tired.  But you are more than your pain, more than your body.

 

Practice zazen. Learn to let your thoughts and feelings come and go.  Learn to notice they are not you.  you are Infinite, LW. Be the buddha you are.

 

Be well.

 

 

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

LW, the practice is to shift from sattending to a thought to attending to the moment itself.  The best way is to train yourself to focus your attention on your breath for a period of time.  As those pesky thoughts arise, replece them with moment to moment attention to your breath.  Over time, we see thoughts as fleeting, non-substantive, and far less intrusive, whereas the moment itself is fully and eternally present.  May you continue to be a blessing.

 

Be well.