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This, too, shall pass…


I've been having a difficult personal time recently. Crisis and chaos have been my constant companions. (Them and Alliteration). They do nip out for a pint from time to time - if I am to be perfectly honest.

I randomly found a link to my friend Mikael Aldridge's blog. Mikael is a planner and runs a division of Ogilvy in Auckland. I have known him since we were kids at high school. He is probably also the smartest guy I have ever met. He referred to this story in his blog and it resonated with me:

A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!"
"It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.

A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!"
"It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly.


Exactly.

Something else to think about (aside from the grand finale of Gray's Anatomy that is:

The Buddha was quiet for a moment and then nodded his head. "Dighanakha, that is a very good question. My teaching is not a dogma or a doctrine, but no doubt some people will take it as such. I must state clearly that my teaching is a method to experience reality and not reality itself, just as a finger pointing at the moon is not the moon itself. An intelligent person makes use of the finger to see the moon. A person who only looks at the finger and mistakes it for the moon will never see the real moon. My teaching is a means of practice, not something to hold onto or worship. My teaching is like a raft used to cross the river. Only a fool would carry the raft around after he had already reached the other shore, the shore of liberation."


Namaste

Comments

  1. Anonymous10:31 pm

    I've said it before but it's probably just as valid this time....

    Namaste

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Ben,

    I appreciate your interest. I like that you challenge me too. I find agreement disagreeable.

    I withdrew the post about Megan. It was just too raw - even after all this time. Though I stand by what I said (to all the folk who bother with RSS)

    I have to say that I like the way you express yourself on your blog - I actually struggle to 'get' Saas'.

    Is there an idiots guide somewhere? I'd like to get up to speed. I get that it is Software as Service'. But what is the central proposisition?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I saw your reference to my blog and just thought I'd pop over and say hi.

    Our friendship was the most fun I had at high school, for sure.

    Thanks for the mention, and thanks for the thought spur as you've inspired my next blog topic.

    And of course how could I go without saying this in all sincerity...

    May you awaken and be free.

    -Mikael

    ReplyDelete

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