Best Of
Re: Blessings
...From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes. ~John Roberts
person
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
@Kotishka said:
It's gonna rain!
About ruddy time! We've had the most marvellous 2½ - 3 weeks of unseasonably warm and sunny weather! True to form, people are bemoaning the bright, warm, sunny weather, stating 'we could do with some rain' and if it comes, give it 3 days - and they'll be moaning they want the sun back!
federica
Re: Just for fun: the random, useless announcements thread!
Last night I drunk my first morning coffee at 3 am. I promptly fell back asleep at 4 and slept until 7, which means I wasn’t totally wasted during the day.
Jeroen
Re: Zazen is not meditation?!
...Kotishka's head begins to emit steam
and
...[Dramatic pause]
If indeed meditation is an undramatic pause, with a steam room or room for steam. It ain't Nothing At All. I'll join!
https://www.ted.com/talks/pico_iyer_the_art_of_stillness/transcript
lobster
Re: How very disappointing...
What utterly disappoints me so much, is how prevalent it is in Religious fields. It is no less heinous or inexcusable to find such abuse in military circles, the Police Force, The Health service, where stories of abusive behaviour and sexual predation by those in high ranks, exists and persists. But I mean, you'd think that religious priests, Masters, gurus, or teachers, would hold themselves to a higher moral standard than yer average Senior surgeon or Lieutenant-Colonel.... it's really astounding just how widespread it is! I'm simply flabbergasted...
federica
Re: Funny Stuff
A politician dies and is greeted by an Angel. The Angel says to him that he, the politician, must choose his own final destination.
First, he takes him to Hell. The politician is met with a decadent yet idle reality. Plenty of booze, drugs, pretty girls dancing, his former political allies playing poker yelling "Hey!!! Long time no see! Come and join us!"; amazing hot weather, BBQs, steak, etc.
After spending a few days there, the Angel picks him up and says it is time to visit Heaven. The Angel looks at him and asks: How was that? The politician replies: Oh my! That is Hell? It is amazing!!! The Angel smiles and says: Very well, now you must experience Heaven.
There he is filled with an incredible sense of peace. He is floating in a cloud of well-being, calmness, peace, etc. The Angel visits him once again and removes him from that plain. He speaks to him: How did you feel? The politician, with tears in his eyes replies, "What a peace of mind...what a feeling...oh I cannot describe...so calm...so peaceful."
The Angel then becomes serious and says that he must now choose. The politician grinning says: Obviously Hell! It is what I truly enjoy.
The Angel sends him immediately to Hell where he is welcomed with a different image than what he had experienced: his friends flogged by demons, the heat unbearable, the food poisoned and rotten, the pretty girls were now ugly monsters with sharp teeth. The politician looks up to the Angel in fear.
"What is this? How come? This is not the Hell I experienced!"
The Angel smiles: "Ah! Of course, I forgot to mention that Hell was in the midst of elections while you visited...."
Kotishka
Re: Funny Stuff
A priest and a politician go to Heaven. After the preliminaries are all dealt with, St. Peter takes them both to see where they will be staying. He first takes them to a plain high-rise apartment block, and after a long ride in an elevator, shows the Priest his apartment; a modest, sparsely-furnished, practical functional place, with a small kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom with a single bed, side table, chair and wardrobe. Muted colours, minimal decor.
Having left the Priest to his own devices, St. Peter then takes the politicians to an amazing home, with an all-round porch/verandah, luxury living,opulent decor, and an all-singing all dancing brass band and cheerleader troupe.
The Politician is somewhat stunned at the stark difference between the Priest's accommodation and his, but St Peter explains, "Oh, well, you know, Priests and Holy men are two a dime here, but you're the first politician we've ever had..."
federica
Re: American Zen?
Pahh
Swedish Ikea Zazen is almost indistinguishable from any other nations Zazen.
how