How do Buddhist principles explain this...
yagr
Veteran
I am asking for opinions...explanations. I do have my own ideas which, while I believe in strongly...I'm also not beholden to those ideas. Its more of a pragmatic belief... that's not quite right - well on to the examples.
I live a charmed life. I may be an optimist. Wife spent twenty-four years in prison and comes home to me getting diagnosed with an incurable and progressive disease. Yeah charmed - and I mean that. For instance:
My wife got a job thirty hours a week at minimum wage as a cashier at a gas station. She quit two part time jobs to take it which made sense financially with transportations costs et al. Two weeks in, my wife's parole officer comes in and talks to the manager informing him of my wife's parole status. The next day she doesn't have her cashier job but is stocking shelves seven hours a week. Bad right? Her first and only full paycheck was $604.85. We can't survive on the $171.52 for two weeks pay that she got in her next envelope.
But I KNEW we were going to be okay. There is no stress or worry - not that it'll help anyway, but really it was because I knew we were going to be okay - that the money would be there. Here's what happened: A friend offered us $200. Then a check came in unexpectedly from an Indian settlement for $200 two days later. Then the next day we found another silly check in the mail for $33.33. $171.52 + $200 + $200 + $33.33 comes to $604.85.
It's been nine paydays since then and it keeps happening. Not once did we take in less than $600 for two weeks. This is how my life works - every day. Our car died on December 12th - wife injured and off work for four months and I'm disabled and can't work. Zero money coming in. December 13th I get a call from the next state over from a person trying to reach someone about donating a car. They dialed the wrong number. December 14th I pick up our donated car.
We get evicted because the property owner sells the property. No money, no options - the phone rings thirty minutes later and it's someone wondering if we know anyone who would be willing to feed their cattle in return for a cabin rent free. I do understand the importance of attitude and looking on the bright side - but these examples are devoid of anything but a bright side, and there's hundreds more like this just this year alone.
So what gives?
Comments
Sometimes, when we look for an answer, it's staring us right in the face.
At others - who says there HAS to be an answer?
I discovered some time ago that I am always provided with everything I need in life so long as I don't fret. Good, isn't it?!
There doesn't - which is why I'm not heavily invested in my answer. But there are people who think too much around here besides me...I am simply curious if I've missed an answer that would resonate with me.
It's better than good - it's great! Although that does make me sound rather like a large cat doing a breakfast cereal commercial doesn't it.
In a probable, much-repeated nutshell: Kamma.
Always stay in the present. If it counts, make it count more. Receive and give of yourself doubly in return.
It's always a two-way street, and you obviously had it coming. Now? Use it.
I would say Karma too...but that is the impersonal force. It has to have and actor. And seriously this is what I think.
From here, its about right view.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.117.than.html
In fact according to the same sutta not believing this is wrong view...
So I guess you have somebody watching over you?
I feel for your situation. But I also feel your resolve. Thats great.
/Victor
Sometimes, bad things seem to pile up. Looks like one cheek is not enough, and not even two to take in all the punches.
Sometimes we can do something to change things and sometimes we can't.
But one thing I know, and very well, and it has worked for me even in the worst moments: thinking positively, looking on the bright side as you do @yagr, is the only thing that will ever help you keep your head cool enough to come up with solutions.
If you sit down and cry, if you cross your arms and crumble to fate, you're lost.
And happy "coincidences" happen to the person who keeps a positive framework of mind. Like you brace yourself for letting the magic, little miracles like to this, to enter your life.
I would say that the whole Buddhist doctrine is geared to explain this.
Padmasambhava said: "Confident faith allows blessings to enter you. When you have no doubt, whatever you wish can be achieved."
@yagr, I think I am more worried about your predicament than you are. But I do understand the power of acceptance and how, when one can accept reality without panic and with a calm demeanor, things do tend to work out for the best.
There is a lot I don't understand but I have found that both acceptance and compassion can get me through most anything. Not that I am always able to apply these concepts as well as I would like, but they provide me with strength I never had before.
Not so sure if this is buddhist view point or just from personal experience, I have just read only about five books and piles of magazines. I think there is Karma and there is just cause and effect. I think what happening to you is either one of them or both. Sometimes people get in bad situation because of their of action or inaction. For example: people get sick because they didn't exercise or didn't eat healthy, expose yourself to things that caused illness and etc. Even if you didn't have control over the initial cause of the trouble, your lack of awareness, action or inaction might have caused it. Things like this may not have anything to do with Karma. I don't believe things just happens just out of blue. It is always caused by something.
I think the good in people, and helping your fellow man really pays off when times are rough, karma, whatever you call it is a beautifull mechanism
Bad attracts bad, good attracts good in so many many ways!
No intention of spoiling the party here, but there are two sides to a story of misfortune and narrow escapes out of the blue.
You appreciate the narrow escapes and consider yourself blessed. I think that is admirable. But there was a bad situation to begin with wasn't there?
Just as easily your thread could have taken the shape of a huge complaint.
It’s all about perception; about appreciating one’s life; about being grateful.
That’s the source of some real good karma.
:bowdown: .
Eh Ma Ho (how wonderful).
What you experience is true grace, a mystery, the spirit protects you. Your question can not be answered. It can not at present be explained by science, it is real. You knows it, your wife knows, I know it. Others too know it. No doubt.
All you can express is love and gratitude. Strangely enough that is what is being experienced and resonated with. How wonderful. Time for a song sponsored by Starbucks . . .
http://m.wimp.com/needlove/
:coffee: .
Realistic optimistic is good. For example: my life is all phugged , but there are things I can do about it. If I start doing something about it, I will make progress and things will eventually get better.
Blind optimistic: one doesn't how things will get better, but was told that optimistic is good.
I don't want to beat a dead horse by re-opening this thread but I wanted a couple of days to contemplate this. I truly believe that I see your point here. Yet, ... I really don't know how to finish this sentence - but there is a 'yet'.
Getting by - whether it is by the skin of one's teeth or with room to spare, is still getting by. That said, barely getting by it is more than conceivable to find things to worry about if one is inclined to do so. i.e. What could go wrong? Eviction, car breaking down, etc. I believe that 'car breaking down' would show up in most peoples top three as possible or potential problems. Particularly when the car was a beater to begin with.
But getting a call from a wrong number that was someone looking to donate a car? On the list of likely solutions, this would be in what? Most peoples top ten million possible fixes?
Which is what I've found most fascinating. The problems we've faced - the near disasters, are usually reasonable disasters under the circumstances. The solutions to those potential disasters are completely unreasonable - or at the very least, extremely far-fetched.
Anyway, I appreciate your contribution to this post - along with everyone else's. I've gotten a lot out of the responses and it's given me much to consider. This was just one of those considerations put to paper (or ether).
The car-story is truly amazing.
It provokes supernatural explanations. There must be some real good things you did in previous lives, or a Deva interfered because of some wonderful connection you have with him/her.
I just have problems with such ideas. Please don’t take that as criticism, just see that as my problem.
And also it’s so unpractical to drag in the supernatural.
What would you want a person to do when his car falls apart? Sit by the phone and wait for the call? Pray? Give away whatever he has left in the hope the good karma will rescue him?
No, I would just want him to look for a practical solution.
Or maybe I would want anyone just to trust life. Not because miracles do happen, but because trusting life – under all circumstances - is all we can do.
For whatever reason zenff, I am not able to give an 'insightful' or 'awesome' click - but wanted you to know that I'm grateful for the response. s
I don't think life makes any sense at all!
@yagr , I just attended a meditation retreat and the teacher S.N. Goenka said a quote that reminds me of this. He said that:
"Your life is like a vacuum, put good deeds out in the universe and the universe will make sure the vacuum is never empty"
You must be a good deed vacuum!
Find me the manual that says it has to.
It is we who have to make sense of life. Which is why we have the wonderful options of either continuing to cling, or letting go.