Introduction and Cool Story
just_so
Explorer
Hi Everyone.
I’ve been lurking here for a couple weeks and planned to introduce myself but something kind of cool happened this morning that I wanted to share. With apologies for the length...
INTRO
I’ve been reading about Buddhism for about 25 years (time sure flies). I learned about the different “schools” of Buddhism, read a LOT of Zen early on, and ultimately related to Theravada the most. For me, Buddhism has always made sense but I never committed to living the life.
Recently I bought and read Bhikku Bodhi’s “In the Words of the Buddha” and was mesmerized by both the original content and Bhikku Bodhi’s commentary. It was in that book that my awareness of the Abhidamma piqued, so on a short flight from Los Angeles to Phoenix I figured “I’ll check that out.” I was completely blown away. From that moment on I decided to align my life as closely as possible with the Dharma. It's been quite eye-opening but I'm really appreciating the "truth" of things about me.
Now on to the...
COOL STORY
My daughter came back from the bus stop this morning upset about going to school. She had a lot of anxiety, which had gotten worse over the break thanks to conflict with friends (thank you social media for making drama available 24/7).
I was eating breakfast and already on a site that has several great Dharma videos so I thought I’d see if they had anything about anxiety. Sure enough, there was an article titled “Dealing with anxiety.” I started reading and was glad to find the article, although not completely surprised by the advice (after a while it’s like “we already told you all of this…you already know.”)
A very related story...earlier in the week our trash hadn’t been picked up. The can was full and the lid was open probably three inches. We call the city and they explain that they have a new rule not to take cans if the lid is even slightly open. I told my wife “why can’t they just get out of their truck and press it down if it’s that big of a deal.” She says “they don’t get out of their truck.”
As I'm reading I hear the “bulk trash” truck pull up in front of our house. Bulk trash comes once a month and will take virtually anything out on the curb. No can required. My wife says “oh good, they took the Christmas tree, last year they didn’t.” Last year they implemented a random rule that they wouldn’t take Christmas trees with bulk. Of course, most of the people in town did not get the memo so trees ended up in empty lots all over town. This year they took them because that was a bad idea. So I say to my wife, “yeah, those trash collectors just want to get paid, they don’t actually want to work.”
With that comment I went back to my Buddhist website, reading about remedies for anxiety to help my daughter, and the very next thing I read is this:
“Meditating on the kindness of others is quite important. So sit and do it slowly. Think of all the individuals from whom you have received benefit, even those you do not know, like the people who built your cars, make the books you read, and collect your garbage. Do you know the garbage collectors in your neighborhood? I don’t know the ones in my neighborhood. I don’t see them. But they are incredibly kind. If they did not take away my garbage every week, I would have a big problem!”
I guess the Lord Buddha works in mysterious ways too!
http://thubtenchodron.org/2011/06/happiness-within/ See "Feeling stuck and alone in our problem”
Comments
Welcome @just_so! That is a pretty cool story.
I too sometimes hear a teaching that relates to something I am dealing with at the time (although not normally as specific as that!)
Coincidence? Maybe.
I kept thinking "no way did that just happen." I reread it a couple times and the question she put directly to the reader "do you know the garbage collector in your neighborhood?" really grabbed me.
But those things do happen, to a lesser degree, on occasion, probably due to more mindfulness and awareness about the right things. There's a word for it. It's not coincidence (which is what that was) but I can't remember what it is.
Hi....
.... Nice to meet u.
Serendipity?
My English teacher in high school called it the "recency effect" (I had to email my sister for that) but I guess there's a new term for it. damninteresting.com/the-baader-meinhof-phenomenon/
Nice to meet you too, @Vastmind
Welcome @just_so!
I thought it might be synchronicity, which was a popular word back then, but I remember the word "effect" coming up and I'm pretty sure she referred to "recency effect." Maybe they're basically the same, or were then.
Come to think of it, another random experience like that happened to me recently. For the last few years I had been trying to remember the last name of a friend in grade school so I could look her up on Facebook and see how she's doing. A couple months ago I was sitting at my desk and out of the blue, for no reason whatsoever, her name popped into my head. BAM, there it was. I wasn't trying to remember and I don't know, nor have I ever known, anyone else with the same last name. I hopped onto Facebook, did a quick search and her page came right up. I thought "wow, I'll finally find out how she's doing."
She had died the day before.
Whatever it's called, it's humbling.
@just_so All very cool, though if you think "the Lord Buddha" is responsible for things or pulling strings like "God", I think you're either joking or may have misinterpreted the Dharma. I hope it's the former and not the latter, but we're here for ya anyway.
If you are drawn to Theravada you may want to check out the teachings of Ajahn Chah. They can be found for free on the internet (I don't remember the site); just Google him.
@just_so I did find that link for you, it's http://www.ajahnchah.org/ (or you can download a PDF at http://www.ajahnchah.org/pdf/the_teachings_of_ajahn_chah_web.pdf).
@Toraldris - thank you very much for the link. I visited the site briefly and went straight to the section on the Cobra. I will definitely download the PDF.
My comment on the “Lord Buddha” had some meaning but with a spin on the common religious expression. I certainly don’t think “the Buddha” is up in heaven occasionally sprinkling karmic dust on the flock. I think that, for most Buddhists, "mysterious ways” come on the heels of fresh mindfulness, with the Dharma always providing clues.
No, @just_so, for me, 'it is what it is'. You just take things as they come, with no associated meaning or interpretation, and deal with the matter in hand, as it arises....
Hi @federica - nice to meet you. That's why I said "for most." Many of us have a long way to go.
Walking together seems to be the best bet.
Hi
Thanks for delurking
Apophenia is sometimes used to describe pattern recognition tendencies . . .
Is there a 'zone', a going with the Tao or flow, a condition of grace or attunement with a lineage blessing we can enter?
In my experience yes.
It is very strange, I can not explain it totally.
It is a bit like when you take a step towards 'the Truth', it takes a 1000 steps towards you.
Welcome @Just-so! Welcome to our cozy corner in samsara!
I related to your OP, I too spent about that long reading and pondering Buddhism, and concluded it made more sense out of more things than anything else -- and, bonus, you don't have to take anything on faith (like a Bronze age Jew's death has anything to do with me). In the last two years I've begun meditation and applying mindfulness to daily life.
@Lobster said:
This has been my experience as well. The Desiderata poem also says "When you move, Providence moves with you" (in so many words).
Welcome
Hello again everyone and thank you all for the kind welcomes. I missed a few people to acknowledge so, nice to meet you @Nerima, @Hamsaka, @lobster, @Bunks and @DhammaDragon. I'm looking forward to being a part of the Sangha here.
Yes, @just_so, glad to have you here.
Even so, 'the Truth' still needs binoculars to see me.
Great thought, btw. (*)