ilumairen

I recently pulled out my old Taoist texts. I had the thought that if I was going to wander the gardens of this forum for awhile, I should reaquaint myself with the language. I opened each to a random page, and read a few words. One of those passages was about not focusing on bad men. The gist was it is harmful practice. It scatters energy, and confuses the mind.

Yesterday my friend told me she has cancer. I later brought her soup. All I can do is be present.

I've done that.

Taomeow, I once said I only wanted to live long enough to watch galaxies collide. Haha (honestly though much of the time I just don't care)

My once strong, handsome, and demanding cat is in the final stages of dying. He is none of those things that once could easily be used to define him. This is the way of slow death. There is no comforting thought of at least he didn't suffer. There is only doing what I can to make him as comfortable as possible. Yesterday I held the water bowl so he could drink. Last night was the first time in all the years we spent together that he turned away from food. Today he is incapable of getting up to greet me, so I sit with him. Last night my SO asked if I was sad. I said yes. He said we knew this time was coming. And I replied yes again, and then added we also knew I would be sad. He said, 'Putty was a good cat.' I gave him a look before we both laughed and agreed that no, he wasn't, but he was cool all the same. He is still here, and already gone at the same time. But this is why I am not a Buddhist. I am ok with the moments of suffering that come from attachment. I am human. I love, I lose, I suffer, and I laugh.

With good reason Hagar. You did not let him down.

Different words... same openness.

Yes. I thought I knew. I didn't. Thanks Steve.

I took the scenic route to get here. The roads were interesting. The view is nice. LOL I've missed the simplicity of your view and shared words, my friend.

In my experience if there is argument there is something being protected. This need to protect something often inhibits understanding. I don't think, and didn't say, we should abandon understanding... but you can argue with me if that's what works for you.

For some the body is temple that should be purified; for some it is a temple they wish to adorn. For some their bodies are simple vessels to be utilized and enjoyed, and for still others the body is a focus of suffering that need be modified to alleviate said suffering. There are further others who wish to utterly destroy the body to end their suffering. Your questions here were answered by people with a different understanding than you. It will do you as much good to argue against their perception, as it would them to argue against yours. Haha My implants! While I have no aesthetic value implants, I do have mesh in my stomach from that hernia. More seriously I think implants are symptomatic of deeper unease, but I have a slim, proportioned body that I have taken care of. It serves me well. And I don't know that it would be helpful to anyone (myself included) if I were to become judgemental of those who are not as comfortable with themselves. My friend's father had a kidney transplant. He enjoys the added time with his dad.

Yes. The flowers bring happiness. Happiness that spreads. The birds and butterflies seem content. This week we are planting more pine trees. It is still modification of what was here - which is modification of what came before that. My thoughts on this subject don't even matter to me. Haha Anything that needed resolving was resolved long ago. I have no issue with you painting pretty pictures on your skin. Our paths are just that - ours.

So, I have a tattoo of a Celtic knot at the base of my neck - low enough that most shirts cover it. It was many years ago... I am a middle aged woman. There are large flower beds in our yard that I gave myself a hernia creating. I enjoy the flowers. My thoughts have changed over the years, and don't matter much here. I wear comfortable practical clothes and shoes. I normally don't wear makeup, and have a tendency to throw my hair into ponytails. Body modification just isn't much on my mind.

IRL I normally don't have much to say about anything, and right now I'm sitting just beyond the reach of the raindrops on break at work, but I'll come back later...

Yes, it is really of no consequence to us. It's simply enjoyable - like eating a cookie. Expansion, contraction... us, bigger scale. :shrug:

Yes, Daeluin. This is the shared experience that I was looking for. Thank you. I don't have to 'fix things' anymore, although occasionally my mind still wanders those old paths. It's another wave in the ocean, and now it can pass without me feeling some need to ride it.

Hi Aussie, Yes, this is 2 months old, but... I enjoy space stuff. As Marblehead said, our sun is not massive enough to go supernova. It will become a red giant. There are actually people contemplating what it would take to nudge our planet to what will be the new habitable zone. Problem there is, even if we can manage that 'red giant' is only a phase, and our sun will eventually collapse in on itself. When this happens we will (if we've nudged ourselves out) be outside the new habitable zone. All future generations would be able to do is buy some more time. While these are interesting thoughts, we most likely will have experienced the next big extinction on Earth by that time. I like that - small investments paying big dividends in the next billion years or so. Now I'm going to go make some lunch.

Oh bother! I'm sorry... So, you wanna talk about breast, calf, buttock implants?

Hi Aussie, I have been away from spiritual forums for a long time. My understanding of interference has shifted to encompass what I had thought was helpful. I spent much of my life stepping in and preventing people from experiencing the ramifications of their choices. Your choice of the phrase 'distorts us' in regard to attachments is correct, uncomfortable, but correct. Thank you for that. It will sort itself out, but when it comes to my sister, I am still shrugging off entanglement. I was looking for other's thoughts on/experience with this. As always thank you for your kindness.

I came from a place of codependency. I had to be strong enough for the people around me. I let go of what I may have wanted in order to help and care for the people who didn't have my 'special ability' of setting themselves aside. I would 'go without' so they could have. I was a good little 'white night'. And while people were initially satisfied with whatever solution I (in all my wisdom) arrived at, the same situations kept arising. It was craziness, and I was perpetuating it. Today... losing oneself is about openness... a calmness... it's about the experience that everything I thought of myself, everything used to define myself was just inhibiting my connection with... fluidity. More listening, less doing. More trust, less worrying. The interesting thing is a sort of ripple effect... Words are failing me. Apologies.

Hi dustybeijing. My sister is covered in scars and tattoos - including a tattoo across her cheekbone. She is not trashy, but she is fragmented. Her inside hurts will be carried in outward form until the end of her days. Ultimately she is still dissatisfied. I smile at her and welcome her into my heart. And I would still smile at you too.

Love to you as well manitou, and thank for sharing your experience.

This is worth repeating. Again, thank you.

The less experience is aligned to memory, the more open and genuine it becomes in my experience (and memory there of haha). For me adding the mind weight of thinking my emotions need to be managed adds strength to the emotion and inhibits the natural falling away of said emotion. But I understand, and accept, that your approach may be different. This I completely agree with. Here I am unsure... It is the word 'distort'... Yes. I'm ok. I used 'lost in a sense of loss' only to illustrate my thought process regarding the idea of suffering. If that were to happen it would be due to my placement of mind weight. I see this happen often, and am sharing my experience so that perhaps 'other' can realize they are ok too. (irl I am not nearly so verbose) Thank you for practicing loving kindness with me. I am grateful for it.

Years ago I overdosed on religion and philosophy. The underlying theme of many was rising above the human condition. It was fascinating, and at first quite enjoyable, but eventually I just wanted to move my feet. I came to the conclusion that this rising above created it's own series of issues... this is the place I was in when I came across this story. And it shows. Haha Thanks for sharing your (not so weary) thoughts. I'm still keeping my favorite cup though.