Are there accidents?

[silent thunder]

There are no accidents.

 

This struck me one day (like a hammer) when my wife read it to me from a book and it got my bell ringing deeply.

 

At the time, I had been having something of a life review during meditations.

Nothing intentional, just old tapes playing and memories resurfacing semi-consistently from the pool of the past while the mind was quiet.

 

I was allowing them to do their usual thing, play out and fade out.

Thoughts like clouds come and go. No biggie.

 

Some of these memories were very painful. And usually, I will have sympathetic vibratory resistance creep in when these surface, but this time I didn't feel that. I felt a tug, but it wasn't the usual tug of shenpa or emotional/resistance/tension as I re-associate my presence* with the angst of memory. This was a different tug. It was like a prodding from a deeper awareness, sort of like being poked in the ribs by a buddy to notice something nearby.

 

I took this as a good sign that my practice was paying dividends, but the tug wouldn't go away, it was still there and I was thinking... 'ok what do I need to learn from these old memories?' When my wife read me that statement, the bell rung and I had an epiphany. None of those were accidental. They are a natural flow of conditions and I am a part of those conditions.

 

Looking back on my life to this point. The things that happened to me that were horrific, or sad or any of the events that I typically would view as 'wrong' 'bad' or 'evil' were all as intrinsically part of my Path as any of those 'good' 'happy' or 'correct'. And my Path is not wrong to me.

 

Notwithstanding the fact that this is all thought/form and illusory. It really struck me that there had been no accidents in my life. That without any of the 'accidents as I used to view them', I would not be in the presence I am and I feel, honestly that I am where I must be, should be and want to be.

 

I'm feeling this is pretty kindergarten level stuff as I type it out. But I'm going to shunt that feeling of pride in favor of feeding my curiosity as to what some of you feel about it.

 

So what do you think... are there any accidents?

 

*I say 'my presence' instead of my 'self' sometimes. I find that it includes an intimation of temporariness that I find accurate and implies being in the present moment.

 

 

 

[Maddie]

One of my TCM professors held the belief that there are no accidents. He had mentioned how often angry people will just happen to stub their big toe where the first point on the Liver channel is (ying spring) as their subconscious attempts to vent out excess heat from the liver. That is just one example.

[effilang]

Whether we do or don't do, or whether others do or don't do unto us, insofar as actions and volition are concerned, all living beings are in constant and uninterrupted interaction with one another.

 

Whether we affect the karma of a snail by moving it off the pavement in order to protect it, but in so doing inadvertently stopping it from reaching its destiny of reaching the end of the pavement so that it can be reborn in a higher realm or by choosing not to put a wounded animal to its end, only to be witness to its full recover weeks later, whatever the case, we are interacting with each others karma, both in doing and in non doing.

 

Ultimately, we are a part of a great unity. A fundamental organic mechanism, that pulsates with life.

 

We are a result of how we and others have interacted with each other and with our environment.

 

So if our actions are responsible for our karma, then nothing is accidental, rather events which take place in your life, no matter how serendipitous, are simply the result of others actions and inactions intermingling with yours.

Edited May 31, 2013 by effilang

[idiot_stimpy]

I'm feeling this is pretty kindergarten level stuff as I type it out.

 

Not at all. Most people are not brave enough to look so deep inside themselves for answers.

 

Hammer moments are great, especially when they rock you to the core.

[XiaoYaoYou]

I'm going to just give a thumbs up to effilang on that last comment. Very well stated.

[silent thunder]

Whether we do or don't do, or whether others do or don't do unto us, insofar as actions and volition are concerned, all living beings are in constant and uninterrupted interaction with one another.

 

Whether we affect the karma of a snail by moving it off the pavement in order to protect it, but in so doing inadvertently stopping it from reaching its destiny of reaching the end of the pavement so that it can be reborn in a higher realm or by choosing not to put a wounded animal to its end, only to be witness to its full recover weeks later, whatever the case, we are interacting with each others karma, both in doing and in non doing.

 

Ultimately, we are a part of a great unity. A fundamental organic mechanism, that pulsates with life.

 

We are a result of how we and others have interacted with each other and with our environment.

 

So if our actions are responsible for our karma, then nothing is accidental, rather events which take place in your life, no matter how serendipitous, are simply the result of others actions and inactions intermingling with yours.

 

Wow so glad I posted this... that wording really resonates! Thank you.

Each of the highlighted sentences as I read them, accompanied deep resonating waves in my presence.

[Protector]

There are only accidents, but humans are adaptable as all hell

[Jetsun]

I think your higher self or soul is attracted to events which make you grow, which can often result in suffering which the ego tends to resist and reject so they seem like accidents when they were actually engineered for your higher good. There are probably still just random accidents also, I dunno, yet people are good at getting the best out of them if they want to.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Jetsun

[Gypsy]

Not at all~ If you come across self-other-deprecation, shame, guilt or disappointment in (inner)-self and (outer)-other for past-Now-Future behaviors, forgive-forget by Knowing and expanding the combination of inning-outing One love-One Life to a Freshier level of understanding. Ya come to resonate to 'mental exhaustion' but remain to continue as it is-whatever it is with balance, patience, and compassion to know this Truth!

This is also a time when acceptance of instead of resistance to whatever is occurring with inner life is helpful as a point of reference. Take inner emotion-mental responsibility. Be the lighthouse upon Life. "For they not know, who they are or what they do".

[silent thunder]

Not at all~ If you come across self-other-deprecation, shame, guilt or disappointment in (inner)-self and (outer)-other for past-Now-Future behaviors, forgive-forget by Knowing and expanding the combination of inning-outing One love-One Life to a Freshier level of understanding. Ya come to resonate to 'mental exhaustion' but remain to continue as it is-whatever it is with balance, patience, and compassion to know this Truth!

This is also a time when acceptance of instead of resistance to whatever is occurring with inner life is helpful as a point of reference. Take inner emotion-mental responsibility. Be the lighthouse upon Life. "For they not know, who they are or what they do".

Full acceptance to me is complete lack of resistance to what is in the now.

In this state the light of consciousness shines like the lighthouse.

The light of awareness increases as resistance to present conditions decreases.

[Stosh]

Accidents are when that which we expect , is not what occurs . Even the stuff that befalls us out of the blue, is not an 'accident' unless you deem that as a thing that shouldn't happen , or it was "undeserved"..

Should shouldn't deserved undeserved accident intended

All these things are just ideas that people entertain.

If you are comfortable looking at the events that occur ,

through the lens of perceived intent or accident , that is up to you..

Its not truthful thinking though. IMPO!

The ' benefit ' of truthful perception however, is also illusion!

Because it is subjective.

Personally I reject the idea of predestination because it contradicts

Free. Will... that's just me though.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Stosh

[dawei]

Accidents are when that which we expect , is not what occurs . Even the stuff that befalls us out of the blue, is not an 'accident' unless you deem that as a thing that shouldn't happen , or it was "undeserved"..

 

That seems more like an expectation, not an accident. Accidents are usually defined as 'unintended' not unexpected.

 

If you are comfortable looking at the events that occur ,

through the lens of perceived intent or accident , that is up to you..

 

This seems purely personal and thus psycho-emotional for each of us.

 

Personally I reject the idea of predestination because it contradicts

Free. Will... that's just me though.

 

There is no free will because we are not free from the boundaries we exist in.

 

I do get your point, so I am not arguing but commenting.

[Stosh]

That seems more like an expectation, not an accident. Accidents are usually defined as 'unintended' not unexpected.

Intending would mean one was taking part in some action to bring the future event about.

Expectation doesn't have that connotation of Wanting the event to unfold.

An accident could be be a surprise , or it could be an unwelcome surprise.

Either way they both entail having an imagined future which may or may not happen.

Anyway ,,That is how Im meaning it ,

Can an accident that happens at an intersection downtown be statistically predicted?

Sure ,

but holding in the 'present' mind ,the vision of an 'unreal' possibility ( unreal at the time its being held)

Is common to both.

What has objective reality ,is that only what happens actually happens ..

and one can attribute- fate ,or intelligent design -or chaotic chance or ,karma ,,, etc --

but these are basically confabulations of the mind IMPO

(which serve to lend structure to the mind, or serve to assuage concerns that people have.)

 

There is no free will because we are not free from the boundaries we exist in.

Thats a fair view , yes we only get to go so far before we get to the end of the leash.

but that leash is long and loose IMO

Edited July 22, 2013 by Stosh

[Formless Tao]

I found this at work regarding the dual aspects of change, yin and yang and believe so called 'Accidents' or 'The Will of Heaven' could also be ready into this story...

 

Quote "An old Chinese story about a wise farmer illustrates the dual aspects of change. In the story, the farmer's horse runs away and his neigbour comes to offer sympathy, saying 'Too bad about your horse'. The farmer simply replies, 'Maybe'. The next day the farmer's horse comes back leading two wild horses into the stable. This time the neighbour congratulates the farmer, saying 'What a lucky break!' Again the farmer replies, 'Maybe'.

 

The next day the farmer's son breaks his leg trying to tame one of the wild horses and again the neighbour comes over to offer sympathy. 'To bad', says the neighbour. Once again the farmer simply replies, 'Maybe'. The next day the recruitment officer from the king's army comes through the region taking all the young men of fighting age, but since the farmer's son has a broken leg he is left behind.

[Formless Tao]

The story can go on and on...

 

I believe the moral of this story is how we see 'Change' or 'Accidents' or 'The Will of Heaven' as this affects how we will respond to them. Just like the farmer who reponded very indifferently as he had no control over the events, I believe that we can strive to be more balanced and indifferent just like the farmer, in our daily lives and let the Tao takes its course...

[Formless Tao]

What may seem like an 'Accident' to us humans may be 'The will of, a higher power / God / heaven?

[Jainarayan]

I don't believe in accidents or in a divine will that causes what we think of as accidents. I think things occur because they need to for some purpose or benefit. The workings of the universe are intricate. We don't always see the reason or the lesson, so they look like accidents or "well, shit happens". It's like looking at a cross-section of something... we can't see all the inter-connected details.

 

Of course, I said "I believe", because this is based on my own experience; I have not achieved enlightenment (I'd be sitting on a mountaintop wearing a diaper, with a long white beard giving advice to pilgrims ). I learned some things the very hard way, not because they happened directly to me, but I am deeply involved and affected. Suffice to say that if I had put my foot down, opened my eyes and drawn that proverbial line in the sand, maybe things wouldn't have happened the way they did, but I can't know that for sure. At the very least I learned something that has benefited me, and things I needed to learn.