This morning I woke up to this quote on my calendar that took me a moment to think about. It said, “One day Dong-shan was washing his bowl, and happened to see two birds fighting over a frog. A monk also saw this and said, “Why does it come to that?” “Only for your benefit,” Dong-shan said.
I know very little about Dong-shan and perhaps one day I will learn more about him, but this story seemed to resonate with me. In part because the way he answered the question reminded me of how I tend to respond to my students, always with another question or a statement, which will make them, think at a deeper level.
Read moreI was having an online chat with a friend of mine and she
was wondering how I managed to stay so positive with my limited ability to
leave my home. She could remember how hard it had been for her when she was
confined to her home for 8 weeks post hip surgery. It was one of those
questions that I knew the answer to, but at the same time made me reflect on
the last 3 years since RGRTA eliminated the bus route servicing our area and
virtually eliminating the paratransit services (aka LIftLine) to our
neighborhood.
Read moreI think what is strong and good in my life is what sees me through most things. I think one of my strengths is my patience with me and others. I know that I and others am works in progress. I do not expect myself or others to be transformed over night. Nor do I expect others to be as committed to their evolution as I am. I tend to be positive. I allowed myself to get hurt pretty deeply and went through this time of intensive healing and transformation. Ever since I removed myself from the cave in which I had been living, thank you Aristotle, I have become increasingly used to living in the light.
It is an amazing thing that happens when you take the shackles off your soul and begin loving yourself and cleansing yourself of all the lies that you had internalized.
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