Comments on: Just passing through

By: Gertje

Gertje — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:31:36 +0000

Of course I know that we all – including myself – will die and will not live forever, but when I look at myself it seems to me that most of the time I do not really believe it. It is scary to truly realize that life is finite and my habitual reaction is not to pay so much attention to this fact. On the other hand I am aware that acting like this is neither realistic nor somehow helpful but is limiting myself. What you say, Sensei, very much encourages me to try to face my fears.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:33:09 +0000

Sensei, you’ve put the facts so simply and elegantly. Although I’m feeling attracted by their simple beauty, I’m wondering why I find it so incredibly hard to acknowledge them. I’ve read this post again and again. I’m starting to see how busy I am with blaming myself for not taking the facts for what they are – just facts. They’re still hard to swallow but a little bit easier to look at.

When we recite the first of the four Bodhisattva vows, I sometimes catch myself thinking „well, I’ll save all beings and maybe I’ll save myself later.“ Your post makes me feel that things don’t work that way. The idea that our very impermanence can make people connect more closely to each other is striking. Hope I’ll be able to give it a try.

By: P.D. Gourlais

P.D. Gourlais — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:52:35 +0000

Lol. I Love what André said, “thanks for showing up… thanks for disappearing as well”.

Sensei poses a good question! “What do I really want to do with my life”? Hmm. At this point, I think getting rich and retiring early is a good goal and I’m not joking.

For, I’d like to spend my days composing poems, reading, having one on ones with friends and family, exercising and enjoying the moment. I find much pleasure, actually, in doing the simple, mundane tasks of “just passing through” such as grocery shopping, organizing the spice cupboard, cooking a good meal for a friend or paying a special visit to someone in another country or state. And if I never get rich, I will always do all of this anyway and love it.

By: Shani

Shani — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:48:51 +0000

Dionne Warwick – Walk on By

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAdcgouhmHY&feature=related

By: André

André — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:40:12 +0000

Dear Mr. Silberberg,

I am a constant reader of your postings here and I want to tell you that they strike me as being very special. Nothing really is advertised here, nothing is forcefully promoted, I do not learn about the “meaning of life”, there is no sense of disposing wisdom to the public. Theses posts, to me, are something very simple, but reassuring, like the sound of rain on a roof, or a smile shared around a table.

And the less is actually being posted here, all the more the surprise, when it does happen. There are a lot of teachers who try to make themselves available 24/7 with their promotion machines, but i wonder if that really gives the student the space and necessity to actually develop on their own.

So, thanks for showing up, and (although i really like to listen/read) thanks for disappearing as well

I wish you and all of us a great journey

André