Zen Seeds - My Turning Point (Pg 141)

[Dokan]

Hi All,

I noticed that we skipped one of the chapters! And one of the best ones in my opinion!

Hope it's ok that I start a small discussion on it!

This chapter floored me. I was in tears when reading about how the care and love her mother poured into the robes and kimonos that she made by hand...even to the point of raising the silkworms herself. True parental love in action! It was horrible to think of having to give up my child as her mother did. Also, the pain that she had to go through as a little girl coupled with the burden of responsibility she felt from her father's death.

It made me reflect on my own life and how my mother died at the age of 54 from lung cancer (life-time smoker). I wondered if I will have some level of deep introspection during the time I reach that age. I also thought about how the one thing that summed up my mother was compassion. And how I have inherited that from her, almost to a fault, yet am still grateful. I then realized my tea was over-steeping and laughed to myself.

Life is so simple, it's annoying how we over-complicate things sometimes.

Thank you for your practice and a deep gassho to all our parents.

Dokan

[Risho]

Good catch man! Thank you for sharing something so personal.

At first I read through the paragraph about how her mother made all of her clothing but after your post i read it again I feflected on it. That is an incredible feat.

Gassho

Risho

[Myozan Kodo]

Thank you Dokan for your touching post.

I am full of gratitude to my parents, too, but realize that they are just people ... just like I am. And still I am grateful.

Thanks again.
Gashho
Myozan