April is our anniversary month!
This month I have naturally been thinking about beginnings and endings. So, for the month of April, we are featuring two talks by Fugen, one on endings (an oldie) and one on beginnings (a new classic). Other good reasons for choosing these talks for this particular month are: Fugen is the longest-tenured priest at Treeleaf; he and Jannica, both Treeleaf members, just had Noah, the first Treeleaf baby; Fugen’s birthday month is April; and, in the month that contains April Fools’s day, it seems fitting that we recall some talks by someone who is always calling himself an old fool.
Perfect fit, if I ever saw one! ; )
So here they are:
Ex Marks the Spot (scroll to bottom for the video): http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...ighlight=marks
If a relationship turns bad and ends, it can be very painful if you have cared greatly and have put a lot of yourself into the relationship, and it is easy to let the relationship turn completely bad and ruin all that was beautiful before. In this talk, Fugen reminds us not to do that.
Kids and Kesas (scroll to bottom for video): http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...ighlight=kesas
This second talk on babies and kesas, just makes me smile! What can I say? It is joyous, and Fugen so openly and honestly talks about his experiences, even about things unplanned--it is just so like Fugen to share with us as a friend, not just as a teacher and priest.
On a personal note, when I first listened to Fugen’s talk on ex’s, I remember recalling what I once told my husband, Jim, after we were witnesses to a particularly nasty divorce between a couple we knew. I said that I could see how divorces might get so nasty, because if you ever cared for someone deeply, you would never split up in the first place, unless things had come to that state. Then, half jokingly, I warned Jim that if we ever broke up, he had better take his pop bottle collection out of the house first, because I would open all of the “original-filled-and-capped” bottles and pour the contents down the drain! At the time, I meant it jokingly (mostly), and Jim has since gotten rid of his collection. But still, this talk by Fugen about ex’s has made me reflect over time about an area where it is sometimes difficult for me to apply my practice, and where I have failed once or twice in my life and wish I hadn’t.
Sooner or later, we all become an “ex” in some way or another, and when that happens, it is hard to handle feelings of anger and hurt after being so deeply involved with someone. Today, I wouldn’t think (well, not real seriously think) about doing anything like pouring Jim’s pop down the drain if we ever split up. And, if I were to break up with a friend, relative, or business partner again, I would try to remember, in spite of my hurt and anger at the time, to say clearly and loudly enough for that the person to hear and understand, in spite of their hurt and anger, “I loved you, I still love you, and I will always love you. Until later maybe.”
Please enjoy these talks again, and share any thoughts or experiences you may have!
Also, if you have any recommendations for future months, I still have a few months open for requests, but they are going quick!
Gassho, Grace
Sat today plus 10 more in honor of Treeleaf’s 10th Anniversary!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Fugen
