Spirituality

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The Voice of Happiness

After Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s temple told a friend: “Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person’s face, so I must judge his character by the sound of his voice. Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness or success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was something left to gain in his own world.”

“In all my experience, however, Bankei’s voice was always sincere. Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard.”

5 months ago
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donotdestroy:

The Voice of Happiness

After Bankei had passed away, a blind man who lived near the master’s temple told a friend: “Since I am blind, I cannot watch a person’s face, so I must judge his character by the sound of his voice. Ordinarily when I hear someone congratulate another upon his happiness or success, I also hear a secret tone of envy. When condolence is expressed for the misfortune of another, I hear pleasure and satisfaction, as if the one condoling was really glad there was something left to gain in his own world.”

“In all my experience, however, Bankei’s voice was always sincere. Whenever he expressed happiness, I heard nothing but happiness, and whenever he expressed sorrow, sorrow was all I heard.”

6 months ago
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Why Zen practice doesn’t focus on death

In Zen practice, death is not considered important in the conventional sense because Zen emphasizes direct experience of reality beyond concepts, including life and death. Zen points to the present moment as the only true reality, rather than being attached to the past or future, including concerns about death.

Here are a few key reasons why death is not a central concern in Zen:

  1. No Fixed Self – Zen teaches that the self is not a fixed, separate entity but a fluid, interconnected part of existence. If there is no solid “self,” then who is there to die?
  2. Life and Death Are One – Rather than seeing life and death as opposing forces, Zen regards them as two aspects of the same reality. Dogen Zenji, the founder of Soto Zen, wrote about shoji (life-death) as a seamless flow rather than two separate states.
  3. Impermanence Is Fundamental – Everything is constantly changing, and clinging to permanence creates suffering. By fully accepting impermanence, fear of death loses its grip.
  4. Living Fully in the Present – Zen emphasizes complete presence in each moment. Since death is not happening now, focusing on it distracts from experiencing life completely.
  5. Direct Experience Over Concepts – Zen discourages excessive thinking about abstract concepts like death and instead encourages direct experience of reality as it is.

This doesn’t mean Zen ignores death—it acknowledges it as a natural part of existence. However, instead of fixating on it, Zen practice encourages embracing life fully, letting go of fear, and experiencing each moment completely.

By ChatGPT

7 months ago
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Peaceful Death Process

This is a deeply human question, and though none of us can speak from personal experience of death, doctors, hospice workers, and people who’ve witnessed peaceful passings offer some insight.

When someone dies of old age — meaning their body is simply worn out and shuts down naturally, not from illness or trauma — the process is usually gentle and gradual.

What seems to happen:

  • The body slows down. Breathing becomes shallower and more irregular. Sometimes there are long pauses between breaths.
  • The person is usually unconscious near the end. They’re not actively “trying” to breathe or stop breathing. The brain and organs are just slowly shutting off.
  • It doesn’t seem like a struggle. In most peaceful deaths, it’s not like gasping or fighting for air. It’s more like the body forgets how to breathe, and then… it just doesn’t start again.

Some describe it as:

“Like a candle flickering out.”

Or:

“Like slipping into a very deep sleep and not waking up.”

There can be small reflexes or odd breathing sounds, but these are not usually signs of distress — more just the nervous system winding down.

If you’re wondering because of fear or curiosity, it’s okay. A lot of people ask this quietly. And if it helps: people who’ve had near-death experiences or come back after being declared clinically dead often say the moment itself is peaceful — not scary.

By ChatGPT

7 months ago
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donotdestroy:

Real Prosperity

A rich man asked Sengai to write something for the continued prosperity of his family so that it might be treasured from generation to generation.

Sengai obtained a large sheet of paper and wrote: “Father dies, son dies, grandson dies.”

The rich man became angry. “I asked you to write something for the happiness of my family! Why do you make such a joke of this?”

“No joke is intended,” explained Sengai. “If before you yourself die your son should die, this would grieve you greatly. If your grandson should pass away before your son, both of you would be broken-hearted. If your family, generation after generation, passes away in the order I have named, it will be the natural course of life. I call this real prosperity.” 

8 months ago
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Indeed, religion allows people to imagine that their concerns are moral when they are highly immoral – that is, when pressing these concerns inflicts unnecessary and appalling suffering on innocent human beings. This explains why Christians like yourself expend more “moral” energy opposing abortion than fighting genocide. It explains why you are more concerned about human embryos than about the lifesaving promise of stem-cell research. And it explains why you can preach against condom use in sub-Saharan Africa while millions die from AIDS there each year.

— Sam Harris

8 months ago
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Joe Rogan Experience #2217 – Brian Cox

9 months ago
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