This too will pass...
One Answer….for all questions
"... Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them," Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstances, in every place and in every time. Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?"
All wise men got puzzled by King's question.
One answer for all question?
Something that works everywhere, in every situation?
In every joy every sorrow, every defeat and every victory?
They thought and thought.
After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appeal to all of them.
They went to king and gave him something written on paper.
But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity.
Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he'll have to see it.
The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.
After a few days, the neighbors attack the Kingdom.
It was a collective surprise attack of King's enemies.
King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle.
King had to fled on his horse.
The enemies were following him.
His horse took him far away in Jungle.
He could hear many troops of horses were
following him and the noise was coming
closer and closer.
Suddenly the King found himself standing in
the end of the road - that road was not
going anywhere.
Underneath there was a rocky
valley thousand feet deep.
If he jumped into it, he would be finished…
and he could not return because it
was a small road…From back the sound of
enemy's horses was approaching fast.
King became restless.
There seemed to be no way.
Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his
ring shining in the sun, and he remembered
the message hidden in the ring.
He opened the diamond and read the message.
The message was very small but very great.
The message was - " This too will pass."
The King read it .
Again read it.
Suddenly something strike in his mind-
Yes ! it too will pass.
Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom.
I was the mightiest of all the Kings.
Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone.
I am here trying to escape from enemies.
However when those days of luxuries have gone,
this day of danger too will pass.
A calm come on his face.
He kept standing there.
The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty.
He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a
part of his Kingdom.
The revelation of message had a great effect on him.
He relaxed and forget about those following him.
After a few minute he realized that the noise of the
horses and the enemy coming was receding.
They moved into some other part of the mountains and
were not on that path.
The King was very brave.
He reorganized his army and fought again.
He defeated the enemy and regain his lost empire.
When he returned to his empire after victory,
he was received with much fan fare at the door.
The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory.
Everyone was in a festive mood.
Flowers were being thrown on King from every house,
from every corner.
People were dancing and singing.
For a moment King said to himself,"
I am one of the bravest and greatest King.
It is not easy to defeat me.:
With all the reception and celebration he saw an
ego emerging in him.
Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the
sunlight and reminded him of the message.
He open it and read it again:
"This too will pass"
He became silent.
His face went through a total change -
from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness.
If this too is going to pass, it is not yours.
The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours.
You are just a watcher. Everything passes by
We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver.
Life come and go. Happiness come and go.
Sorrow come and go.
Now as you have read this story,
just sit silently and evaluate your own life.
This too will pass.
Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life.
Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat.
Are they permanent.
They all come and pass away.
Life just passes away.
There were friends in past. They all have gone.
There are friends today. They too will go.
There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go.
There were enemies in past. They have gone.
There may be enemy in present. They too will go.
There will be new enemies tomorrow and......they too will go.
There is nothing permanent in this world.
Every thing changes except the law of change.
Think over it from your own perspective.
You have seen all the changes.
You have survived all setbacks , all defeats and
all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are
problems in the present, they too will pass away.
Because nothing remains forever.
Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin.
They both will pass away.
Who are you in reality? Know your real face.
Your face is not your true face.
It will change with the time.
However, there is something in you,
which will not change.
It will remain unchanged.
What is that unchangeable ?
It is nothing but your true self.
You are just a witness of change.
Experience it, understand it.
Everyday for 10-15 minutes sit in silence.
Just think over the sentence, " This too will pass."
Pondering over your own life will make you
realize the true meaning of this sentence.
Everything passes yet your real identity remains the same.
That real you is your true self.
To know that self is true meditation..."
http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/techniques/perception_meditation_.htm
"...The key to Zen practice is
returning our attention to the
present moment as soon as we
realize we have drifted away. ..."
http://www.dharmasound.org/faq.html
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"...During zazen, thoughts, conscious and subconscious,
naturally and continuously rise to the surface of our mind.
Don't try to stop these thoughts from arising, but at the
same time, don't get involved with the thoughts or let
them take you away from concentration on posture and
breathing. Just let the thoughts pass, like clouds in the sky,
neither opposing them nor attaching to them.
Shadows pass and vanish.
Images arise from the subconscious,
then disappear.
The brain becomes deeply calm.
click: > > > http://myhome.iolfree.ie/~irish_zen/zazen.html
..." each time you practice meditation
it should be fresh, as if it were
happening for the very first time.
You just quietly sit,
your body still, your speech silent,
your mind at ease, and allow
thoughts to come and go without
letting them play havoc on you.
If you need something to do,
then watch the breathing.
This is a very simple process.
When you are breathing out,
know that you are breathing out.
When you breath in,
know that you are breathing in,
without supplying any kind of extra
commentary or
internalized mental gossip, but just
identifying with the breath.
That very simple process of
mindfulness processes your
thoughts and emotions,
and then, like an old skin being shed,
something is peeled off and freed..."
ESSENTIAL ADVICE ON MEDITATION
excerpts from Teachings by Sogyal Rinpoche
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/advicemed.htm