Until my recent reprieve, people were asking me to make up my mind whether I'm dying or not. Well I'm dying and living, just like everyone else. The truth is we're all dying, all the time, every day a little more. Form time to time some of us put on a bit of a spurt, that's all.
Each day, oblivion creeps a little nearer, but it makes life easier if we can avoid thinking about that. People blame doctors for lots of things, but on one level we should really be grateful to the docs for colluding in our mass denial. The docs help support the notion that the world is divided in two: on the one hand there's all of us normals who are more or less fighting fit; and there's those poor bastards who need to monopolise the doctors because they're dying.
Of course, even if you believe this, when you're handed the black spot your equanimity and common sense suddenly go out the window, and you feel as if there's a firing squad waiting just outside the door. But if you're lucky enough not to have noisy neighbours who do your nerves in, you might have the presence of mind to meditate, and then suddenly you find you can't be bothered holding onto the fears and longings, the emotions. It really helps.
Albert? Is this really you? You might be invited to rejoin the Disbelieving Congregation if you keep this up. In the Autobiography of a Yogi, the boy says even juju masters get freaked out for a bit after getting handed the black spot. Got to make you have a think. But it's bound to give you practise for the next time. Hotboy p.s. An unexpected attack by nuclear weapons would be better! If you were right at the target area of course, but who'd want to live in Dunoon?
ReplyDeleteAlbert? Still here? Had to read this again. It is a very good post. It does look as if these close death encounters are very good for you. But not for me, of course! No thank you! They are good for you though, maybe. Of course, having made such progress with the meditations under such pressure ... my advice is to ignore everything I advise and just walk your doggie, then get pivo-ed and stare up at the stars. Dzochgen? You can sing the bliss song while you do this: Oh, ra bliss, ra bliss, ra bliss! Ee, aye, adio, ra bliss, ra bliss, ra bliss! Hope this helps. Hotboy
ReplyDeleteAll dying, one way or t'other, and how do ye wanna go? That's the question. Personally, I want to learn some Tai Chi before death makes itself personally obvious, so I can rehearse mentally instead of shooting bunnies from my wheelchair.
ReplyDeletehotters - at kids parties we sang hey ho ma daddio. Is ee aye, adio a tim thing? Re the surprise strike, how fortunate you'd be if one missile was aimed at the parliament.
ReplyDeleteion - that's a help actually, I had forgotten I used to do the mental Tai Chi while flat out. So now there's even a choice between that and ra bliss. How fortunate life is.
Albert? Never heard of this mental Tai Chi thing before, but it's bound to work ... concentrating on the thoughts (and images) flowing evenly from one to the other. Bound to help! Hotboy
ReplyDeleteI say!
ReplyDeleteWell, I definitely don't want to pass on until we've won back the Ashes.
MM III