Greetings to all ...Which is why I try so hard to be with the moment..instead of some distant future, but it's not easy. I have just recently been called up for Jury duty by what Americans call the Dept. of Justice. I've just started this new job I'm currently in only since July last year (after a very long period of unemployment), and there's a lot of pressure coming down on the boss from the customers. The job is very unhealthy and hazardous, as I'm forced to breath flour dust, icing sugar and similar on a daily basis. I could lose my job if worse comes to worse, especially when I heard that one of our major trials here in Australia concerning certain Muslim terror suspects apparently lasted for 6 months last year. As it stands, I worry now about losing my precious (albeit hazardous) job because of a court case. In other words, one could say that I'm fretting over an unknown future when I should be enjoying the last few days I have left of my annual leave. Perhaps the next job offer may be better and safer if I lose my current one...or, the court case may be postponed. Common sense is telling me for the moment to just concentrate on this email and others, and then go home for a good night's sleep after zazen and some readings on the Tao or Buddha...or maybe even after watching an episode of LOVE BOAT with another bowl of yoghurt icecream. Oh, my....despite all things I write/post above, I certainly suffer a lot from dualistic thinking in Buddha's compassion Mel
________________________________ From: ED <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, 15 January 2012 2:20 AM Subject: [Zen] Zen Story: Cause and effect Zen Story: Cause and effect There lived an old farmer who had worked on his fields for many, many years. One day, his horse bolted away. His neighbors dropped in to commiserate with him. "What awful luck," they tut-tutted sympathetically, to which the farmer only replied, "We'll see." Next morning, to everyone's surprise, the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How amazing is that!" they exclaimed in excitement. The old man replied, "We'll see." A day later, the farmer's son tried to mount one of the wild horses. He was thrown on the ground and broke his leg. Once more, the neighbors came by to express their sympathies for this stroke of bad luck. "We'll see," said the farmer politely. The next day, the village had some visitors – military officers who had come with the purpose of drafting young men into the army. They passed over the farmer's son, thanks to his broken leg. The neighbors patted the farmer on his back – how lucky he was to not have his son join the army! "We'll see," was all that the farmer said! http://www.buddhagroove.net/2010/06/zen-story-cause-and-effect.html
