What to Offer?

Walking along the bottom road this evening. Some stranded calves bellow to their mothers on the other side of the rushing river on the valley floor. Rarely does the river run so wide and fast. How much more can the giant sponge which is the moorland at the head of the valley hold before it disgorges? The road is running with water, in places I have to paddle. This is an unusual situation for us. But, as I walk, I can’t help counting our blessings here. To be grateful to be safe from the power and great strength of flooding water further south, rushing to find it’s level.

So also I can’t help but think of those who are caught up in the drama. And I remind myself not to become vicariously involved in the drama as it unfolds daily. As far as I am concerned the disaster is to loose ones sitting place in the midst of all of this.

Charity, tenderness, benevolence and sympathy (empathy) are the four signs of Enlightenment which we can offer; always and in all directions. For the most part this goes unnoticed, which is as well.

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5 thoughts on “What to Offer?”

  1. I’m one for getting caught up in dramas ‘elsewhere’. I feel guilty that it’s ‘other’ people who are suffering and not me. It feels like a clumsy attempt at compassion that doesn’t quite hit the spot.

    One of the things coming up for me recently is the way I get caught up in other people’s thoughts (dramas), especially those close to me who’s welfare I depend(ed) on (parents, bosses, relationships). It comes from fear, and the wanting to be one step ahead all the time in order to avoid being hurt. And it drives me nutz and only ever makes things worse.

    One thing that has really helped with this recently is approaching such situations with ‘generosity’, the generosity of giving myself to the situation rather than closing up. It feels a great deal lighter, and people around me do respond to it.

    Dave Webb

  2. For some floods are a regular event: on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi 16,00o people are being forced to higher ground and at least seven have died after days of heavy rain.
    Life happens. No blame, no attachment, no non-attachment.

  3. While there’s a natural human tendency to get caught up in, or manufacture drama, it has certainly worsened with the emergence of the 24 hour global news cycle. It’s easy to see how the line between empathy and an unhealthy desire for drama can blur under these circumstances. News is hardly news anymore. It’s structured and presented in a manner that serves mostly to feed the drama addiction that keeps people coming back for more.

  4. It was necessary for me to go to the pet store yesterday, and I don’t like to go there. That’s because I see the cats who are up for adoption, confined in their cages.

    Yesterday, way in the bottom corner of the cages, I spied an adult black cat. “Nobody is going to adopt me, I know,” is what its eyes seemed to say. Close by his side, a beautiful buff tabby hid in the domed litter box, staring straight ahead with no expression.

    My heart felt like breaking. The only thing I could do was to look at those cats, be still with them for a moment, offer lovingkindness, and move on.

  5. Wonderful to have these contributions left for others to read and benefit from.

    Sorry to say I have little time to say much more than THANK YOU. And please do keep coming back. It is good to see Margaret is back with us too.

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