O sa treaca si asta...This, Too, Will Pass

De cate ori am un necaz imi amintesc de spusele bonei (pe atunci se chema simplu "femeie") pe care am avut-o la copii, o femeie extraordinara. Azi multi s-ar feri sa o angajeze, pentru ca e tiganca...Ea a fost f devotata copiilor nostri, ii placea in special cea mica...Zicea "Maia": "ustura, dar trece".

In forma "o sa treaca si asta" this too also pass" zicala este veche , as zice de cand lumea. Se spune ca ar exista inca de pe vremea regelui Solomon, care i-a cerut lui Benaiah ben Yehoyada, cel mai de incredere ministru al sau, sa-i gaseasca un inel magic care sa aduca bucurie celui aflat in necaz si tristete celui prea fericit. Povestea o sa o copiez asa cum am gasit-o in engleza, pe scurt zice ca un giuvaiergiu a gravat pe inel trei litere, "gimel, zayin, yud" cu care incep cuvintele "Gam zeh ya'avor", adica taman "o sa treaca si asta" si acest inel a fost dus de istetul ministru regelui, ca raspuns la cererea sa.

Dar, ca orice lucru care are un inteles adanc, si acesta are o alta versiune, in care este vorba de un monarh care isi dorea ceva care sa lucreze, ca prin magie, in orice situatie. Si ca sa nu mai lungesc vorba, inteleptii acelui monarh au gasit aceeasi fraza, o sa copiez si povestea asta in engleza, poate o traduce altcineva in romana, eu acum sunt prea obosita (spital, casa, spital, casa, cam asta afost viata mea incepand de miercuri 26 Septembrie). Am mai gasit undeva si un poem pe aceeasi tema..

Deci, povestea Regelui Solomon:

One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, "Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it."

"If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty," replied Benaiah, "I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?"

"It has magic powers," answered the king. "If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy." Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.

Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of he poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day's wares on a shabby carpet. "Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?" asked Benaiah.

He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.

That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. "Well, my friend," said Solomon, "have you found what I sent you after?" All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled.

To everyone's surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, "Here it is, your majesty!" As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: _gimel, zayin, yud_, which began the words "_Gam zeh ya'avor_" -- "This too shall pass."

At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust. 

Povestea monarhului are si niste invataminte la urma:

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 circumstance, 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 questions? 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 appealed to all of them. They went to the 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 attacked the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of the 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 the Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at 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. 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 struck him- 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. 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 the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him.

After a few minutes 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 regained his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fanfare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on the 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 opened 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 comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life.. 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 the past.

They have gone. There are friends today. They too will go. There will be new friends tomorrow. They too will go. There were enemies in the past. They have gone. There may be enemies in the 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.

Despre aceeasi poveste, intr-o varianta mai scurta, inclusa intr-o culegere de povestiri zen, se afirma ca ar fi o povestioara sufi. 

According to an ancient Sufi story, there once lived a king in a Middle Eastern land. The king was continuously torn between happiness and despondancy. The smallest things could make him really upset or give him an intense emotional reaction, so his happiness easily turned into disappointment and despair. One day the king got tired of himself and started seeking a way out.

He sent for a wiseman living in his kingdom. The wiseman was reputed for being enlightened. When he arrived, the king said to him, "I want to be like you. Can you bring me something that give balance, peace and serenity in my life? I will pay whatever price you like."

The wiseman replied, "I may be able to help you, but the price is so great that not even your kingdom would be enough payment for it. Therefore I will give it to you as a gift, if you will honor it."

The king gave his assurances, and the wiseman left. A few weeks later he returned, and handed the king an ornate box carved in jade. The king opened the box, and found a simple gold ring inside. The inscription on the ring read, This, too, shall pass. "What is the meaning of this?" asked the king.

The wiseman replied, "Wear this ring always. Whatever happens, before you call it good or bad, touch the ring and read the inscription. That way, you will always be at peace."

Am gasit altundeva si o completare la aceasta povestioara, extrasa dintr-o carte (din aceeasi sursa am sa public is pozele aferente)
 
Those words inscribed on the ring are not telling you that you should not enjoy the good in your life, nor are they merely meant to provide some comfort in times of suffering. They have a deeper purpose, to make you aware of the fleetingness of every situation, which is due to the transience of all forms – good or bad. When you become aware of the transience of all forms, your attachment to them lessens, and you disidentify from them to some extent.

Being detached does not mean that you cannot enjoy the good the world has to offer. In fact, you enjoy it more. Once you see and accept the transience of all things and the inevitability of change you can enjoy the pleasures of the world while they last without fear or anxiety about the future. When you are detached, you gain a high vantage point from which to view the events in your life instead of being trapped inside them.

When you are no longer totally identified with forms, consciousness –who you are– becomes freed from its imprisonment in form. This freedom is the arising of inner space. It comes as a stillness, a subtle peace deep within you, even in the face of something seemingly bad. This, too, shall pass. Suddenly, there is a space around the event. There is also space around the emotional highs and lows, even around pain. And above all, there is a space between your thoughts. And from that space emanates a peace that is not “of this world,” because this world is form, and the peace is space. This is a piece of God.”

Chapter 8, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

 

Dar adevaratele povestiri zen sunt f scurte, cum o va dovedi si textul de mai jos, in care comentariile exced mult ca intindere scurtimea istorioarei:

A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!"

"It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.

A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!'

"It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly.


People's reactions to this story:

"It is true that the only constant in life is change."

"Everyones life including their spiritual life has its ups and downs but they pass. All one can hope for when the spiritual is in a down is to keep it where it is until one can progress further."

"The teacher knows that life has its own cycles. There are good days and bad days."

"This reminds me of Matthew 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life. "

"At times we feel bad and at times we feel good, that is life whether you are meditating or not."

"It seems this story is suggesting to not get caught up in the "good and bad" or any of the dualities of life because it is all temporary."

"How true of Meditation"

"i did have a reaction to this story ... by now it's passed"

"Life is not static, change occurs all the time"

" Time ia mighty force that wipes everything out."

"Even the stone at the river's edge experiences inevitable change, the warmth from the sun, the coolness of the snow, the erosion of the water. Nothing remains constant and we must always be prepared to adapt to the current conditions. "

"Being alive (Life) has its ups and downs, good days and bad, rain and sun, illness and health, laughter and tears. Nothing bad will last forever. Nothing good will last forever either."

"Whatever it is that we're looking for - Truth, Enlightenment, Nirvana, the Kingdom of God, Wisdom, etc. - I think it goes far beyond just pleasure and pain. I read another Buddhist story awhile ago that went something like this: A student asked his Master how he could meditate without being distracted by heat or cold. The Master replied, "When it is hot, you burn to death. When it is cold, you freeze to death." Pleasure and pain are both important in their way, but they're about us, and our human sensations, not about Truth. Then again, they're probably a big part of the puzzle and I just don't know what I'm talking about..."

"Meditation isn't supposed to be about you and your feelings."

"The mind initially experiences various moods during meditation...during true meditation there exists only bliss."

"In the language of the Buddha (Pali): 'Anicca, anicca, anicca.' 'Change, change, change.' At every moment there is change, there is nothing permanent, there is Nothing to hold onto. No wonder in Zen that awareness is so key! Who knows what change will bring?"

"Ecstacy will become ordinary and the ordinary will become extraordinary."

"Everything is transitory! Depression and jubilation are the hills and valleys along our path - one inevitably follows another. The only constant in life is change."

"This story demonstrates the impermanence of ALL things. Do not become attached to your bad feelings or to your good feelings for that matter. They are both equal in the fact they will both come to an end. Just experience things."

"Do not think, Do not not think, Do not!"

"I believe that if you think of something too much (how the meditation feels), you are changing the intent of the meditation, and it will no longer be natural."

"The zen master was trying to tell the student that meditation isnt about good or bad. It's not about emotion. It's about clarity"

"The eternal motion of Yin/Yang! Polarities seek their opposites. A hot cup of coffee becomes cold if left to itself and a cold glass of water becomes warm. There are fools who think that since they are going through a good or bad phase in life that it'll stay that way! Everything that a person studies about the life can be summed up in three words, "Life goes on." It will pass!"

"Life is a process, not a conclusion."

"Your road through life may is filled with an assortment of ruts and rocks, but it also has pleasant stretches of pavement. If you are currently in a rut, don't worry and be strong , it will pass', if your riding the pavement, however, beware it to will pass."

"Everything pass. Buddha-Sidharta is a river. (H.Hesse). The story is the true point of Buddhism.

"The only way to have a true understanding of the way we feel is to have an understanding that our emotional responses occur in a bigger picture. If we don't look at the big picture we let our momentary successes and failures seesaw our emotional states up and down...."

"Being is."

"It is trying to say that the mind wanders. You lose commiment top things and every other day, something more interstings captures your mind."

"Always a good thing to remember. Nothing is permanent. Enjoy."

"My reaction: Time heals all. If you can't concentrate it's because your worried about something and not happy with yourself. Keep Smiling"

Iata si poemul:

This Too, Shall Pass Away

by Paul Hamilton Hayne, American editor, writer, poet.

“Art thou in misery, brother? Then I pray
Be comforted. Thy grief shall pass away.
Art thou elated? Ah, be not too gay;
Temper thy joy: this, too, shall pass away.
Art thou in danger? Still let reason sway,
And cling to hope: this, too, shall pass away.
Tempted art thou? In all thine anguish lay
One truth to heart: this, too, shall pass away.
Do rays of loftier glory round thee play?
Kinglike art thou? This, too, shall pass away!
Whate’er thou art, wher’er thy footsteps stray,
Heed these wise words: This, too, shall pass away.”