Sara Arizona » learning

Estachological Laundry List by Sheldon Kopp

Sara Fryd — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:11:39 +0000

1. This is it!

2. There are no hidden meanings.

3. You can’t get there from here, and besides there’s no place else to go.

4. We are all already dying, and we will be dead for a long time.

5. Nothing lasts.

6. There is no way of getting all you want.

7. You can’t have anything unless you let go of it.

8. You only get to keep what you give away.

9. There is no particular reason why you lost out on some things.

10. The world is not necessarily just. Being good often does not pay off and there is no compensation for misfortune.

11. You have a responsibility to do your best nonetheless.

12. It is a random universe to which we bring meaning.

13. You don’t really control anything.

14. You can’t make anyone love you.

15. No one is any stronger or any weaker than anyone else.

16. Everyone is, in his own way, vulnerable.

17. There are no great men.

18. If you have a hero, look again: you have diminished yourself in some way.

19. Everyone lies, cheats, pretends (yes, you too, and most certainly I myself).

20. All evil is potential vitality in need of transformation.

21. All of you is worth something, if you will only own it.

22. Progress is an illusion.

23. Evil can be displaced but never eradicated, as all solutions breed new problems.

24. Yet it is necessary to keep on struggling toward solution.

25. Childhood is a nightmare.

26. But it is so very hard to be an on-your-own-take-care-of-yourself-casue-there-is-no-one-else-to-do-it-for-you grown-up.

27. Each of us is ultimately alone.

28. The most important things, each man must do for himself.

29. Love is not enough, but it sure helps.

30. We have only ourselves, and one another. That may not be much, but that’s all there is.

31. How strange, that so often, it all seems worth it.

32. We must live within the ambiguity of partial freedom, partial power, and partial knowledge.

33. All important decisions must be made on the basis of insufficient data.

34. Yet we are responsible for everything we do.

35. No excuses will be accepted.

36. You can run, but you can’t hide.

37. It is most important to run out of scapegoats.

38. We must learn the power of living with our helplessness.

39. The only victory lies in surrender to oneself.

40. All of the significant battles are waged within the self.

41. You are free to do whatever you like. You need only face the consequences.

42. What do you know…for sure…anyway?

43. Learn to forgive yourself, again and again and again and again…

from If You Meet the Budha on the Road, Kill Him © by Sheldon Kopp*

*You can find a list of Dr. Kopp’s books on wikipedia.org and many used on Amazon.com. Titles are as fantastic as the books.

God Will Save Me

Sara Fryd — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:11:01 +0000

*It is noted I did NOT write this story. I’ve heard many variations, nevertheless it is still a great story.

A very religious man who had followed God’s commandments his whole life found himself living in a house on the banks of a river that was rising. It was raining hard and all predictions were for bad flooding. The banks of the river were rising and coming into his home. The water was gushing in quickly.

He thought I will be all right “God will save me.”

First the town’s fire truck came for him. His friend the fire chief called, “Bob, come on climb aboard. It’s rising fast, we need to evacuate everyone. Hurry up, Bob!”

“No, no”, he said, “I will be all right God will save me.”

Next the Coast Guard boat came for him. “Come on, climb aboard. It’s rising fast, we need to evacuate everyone. Hurry up, Bob!”

“No, no”, he said, “I will be all right God will save me.”

Then Bob was on the roof of his house, when a helicopter came for him dropping the basket down and he refused to climb in saying, “That’s okay, I’ll wait here. God will save me.”

Bob dies drowning as the water is now higher than the roof and when he gets to heaven he gets really mad and says to God, “I was a good man my whole life, a good religious man. How then could you let me drown like that?”

God smiles and responds, “What do you mean? I sent you a fire truck, a boat, and a helicopter. We all couldn’t get you to leave your house.”

Hope Arrives at Daylight

Sara Fryd — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 18:11:23 +0000

I walked alone upon a road beside a hill

Where I saw an open grave lying still

All alone beneath a tree, when I came near

The darkness grew, took my sight, left the fear

For there, right there, in front of me

There was my name, inscribed on stone,

beneath the tree.

Unsure, I tripped, I grasped for land

I grabbed at air, I brushed her hand

Then face to face I came with her, I couldn’t see

I knew not buried yet, the her was me.

She hugged me long, whispered, “Please

don’t cry. I’ve come to talk, to say good bye.

It’s time for me to go, I’ve done my best.

You’ve grown so much, passed every test.

You’re wiser now, courageous, strong.

I’m tired, it’s time for me to move along.

I know the journey left in front of you,

Is full of love and stories, too.”

I hugged her back, she felt so warm.

She said, “It’s time to go, you’re on your own.

I have to go, I’ve done my thing.

Lay me to rest next to the spring.

Go on your way and never fear.
The world is warm, your path is clear.”

I turned to face where she had gone,

And saw instead a glowing dawn.

The night had passed, the world was new.

I’d lost myself and found me too.

*published in Michal’s Tefillin 28 Sept 10 http://michalstefillin.com/2010/09/

In the End

Sara Fryd — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:11:45 +0000

It matters not

who did

what to whom

or why…

It matters only

how we get

from there

to here

and when.