Thich Nhat Hanh (R.I.P.)

[Strugglin]

In one of my earlier posts, i.t. probably soundead like i was knocking Thich Nhat Hanh, but, NoThing Could Be Further From The TRUTH. I LOVE THIS MAN, ALWAYS HAVE, ALLWAYS WILL. He HEPeD ME, SAVED MY LIFE ACTUALLY by REPEATING his FAVORITE MANTRA, to an almost NAUSEATING EXxTENT, "I Breathe In...I Know That I Am Breathing In...I Breathe Out...I know That I'm Breathing Out" which he referred ot as "Coming Home to the Breath". Wouldn't have gotten through the intense anxiety without that trickkk. And he had a video, which i've shared countless times, and I HIGHLY DOUBT any any any ANY ONE has actually WATCHED I.T., BUTT, in that VIDEO, he discussed the "ILLUSION of CONNECTION"....SPECIFICiALLY, the ILLUSION of >ONLINE< *ONLY* "CONNECTION".

youtube.com/watch?v=HD6l2jK...(Not working as expected?)

HowEVER, I have BEGUN to QUESTION whether or NOT that MIGHT BE self-DEFEATING at THIS POINT. Might have been TRUE in 2012 when this video was RECORDED, when there was ST.ILL some SEMBLANCE of FACE TO FACE HUMAN CONNECTION LEFT, but a DECADE LATER, ONLINE CONNECTION is pretty much ALL SOME OF US GOT. PERIOD. I remember making the argument "SoCiaL Media BAD MMMKAY" with a good friend of mine a few years ago aand ranting and raving dabout the DANGERS of it's MISUSE, and the potentially unwanted PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE EFFECTS from ALL of the NEGATIVITY ONLINE. She politely agreed to disagree, stating that for HER, it was EXACTLY the OPPOSITE, it was her LIFE LINE, SHE, like ME, was VERY INTROVERTED. I say WAS because SHE's NOW DECEASED> SHAMED.2.DEATH...quite LITERALLY. So we were EACH RIGHT in OUR OWN WAYS. The PSYcHOLGICiACaL SiDe EfFeCxTxS did.her.in, BUT, i am now FINDING that JUST LIKE SHE SAID, SOCiAL MeDiA is MY ONLY SOURCE of HUMAN CONNECTiON anymore. The ONLY REASON that the PSYCHOLOGiCiAL SIDE EFFECxTxS Don't DO ME IN like they DID>HER, is because of my STUMBLING UPoN the "GREAT DAO", CHUANG TZU'S "THE GREAT DAO". And even the DALI LLAMA RECoGnIZeD the PURE GENiUS of Chuang Tzu. He gives a.n amazing endorsement of the MESSAGE of Chuang Tzu in the AUDIOBOOK "The Way of Chuang Tzu by Thomas Merton". He pays a HEARTWARMING TRIBUTE to THOMAS MERTON ALSO, who was a CHRISTIAN MONK, btw, who was later MURDERED> for his BELIEFS> by a CHRISTIAN. But the Dali Lama STATEd that he JUST KNEW that CHUANG TZU'S "VisZsion", if ADOPTED, would SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE. He STATED that he embraced SOME of I.T. And I Love Dlly Lama a WHOLE WHOLE LOT, but SOME of i.t. ain't GOOD ENOUGH. I EMBRACE ALL.OF.I.T. and THAT'S WHAT I.T. TAKES. Without QUESTION, Thich Nhat HanH EMBRACED ALL.OF.I.T.2... Just LISTEN to his PROFOUNDLY POETIC MASTERPIECE: "CALL ME BY MY TRUE NAMES". It's ALL RIGHT HERE in THIS POEM: (NO BETTER / NO WORSE). youtube.com/watch?v=JADWkoU...(Not working as expected?)

And last but NOT LEAST, the ONLY WAY that I.S...

youtube.com/watch?v=8KVEz3v...(Not working as expected?)

And to THINK that CHUANG TZU was out there in the STREETS >> CALLING PEOPLE OUT >> DIRECKKKTLY to THEIR FACES. That.TOOK. BALLS. of. STEEL. My Friends.

Imagine doing that TODAY??? People WILL get VIOLENT when THEIR LIES and THEIR HYPOCRISY is CONFRONTED DIRECTKKKLY.

So, YEA< maybe i.t.'s BEST that WE'RE ALL behinD TvHvEvEvZ >💻SCREENS💻< nowadays, for this NEW ERA that is DAWNING...whatEVER tha HELL u WANNA CALL I.T.

[Dolphin14]

There is so much depth to this post. I watched this video and I wish more people would. Finding ourselves is the key to healing. I strongly believe in that. If we don't take the time to look within we can't take a next step.

A true connection with ourselves through mindfulness and awareness is the only way to move to compassion in a community. This man was an amazing teacher. In my opinion not enough people use the power of these talks in healing themselves. It's another source of education to come to peace within and in our world

Thank you so much for posting. The poem has always brought tears to my eyes.

Metta

🐬

[Strugglin in reply to Dolphin14]

🙏