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Thread: The Impermanence of All Things

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    Australia Moderator Harmony's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Reading of such strength of spirit in all the above personal experiences brings strength to our souls knowing how strong and resilient the "human" spirit is, even during the most difficult times.

    I have indeed had my share of challenges (I hope ☺). Last January I was unexpectedly back in hospital with a problem stricture that once in a while suddenly plays up. With Covid 19 just starting I wasn't too impressed, knowing it means a fun nasal tube being put in and having my stomach pumped. That's as fun as it sounds 😊.

    Anyway, after the third day in hospital I was recovering well. Another elderly man, 93 years old was wheeled in that afternoon and two doctors soon came to see him and very loudly and uncompassionately told him he had very little hope of surviving but they could do surgery and he might have some chance of living and they left.

    The other elderly lady and other gentleman in the same ward were out for a walk with their visitors and I was alone in the ward looking across at this very old thin man with tears running down his cheeks. I hopped out of bed in my glamourous hospital gown and took this mans hand which felt like a dry autumn leaf and asked him if he would like me to ask the nurses to phone his family.

    He replied he didn't want to cause any one any problems or have any one to see him dying. I told him it was absolutely no problem and if I were his daughter I would want him to ring me. Funnily, we started talking about dying and believing there was more afterwards and I was telling him of my near death experience. I tried to boost his hope and told him I had a similar problem and he was suddenly very concerned for my welfare which quite surprised me to see such a fiery twinkle in his sunken elderly eyes.

    We had a little weep together and then his nurse came so I went back to my bed.

    Later that afternoon his estranged wife and daughter were with him before he got wheeled out to surgery and I do know he made it through the surgery but I left the next morning. I hoped I helped him in some way and he is well.

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    United States Avalon Member earthdreamer's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Years ago I cut out a printed quote attributed to Maya Angelou, went something like ‘People might not remember what you said but they remember how you made them feel.’ Those acts of kindness actually do matter in this world of impermanence. No matter how fleeting the moment, how close we get to the end of our illusion of ‘permanence’, it seems we are granted some small and profound insight into our human heart. My soul trips on dancing flames, rippling waters, moonlight reflections on wavering leaves and charging clouds. My memories will join those shadows one day.

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    UK Avalon Founder Bill Ryan's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Quote Posted by earthdreamer (here)
    Years ago I cut out a printed quote attributed to Maya Angelou, went something like ‘People might not remember what you said but they remember how you made them feel.’ Those acts of kindness actually do matter in this world of impermanence. No matter how fleeting the moment, how close we get to the end of our illusion of ‘permanence’, it seems we are granted some small and profound insight into our human heart. My soul trips on dancing flames, rippling waters, moonlight reflections on wavering leaves and charging clouds. My memories will join those shadows one day.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    This reminds me of a poem I wrote long time ago (in the 60's)

    Travel light

    Take leave from time.
    Forget space, dimensions, money
    airports, passports, noise.
    Your gorgeous body
    is worth nothing over there.

    The voyage is far
    because from now on
    familiar places are out of reach,
    no longer here or there
    Upside and down already
    a streak of unrecoverable past.

    Travel light:
    limbs are cumbersome
    the past is a burden
    that glues you forever
    to the cry of agony
    of the broken heart.

    Travel light:
    take only your soul
    your fantasy, your will
    and only as much
    of truthful love
    as you need for an eternity.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    To the question: "How do I feel about death?" I can answer simply:
    If a simple honest fisherman managed to live happily and then die, I think I can handle it too.
    Then I ask myself, how can I accept this when I am completely anchored in the evolution of the theory of life as a fact ... then, without giving me any answer, the answer comes partially ... maybe we should learn how to die happy and fulfilled by honoring life?
    Then I come and reinforce this by saying that this wonderful accident called life makes me believe, every moment more and more, learning that I will never have any doubt about the "after" thing.

    Two days ago, a very old friend died peacefully in her sleep.Today I went to her funeral.
    She had a life rich in a lot of work and dedication for the family as I have not seen anywhere. Looking at her smiling silence under her eyes closed in a beautiful sleep and not thinking I would think anything, I struck a resemblance between her life and mine ... and I realized how much I sailed on my own journey, just like her ... thinking ok..I'm halfway through and I feel compelled(maybe) to draw a line with chalk symbolizing a comprehensive conclusion .The step along that line already drawn, should be quite important, or maybe not.

    I recognized my own approach in life experiences, people, professions, places, a kind of transposition into a kind of game in the only career that supervises the whole spectrum of experience and in the context of the model of society, location, time, attributed elements, I felt different similarities throughout the recognition process.

    I remembered that the deceased person, a week ago, kept saying happily that the end was near, sometimes she made plans that for example, she planned her luggage always saying happily "I'm going to my house"! Yesterday I caressed her and she was so happy in her fine smile on her face (which only those close to her can recognize) that I could only be happy and tell her with a sigh "I'm glad you got to your home"!

    At her age, she accumulated memories of feeling after the economic crisis of 1929, going through World War II and so many regimes (royal, socialist, democracy) to find just this time for the end, made me think about her experience...yes, she was my grandmother.

    I left from there, heading back home, initially thinking that I will not be able to walk that far although the distance is probably only 2 km.
    Along the way, I was trying to find a permanent connection to the impermanence as nature, by gathering more and more data and memories about it, lifestyle career, choices and I made a summary without capturing the conclusion yet because I still had many steps to get home…maybe.

    I am not in the situation to say that all ideas about the unknown can be solved and especially this, I have no illusions but it is worth recognizing at least the power of life and death to choose the discourse of legitimacy of one's own awakening, precisely because inevitably not, I'm still the same person a few minutes ago, and still not.

    Meaning can anticipate any problem, so perhaps curiosity is one of the emotions that proves I am alive(?)
    Maybe we shouldn't avoid life just as we shouldn't avoid death, maybe we should contribute so that we don't just remain spectators of eternity, of course it's as debatable as a proverb that says “you burn the candle at both ends” : )
    …the tendency is generally counterproductive and almost trivial in equilibrium to avoid both phenomena ... it is perhaps only essential spectral cosmic comic, and less bad.
    There is also the expression: "He died laughing", an anecdote of life to look with dignity, "deadly serious" in the whole process, something I once heard as an association of the expression: "This is the last thing I do(dying)!" which can be interpreted as well like “this would be the last thing we would like doing” ... it is a whole of assistance of individual experience, each one must find his own mystery and fun.

    If life is not given with a meaning to the package, practiced trajectory is a relative game with imposed figures, we receive a sentence of life and death, lucidity comes in the condition of signing all the limits of freedom that in real time consciousness, this is sometimes not an option, more maybe chosen in the non-temporality of existence.
    It is a form of indulgence fully assumed, living the feeling of fundamental meaning not by obligation but by the splendor of being wise enough to be born in the first place.

    But in all the permanent impermanence of life, I found my mission, attribution and possibility of contribution, it is not about profession, places or time or career, it is about my permanence always to be gentle with all people, and this is not quality, it is a dedication in my only "profession" to be a simple man.

    I look forward to the experiences of others of you ... I will definitely love each experience through the emotion of human nature in it

    Here's something to cheer you up the permanence of music and joy…

    The Chieftains - O'Sullivan's March(4:04)



    Anca
    And all this to be just human.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Anka,

    What an eloquent. beautiful post you have written that is full of heart
    Impermanence is a day to day experience.
    One can really be a witness to this when working with those who are dying.

    I worked in a hospice for a few years and I can still see the faces of those that died whilst I was caring for them.

    I remember all their faces and their stories. Each person had a story to tell full of experiences and I appreciated what they shared. I'm a better person for it.

    I recall how strong and dignified they all were facing the unknown. I had much respect for the bereaved, digging deep for the days to come when they had to face and accept their loss.

    As a witness to this, I really saw the beauty of the human spirit.
    Last edited by Forest Denizen; 27th October 2020 at 15:49.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things


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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    I'm fascinated by clips from the past.
    It makes me feel so connected to the people of the time.
    As they stare into the camera.....I stare back at them, a connection is made.
    I always wonder what the people in these videos are thinking, feeling.

    This is a poingnant film, as it is filmed 4 days prior to the San Francisco earthquake, they were all busying about their lives, unaware disaster was about to strike.

    On a positive note, it was amazing to see the San Francisco bridge when I flew over a few years ago. San Francisco worked hard to rebuild.

    Starts at 2:00

    Last edited by Zirconian; 27th October 2020 at 14:09.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    WOW!!! This is really stunning!! Thank you, Zirconian! I had seen the original un-enhanced black and white version and it was really something but this is unbelievable! Particularly so as I live just north of the city. The tasteful addition of sound is also very well done.

    This individual seems to have done a lot of these wonderful enhanced pieces of footage.. they are on his YouTube channel. Here's another shorter one that I found to be absolutely spellbinding. It's from Tokyo in the early part of the last century. Parts of it are kind of eerie because they seem to have almost the quality of a live video feed. Almost as if the people in the footage are looking back at me through my screen!

    Last edited by Forest Denizen; 27th October 2020 at 17:54.
    "Love is the only engine of survival.." Leonard Cohen

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Hi Ken,

    He does make very good videos.
    I found him when I was looking at videos of times past, particularly from the UK before the 1st world war, my great grandad's generation (he fought in the Somme). This truly was the generation who faced many episodes of impermanence; the first world war, spanish flu, the depression and the second world war.

    I too am mesmerised when the people in the video stare into the camera, I feel connected to them in that moment. Connection through time.

    I've added something a little different. A meditation on impermanence. Helpful words in our times.



    Tamara Levitt guides this #DailyCalm meditation on the impermanent nature of everything around us. She invites you to let go of the battle with your thoughts and rest here for a moment of calm.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Last edited by Bill Ryan; 15th December 2022 at 19:46.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    For all those who are going through changes that are stirring the emotions.



    The lyrics may not be to everyones taste, but the singer has a masterful, pure voice and gives a sublime performance, that soothes those troubled feelings.

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    Australia Moderator Harmony's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Thank you for the above post Zirconian Sometimes slowing down and finding peace within the deepest part of ourselves before we move forward can make all the difference in how we respond to life.
    Last edited by Harmony; 16th December 2022 at 13:00.

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Hi Harmony,

    It is probably the best way and the hardest to do, but I continue to practice

    I love Jorden Peterson and when i have time, I like to dip in and out of listening to his videos on the Jordan Peterson thread.

    Here's just a packed few minutes of his insight on change


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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    This is an excellent talk. Real, engaging, with humour and eloquently shows the best of the human spirit.

    Had to post, thinking of all those going through this, particularly at this time of year.


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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things

    Another timely

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    Default Re: The Impermanence of All Things




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