Wednesday, January 11, 2012

A Zen Poem of Compassion Part II


THE BETRAYAL

The other day, I wrote a blog on feeling betrayed by my body when I exercise and eat healthily and still fail most of the lab tests.
 Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention to arrive in a beautifully and artfully well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming. . .”WOW!  What a Ride!”  Author unknown
I don’t know if Martin Luther King said this or if he said something before it, like “I still believe that standing up for truth is the greatest thing in the world.”  Whoever said it, I like it:
"This is the end of life: 
The end of life is not to be happy;
the end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain;
the end of life is to live in a sacred way,
come what may.”
 I must forgive my body for what I thought was a betrayal. 
I see more clearly today,
come what may.


P.S.  I still want to subscribe to that Magazine for Failure.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hj

I know nothing about Zen
Boot zen vot due eye no
I like your ending eight lines

ld

Charmaine Anderson said...

Maybe you could write the magazine for failure. My old age motto is: "Life is not The fantasy." Whatever we think we should, could or would have is probably not going to happen so I try to focus on the good I have and try not to let disappointment and discouragement cancel out the positive--but it is not easy.