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Hello everyone!
Chapter 18 is… “And in the End…” almost, because Toni wraps up the book with the Appendices which Kokuu will cover after. Chapter 18 sums up the main themes of the book, plus an overview of how the Buddha handled pain, illness, and what metaphors and symbology we can draw from the monks’ lives and practices to use in our own perspectives of living with illness.
This chapter is very short. Toni mentions the monks’ bowls and how they would beg for food each day. The monks’ daily food allotment was limited to whatever the villagers gave them each day – a few pieces or a full bowl. The analogy was that our “lot in life” is akin to the monks’ bowl – and whether we feel that we are blessed (or not so blessed!) with what’s in our bowls.
She describes the Buddha’s equanimity with pain and illness, which she seems to draw great peace from his example. I appreciate the Buddha’s example, but I am not at the point of following it yet. While I have a high pain tolerance (so I’ve been told), I definitely let my frustration be known sometimes when I’ve had enough (only when alone or in certain company, however).
She also gives a perspective on loneliness that I found very interesting, as it made me realize that she prefers to be around people more (social gatherings), whereas I very much prefer solitary, quiet activities, but I also enjoy small group settings on occasion. Her perspective in the chapter helped me to see illness from another angle – that one can experience loneliness in different ways, and illness can create loneliness differently from person to person. For a highly social person, it may be a more difficult experience than for someone like me. However, chronic illness still causes similar limitations, in that it can interfere with our ability to do what we love and/or need to do – regardless of our social leanings.
Questions –
-- There weren’t specific questions in this chapter, but do you find the Buddha’s example helpful? Are there other teachers or role models that you refer to for inspiration?
-- Do you find Toni’s suggestion of a “bowl of life” analogy helpful? Are there other analogies or metaphors for life with chronic illness that are useful to you?
-- As caregivers, do you find these analogies useful? This chapter did not have much for caregivers, although Toni referred to her husband’s use of the same examples to describe their lives together. Do you find that as well, or do you find other metaphors are more useful to you?
—Overall, have you found this book to be helpful to you? Toni has other books as well – do you think they might be helpful? Have the exercises and practices been useful for your life or illness? If you could ask Toni anything, or make suggestions, what would they be? Any “final” thoughts before the Appendices and suggested practices next week?
gassho, meian st lh
__________________________________________________
Hello everyone!
Chapter 18 is… “And in the End…” almost, because Toni wraps up the book with the Appendices which Kokuu will cover after. Chapter 18 sums up the main themes of the book, plus an overview of how the Buddha handled pain, illness, and what metaphors and symbology we can draw from the monks’ lives and practices to use in our own perspectives of living with illness.
This chapter is very short. Toni mentions the monks’ bowls and how they would beg for food each day. The monks’ daily food allotment was limited to whatever the villagers gave them each day – a few pieces or a full bowl. The analogy was that our “lot in life” is akin to the monks’ bowl – and whether we feel that we are blessed (or not so blessed!) with what’s in our bowls.
She describes the Buddha’s equanimity with pain and illness, which she seems to draw great peace from his example. I appreciate the Buddha’s example, but I am not at the point of following it yet. While I have a high pain tolerance (so I’ve been told), I definitely let my frustration be known sometimes when I’ve had enough (only when alone or in certain company, however).
She also gives a perspective on loneliness that I found very interesting, as it made me realize that she prefers to be around people more (social gatherings), whereas I very much prefer solitary, quiet activities, but I also enjoy small group settings on occasion. Her perspective in the chapter helped me to see illness from another angle – that one can experience loneliness in different ways, and illness can create loneliness differently from person to person. For a highly social person, it may be a more difficult experience than for someone like me. However, chronic illness still causes similar limitations, in that it can interfere with our ability to do what we love and/or need to do – regardless of our social leanings.
Questions –
-- There weren’t specific questions in this chapter, but do you find the Buddha’s example helpful? Are there other teachers or role models that you refer to for inspiration?
-- Do you find Toni’s suggestion of a “bowl of life” analogy helpful? Are there other analogies or metaphors for life with chronic illness that are useful to you?
-- As caregivers, do you find these analogies useful? This chapter did not have much for caregivers, although Toni referred to her husband’s use of the same examples to describe their lives together. Do you find that as well, or do you find other metaphors are more useful to you?
—Overall, have you found this book to be helpful to you? Toni has other books as well – do you think they might be helpful? Have the exercises and practices been useful for your life or illness? If you could ask Toni anything, or make suggestions, what would they be? Any “final” thoughts before the Appendices and suggested practices next week?
gassho, meian st lh
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