To A Small Teacher ... Master Tin Tin, Now Passed

[Jundo]

It is not very Buddhist of me, but my heart aches for your family's loss.

Why is that "not Buddhist"? My heart aches too!

It is just that, as our hearts are broken, we simultaneously know a Heart which Cannot Be Broken (the "Heart Sutra" Heart )

Broken hearted and Unbreakable AT ONCE!

And Timo, thank you for the nice story. I tell my kids that Tinky went back to the same place we are before we were born, and that place is actually all around us now but cannot be seen so easily. So, Tinky is here now but cannot be seen like we saw him before. We have to see him with the heart, not just with the eyes.

Anyway, that was the best I could come up with to help a 3 and 10 year old understand. Don't know if my kids ... or little "Gita" in your story ... really understand what the heck we are saying (or if I understand! ), but my kids seem to be okay.

Gassho, J

[Daitetsu]

Hi Jundo,

I tell my kids that Tinky went back to the same place we are before we were born, and that place is actually all around us now but cannot be seen so easily. So, Tinky is here now but cannot be seen like we saw him before. We have to see him with the heart, not just with the eyes.
Anyway, that was the best I could come up with to help a 3 and 10 year old understand.

I think that's a pretty neat explanation. I have the feeling that children can understand that better than we might think of them.

Don't know if my kids ... or little "Gita" in your story ... really understand what the heck we are saying (or if I understand! ), but my kids seem to be okay.

Such things are already hard for us adults, good to hear they are fine!

Gassho,

Daitetsu