Distracted. . .
This thousand-year-old legend is one of the first terrifying stories within the buddhist tales:
Once upon a time, there was an impoverished samurai living in Kyoto with his wife. A wealthy lord from a distant land invited the samurai to be his vassal. Because it was such an honorable opportunity, he had no choice but to accept, leaving his wife to wait in poverty at home until he returned.
Years later, having dutifully served his lord, the samurai finally returned to Kyoto. Although his house was in disrepair, his wife was still there to happily welcome him home. Finally reunited, the two spent the entire night talking and laughing together before drifting off to sleep. When the samurai awoke, the warmth he had felt just the night before from having his arms wrapped around his loving wife was no longer there. Instead, he opened his eyes to see that he was only holding a cold skeleton, shrouded in long, black hair.
The samurai learned that his wife passed away from sadness the summer before, but her skeleton had remained in the house all the while, waiting faithfully for his return.
Our lesson: Life often calls upon us to do many things – sacrifice our time for jobs, for duties and for others. We can often become so caught up in these moments that we fail to see the support and sacrifices others have made to allow us to succeed. Always remember that though our path may seem like we walk it alone there are many who have paved the way for us. Do not let your goals and dreams paint pictures that erase your realities.
Peace and Love, Jim
#distracted #thedailybuddha
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