Just looking at my scar the other day and I thought it'd be an interesting question. It tends to be an interesting conversation.
I have five:
My left upper wrist (the size of a marble) and a crescent-shaped slit on my lower lip -- I fell on the ice when I was like 12. I was delivering newspapers with a friend, in the winter. I had my hands in my pockets while walking on ice. I slipped, since my hands were in my pockets I didn't have time to recover, so my face smacked into concrete, covered with ice. I also chipped a tooth and was bleeding considerably. The most painful experience of my life.
My right thumb (looks somewhat like a crooked + sign or swastika) -- Was trying to pry something open with a big knife, my hand slipped.
My left thumb -- No idea. It's pretty small, though. Probably just another accident with a knife.
My right knee -- About 6 months ago, I was running across a street. My back heel slipped off of a curb as I was crossing it, I then dove forward, landing on my knees first, and then scraping my palms against the street. I didn't need stitches, but was extremely sore for several days.
I learned a lesson in caution from all of this: All of it pretty much just happened because of carelessness.
Oh, and one more thing: This isn't a scar exactly, but it's sort of like one. When I was a child, maybe 7 or 8, I was using one of those manual pencil sharpeners... Like the above, my hand slipped and I accidentally stabbed my left palm. The tip of the pencil also broke off. The wound healed with the pencil lead still inside. It's been there for almost 20 years now. The spot has faded a bit as I've grown, but it's still there.
Individual wrote:Just looking at my scar the other day and I thought it'd be an interesting question. It tends to be an interesting conversation.
I have five:
My left upper wrist (the size of a marble) and a crescent-shaped slit on my lower lip -- I fell on the ice when I was like 12. I was delivering newspapers with a friend, in the winter. I had my hands in my pockets while walking on ice. I slipped, since my hands were in my pockets I didn't have time to recover, so my face smacked into concrete, covered with ice. I also chipped a tooth and was bleeding considerably. The most painful experience of my life.
My right thumb (looks somewhat like a crooked + sign or swastika) -- Was trying to pry something open with a big knife, my hand slipped.
My left thumb -- No idea. It's pretty small, though. Probably just another accident with a knife.
My right knee -- About 6 months ago, I was running across a street. My back heel slipped off of a curb as I was crossing it, I then dove forward, landing on my knees first, and then scraping my palms against the street. I didn't need stitches, but was extremely sore for several days.
I learned a lesson in caution from all of this: All of it pretty much just happened because of carelessness.
Oh, and one more thing: This isn't a scar exactly, but it's sort of like one. When I was a child, maybe 7 or 8, I was using one of those manual pencil sharpeners... Like the above, my hand slipped and I accidentally stabbed my left palm. The tip of the pencil also broke off. The wound healed with the pencil lead still inside. It's been there for almost 20 years now. The spot has faded a bit as I've grown, but it's still there.
My scars are in and of the heart.
Vision is Mind
Mind is Empty
Emptiness is Clear Light
Clear Light is Union
Union is Great Bliss
- Dawa Gyaltsen
---
Disclaimer: I'm a non-religious practitioner of Theravada, Mahayana/Vajrayana, and Tibetan Bon Dzogchen mind-training.
pink_trike wrote:
My scars are in and of the heart.
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta
Individual wrote:Just looking at my scar the other day and I thought it'd be an interesting question. It tends to be an interesting conversation.
I have five:
My left upper wrist (the size of a marble) and a crescent-shaped slit on my lower lip -- I fell on the ice when I was like 12. I was delivering newspapers with a friend, in the winter. I had my hands in my pockets while walking on ice. I slipped, since my hands were in my pockets I didn't have time to recover, so my face smacked into concrete, covered with ice. I also chipped a tooth and was bleeding considerably. The most painful experience of my life.
My right thumb (looks somewhat like a crooked + sign or swastika) -- Was trying to pry something open with a big knife, my hand slipped.
My left thumb -- No idea. It's pretty small, though. Probably just another accident with a knife.
My right knee -- About 6 months ago, I was running across a street. My back heel slipped off of a curb as I was crossing it, I then dove forward, landing on my knees first, and then scraping my palms against the street. I didn't need stitches, but was extremely sore for several days.
I learned a lesson in caution from all of this: All of it pretty much just happened because of carelessness.
Oh, and one more thing: This isn't a scar exactly, but it's sort of like one. When I was a child, maybe 7 or 8, I was using one of those manual pencil sharpeners... Like the above, my hand slipped and I accidentally stabbed my left palm. The tip of the pencil also broke off. The wound healed with the pencil lead still inside. It's been there for almost 20 years now. The spot has faded a bit as I've grown, but it's still there.
Interesting! Most of mine (the visible ones) are surgical - caesarian section, mole removal etc. But still a reminder that anything can happen at anytime.
metta
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
yo dharmaṁ paśyati, sa buddhaṁ paśyati
One who sees the Dharma, sees the Buddha
na pudgalo na ca skandhā buddho jñānamanāsravam
sadāśāntiṁ vibhāvitvā gacchāmi śaraṇaṁ hyaham
Neither a person nor the aggregates, the Buddha, is knowledge free from [evil] outflows
Clearly perceiving [him] to be eternally serene, I go for refuge [in him]
I have one across the abdomen from left hip to almost the right hip, its about 20 inches long. This was aquired last year when I had an Abdominal Aeortic Anuerism. Its soon to be joined almost literally by another, as during the CT scans that I had when the anuerism blew I was discovered to have a tumour on my left kidney, which is still classed as small, but becaise of its position I will need to lose the kidney...I suggested to the surgeon that he join the scars up and I can pretend that I was the victim of a shark attack...
Anyway my surgery is set for 16th November, so any spare metta would be appreciated...
PeterB wrote:I have one across the abdomen from left hip to almost the right hip, its about 20 inches long. This was aquired last year when I had an Abdominal Aeortic Anuerism. Its soon to be joined almost literally by another, as during the CT scans that I had when the anuerism blew I was discovered to have a tumour on my left kidney, which is still classed as small, but becaise of its position I will need to lose the kidney...I suggested to the surgeon that he join the scars up and I can pretend that I was the victim of a shark attack...
Anyway my surgery is set for 16th November, so any spare metta would be appreciated...
Oh my.... Much like a shark attack indeed, Peter, two times in a row, to lie down like that beneath the surgeon's knife.
Extra metta from my end is already on it's way, and will be for an extended duration.
"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)." ~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
Thanks Chris.
Of course if I had not had the anuerism its likely that i would not have known about the kidney tumour until much later, with all the possible consequences..
PeterB wrote:Thanks Chris.
Of course if I had not had the anuerism its likely that i would not have known about the kidney tumour until much later, with all the possible consequences..
1) Giving; expecting nothing back in return
2) Throwing things away
3) Contentment; wanting to be here, not wanting to be anywhere else
4) "Teflon Mind"; having a mind which doesn't accumulate things
PeterB wrote:
Anyway my surgery is set for 16th November, so any spare metta would be appreciated...
Hey there PeterB, hope it all goes well
Sounds like you've got a good outlook on it.
Metta, metta and more metta.
With metta
Jack
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta
When I was very young (maybe 5 or 6) I was chasing my sister (2 years older than me) through the house apparently angry for some reason (can't remember what exactly) and she slammed a door in my face which broke one of my first adult teeth. Thanks for the lesson on Kamma, Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta.
With Metta,
Guy
Four types of letting go:
1) Giving; expecting nothing back in return
2) Throwing things away
3) Contentment; wanting to be here, not wanting to be anywhere else
4) "Teflon Mind"; having a mind which doesn't accumulate things