u/Introvbear

One thing people often try is healing, which leads them to study how a story can help them learn to heal. This comes with a Tale of Two Monks. The story begins with two monks: an older one and a younger one, who walk down a road to a crossroad at a river. At the crossing, they find a young woman crying and tell the two that she is afraid of water and can not cross it. Without hesitation, the older monk helps her by carrying her on his shoulder and crossing with her, then sets the woman down. When they arrived at their destination, the younger monk was agitated, mumbling to himself. After a moment, the younger monk says to the older, 'Brother, we are prohibited from any contact with women, yet you carried that woman across the river on your back. You let her crawl onto you, and you held her! ' The older monk gives a slight smile and responds: 'Brother, I left her back at the crossing. Yet, you still appear to be carrying her.'

There are interpretations to this parable, but the lesson can be seen as letting go of the past so that you can heal in the present. So what do you think about this parable and healing from the past?

Yesterday, I had an epiphany while I was feeling down about past actions, and also feeling less about how others have favor over another person. I then did some study with Zen and found that comparing myself to others is a form of low ego, like how thinking of myself as better than others is high ego. What was needed most is that the comparison of others is a sign of ego, and I need to find my true self, not be compared, but to search for who I really am. I had quite the moment that it felt like quite the enlightening experience. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I've been trying to find a manga about people being struck by meteors and waking up in a prehistoric world with nothing but a lush forest with plants and water, with no signs of civilization or animals. After a while, people start to transform into animalistic creatures. I remember one part where a brother and sister are together trying to survive. The brother is the first to transform into a bovine humanoid who can eat the flora. However, the sister starts to starve because she can not eat the plants. After coming close to death, she transforms into a carnivorous, dinosaur-like creature and eats her brother. Does this series sound familiar to anyone?

Am I overreacting to my mother's request not to donate double reds when I donate blood? My mom heard how her friend went to the hospital because they did double reds while having low iron levels. The difference here is that I make sure my iron levels are high enough when I donate, which I achieve through a diet rich in iron-rich foods like Cream of Wheat, spinach, pumpkin seeds, and beans. I have donated many times before; while I do feel weak, I don't stay that way. My blood type is O+, which is common, but I still know that people with positive blood types can receive it. I should donate, and I make sure my iron levels are good. While I understand my mother's concern, I still want to donate despite her worries. Do you think I am overreacting to this request and should donate double red, or is there an actual danger to donating double red, and should I make regular donations instead?

Hello, I've been practicing Zen Buddhism on my own for over a year now, but I feel like I've neglected to try to become part of the Zen community. After reading Zen Buddhism: Your Personal Guide to Practice and Tradition by Joshua R. Paszkiewicz, I've decided to try to improve my spirituality by connecting with a community. The question is whether I should try online or offline sessions. I've found a temple near where I live that offers weekly meditation sessions that work with my current schedule. However, there are online communities, one I've researched, called the Zen Mountain Monastery, which offers more sessions per week. I now ask whether I should try real-life sessions, an online community, or a combination of the two? Also, what should I look for in a Zen community to cultivate my spirituality?

I wanted to share this video not only because Star Force Legacy Collection is out, but also because of how connected I felt to it. I wouldn't say that Star Force saved my life, but it has been an important part of my life, helping me find hope and connect with people more. With the Legacy Collection, I can make real-life brothers, and with that, it has given me more strength than I knew I had. Hope that you like this video!

In Buddhism, self-love is recognizing one's own worth, which then helps extend one's nature into the world. This practice helps accept one's flaws while fostering reflection and understanding. By gaining such an understanding of themselves, a person can use this wisdom to create balance within themselves, which can help prevent their own suffering and enable them to spread this compassion to those around them.

This concept is evident in Bleach through its Buddhist themes. A prime example is seen with Zanpakutos, especially with what Oetsu states during Ichigo's and Renji's training. They lack giving their Zanpakutos love, which is why they break so easily. This is how Oetsu created Zanpkautos as a reflection of their Soul Reaper, leading them to show self-love. By giving them love, Zanpakutos can grow alongside their users. At the same time, the Soul Reaper gains self-love, enriching their spirit so they cannot only unlock the true potential of their Zanpakuto but also enlighten themselves to face the world.

An inverted example of this is seen in Hollows, who don't practice self-love and are instead defined by their negativity, which leads them to act destructively and monstrously. This could also explain why they have a hole in their bodies, which shows a quality that creates more suffering for others and themselves as well.

This is what I can find based on what I remember of Bleach, and I want to extend the discussion to others. So, have you found other examples of self-love in Bleach, or other things you might want to add?

In Bleach, I've noticed the use of black and white colors that characters often wear. Throughout the series, our protagonists often wear black clothing, while the antagonists for the arc wear white. The first arc featured the Hollows with their white masks; in the Soul Society Arc, we have the Soul Reaper Captains who wear their white captain robes, though they later become allies after Aizen's betrayal. In the Arrancar Arc, we have Aizen and his Arrancars, along with Tosen and Gin, both wearing white. The Lost Soul Reaper Arc has Xcution wearing a mix of black and white, suggesting they seem like the protagonists but ultimately turn out to be the arc's antagonist. Then, finally, the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, with the Wadenreich wearing white, militaristic uniforms. Our main protagonist, Ichigo, wears black with his Soul Reaper robes, while his allies wear black somewhere on their person. This plays with how often the antagonists' views seem black-and-white, when they're more of a mix, with shades of gray rather than just black and white. So, what do all of you think?