How many times have you died?
- Thread starter Barnabas
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Have you heard of the term Anatta? In Buddhism, it literally means "not-self". Since "self" can be defined as ideas and principles you take hold of and cling or attach to (also called a soul in most religions), not-self is the idea of not clinging or growing attached to these ideals and becoming a dynamic, ever changing person.
If you're always changing and "growing" there can never be a "self" to become attached to so therefor you free yourself from that one form of suffering from attachment (mentioned in more depth in the Four Noble Truths).
So yes, I have "died" multiple times insofar as the meaning of this thread is concerned - with every change, I die. But since I do not exist in a static form, there really is no "self" to die since death itself is reflected of a soul's perspective. If there is no strictly defined soul, there is no death, only a continuation in yet another form.
Three times exactly, once I was killed by my alien brother who came to see if I destroyed the earth, and I had to get someone who hated me, but hated him more to shoot him through the chest while I held him. The second time it was from heart disease. The third it was moving a self destructing android away from earth.
Thank god for the dragon balls though or I'd still be a goner.
Thank god for the dragon balls though or I'd still be a goner.
Three times. Twice with involvement from the same person. How do I know this? Because all three times I felt the course of my destiny shift. I was pointed one way, and when it was over I was facing a different direction. Interestingly enough, the first and third time was brought about by the same person--22 years apart (in time and since I had last seen her). Some people were just meant to change you.
To think this is my thread on such a personal matter and I have not related myself to it, shameful.
I can count three times in memory, 1 entirley negative, 1 entirley positive and 1 that was negative but ended positively.
The first was when my parent first got divorced, it's realy a hard thing for me to explain with words outside of it sucked. But I'll try anyway, alot of falsehope and hurt was involed from both side of my family(Mom and Dad), it also was painful to watch the rest of my family to fight over the event(as if everyone had to choose a side).
I came out hurt and alot more introverted.
The second I can think of is not my baptism, which saddens me however the experience and result were incredibly positive. It happened during the first summer after the 9th grade, while I had been a christian for many years at this point my relationship(if I could call it that at that point) with Jesus change immensely. I know longer believed that Jesus was God, I loved him.
I literaly died to my old way of life, the pain of the divorce was replaced with hope, faith and love. It was noticeable in my life to, as one of my friends commented to at the beginning of the next school year "Dude what hapended to you, your different".
The last and most recent was when basicly life as I knew fell out from under my feet, a combination of job loss, homelessness and depression set me into a state of what could only be called "death", I wasn't sad, I wasn't mad nor was upset.I simply didn't care anymore, I became emotionaly indefferent.
It came to a end during the summer of the same year, I died to that self and once again re-emerged as loved filled Christian, however there was a different emotion thrown into the mix after this rebirth, passion. Passion, combined with love as I have found are unstopable.
I can count three times in memory, 1 entirley negative, 1 entirley positive and 1 that was negative but ended positively.
The first was when my parent first got divorced, it's realy a hard thing for me to explain with words outside of it sucked. But I'll try anyway, alot of falsehope and hurt was involed from both side of my family(Mom and Dad), it also was painful to watch the rest of my family to fight over the event(as if everyone had to choose a side).
I came out hurt and alot more introverted.
The second I can think of is not my baptism, which saddens me however the experience and result were incredibly positive. It happened during the first summer after the 9th grade, while I had been a christian for many years at this point my relationship(if I could call it that at that point) with Jesus change immensely. I know longer believed that Jesus was God, I loved him.
I literaly died to my old way of life, the pain of the divorce was replaced with hope, faith and love. It was noticeable in my life to, as one of my friends commented to at the beginning of the next school year "Dude what hapended to you, your different".
The last and most recent was when basicly life as I knew fell out from under my feet, a combination of job loss, homelessness and depression set me into a state of what could only be called "death", I wasn't sad, I wasn't mad nor was upset.I simply didn't care anymore, I became emotionaly indefferent.
It came to a end during the summer of the same year, I died to that self and once again re-emerged as loved filled Christian, however there was a different emotion thrown into the mix after this rebirth, passion. Passion, combined with love as I have found are unstopable.
Um, probably once.
The moment of catharsis that ended one play and began another (to use a metaphor). I changed into a new character - much happier, healthier and more determined, with purpose. I'm sure several acts have already ended and when I go to university I'll probably 'die' again to start over the theatre production of 'My Life Away From Home'.
Wonder what that'll be like...
The moment of catharsis that ended one play and began another (to use a metaphor). I changed into a new character - much happier, healthier and more determined, with purpose. I'm sure several acts have already ended and when I go to university I'll probably 'die' again to start over the theatre production of 'My Life Away From Home'.
Wonder what that'll be like...
Only once, when I was 13-14 or so...
It transformed me from:
to:
The symbolism is so internalized and convoluted that I'm not sure that this makes sense to anyone but me, though...
It transformed me from:
to:
The symbolism is so internalized and convoluted that I'm not sure that this makes sense to anyone but me, though...
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Well, not to insult your world views, but as an agnostic with a heavy lean towards atheism...
Try to see things my way,
In my eyes, everything you follow so righteously and diligently is a byproduct of human imagination.
Now factor in that you would likely die for it, start a war over it, change your entire lifes proceedings in it's name...
Well, it gets pretty scary for me...
I've died happily twice when my kids were born. They make me a better person everyday. I'm sure I would be a complete mess if it weren't for them two.
I died sadly 3 years ago when my older brother (27) was beat to death. I was devastated and life will never ever be the same for me.
Another piece of me died May 28th when my 23 year younger brother died while falling off a cliff hiking. He was an ISTP. My youngest daughter was born on his birthday : )
Both of my brothers were the only two people who understood me, never judged me, and I could tell anything to. For the life of me I will never understand why two amazing people had to die so young.
I try to learn and make the best of the negative experiences though. I know there will be more of the good and the bad, life will have its way.
I died sadly 3 years ago when my older brother (27) was beat to death. I was devastated and life will never ever be the same for me.
Another piece of me died May 28th when my 23 year younger brother died while falling off a cliff hiking. He was an ISTP. My youngest daughter was born on his birthday : )
Both of my brothers were the only two people who understood me, never judged me, and I could tell anything to. For the life of me I will never understand why two amazing people had to die so young.
I try to learn and make the best of the negative experiences though. I know there will be more of the good and the bad, life will have its way.
This thread makes me want to grow my hair long and walk around in black all day. Oh, wait...
Okay, serious answer. I think it's impossible to pin-point something like this. I think emotions and feelings are something that are slowly worn down by experiences - we simply like to remember specific moments in our life because they heavily represent the "death" of whatever it it we feel we've lost.
I used to write a lot more than I do now. I used to have things to say all the time, and I used to be able to weave words and stories with a single thought. I was so amazed with everything around me that I couldn't stop myself.
Move on five years, and I couldn't be further away being that person than I am right now. I just don't write, and I find the world around me to a very disheartening place to look at. It looks dirtier and grimier, inside and out.
But I'll be damned if I could tell you exactly when this happened, and I'm not even sure how or why. There's been days where I've almost felt like I could look at things that way again, and write that vigorously and passionately again, but it never comes to pass.
Reading a post like this, you might think otherwise. Moments like this, when I'm thinking about such things as the questions posed in this thread, seem to be the only times when my thoughts are this effectively free-flowing.
If anyone has some answers, I certainly wouldn't mind knowing them.
*considerate e-hug*
Okay, serious answer. I think it's impossible to pin-point something like this. I think emotions and feelings are something that are slowly worn down by experiences - we simply like to remember specific moments in our life because they heavily represent the "death" of whatever it it we feel we've lost.
I used to write a lot more than I do now. I used to have things to say all the time, and I used to be able to weave words and stories with a single thought. I was so amazed with everything around me that I couldn't stop myself.
Move on five years, and I couldn't be further away being that person than I am right now. I just don't write, and I find the world around me to a very disheartening place to look at. It looks dirtier and grimier, inside and out.
But I'll be damned if I could tell you exactly when this happened, and I'm not even sure how or why. There's been days where I've almost felt like I could look at things that way again, and write that vigorously and passionately again, but it never comes to pass.
Reading a post like this, you might think otherwise. Moments like this, when I'm thinking about such things as the questions posed in this thread, seem to be the only times when my thoughts are this effectively free-flowing.
If anyone has some answers, I certainly wouldn't mind knowing them.
Your choice of imagery and their meaning was about as subtle as a punch to the face.
*considerate e-hug*
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That doesn't sound like fun at all.
That being said, I haven't died once. I've grown a lot, but never died.
Four times, they were pretty drastic, but I won't go into detail here.
The last one was very beneficial to me as a person and it made me open my eyes to a whole new side of life and reality, overall very positive.
The last one was very beneficial to me as a person and it made me open my eyes to a whole new side of life and reality, overall very positive.
A small part of me dies every time I am abused, which seems to be verbally and thus emotionally more nowadays. Another part of me gives me new life, though, after going through such bad times. I feel a part of me died when my Mother died a couple of months ago. There may be newness in the future regarding this, but it has yet to reveal itself.
There is a spiritual death. I feel I have died that spiritual death and put on new life.
There is a spiritual death. I feel I have died that spiritual death and put on new life.
S
Shai Gar
To say that I've "died" multiple times might be a tad melodramatic, perhaps, but my life has taken a few destiny-altering twists. How many? Quite a few. Off the top of my head, I'd count maybe four... and all of them have stemmed from a very poor relationship with myself.
I die everyday. Each day is different from the day before and my perceptions, thoughts and feelings change the very core of who I am. I'm not the same person from a second ago, even my cells in my body are always in constant motion, adapting to everything that it is thrown at it. Death is abstract, since we will never be able to see it, but everything is dying and being born every single second, even inside ourselves.