Buddhism works!

For the first time in forty years, I have encountered a situation with comparative ease that would formally have send me near crazy with fear, anger and hatred.

I have led a very dramatic life in the past, and it has really only been the past 2 years, since discovering and practicing Buddhism, that I have made any major progress is sorting out the mess I mad of things historically.

There is one painful situation, a former legal attachment, that haunts me still. However, after the latest encounter, I am amazed at how much I have changed in the way I am able to deal with this situation.

Briefly, I legally wed a clinically insane man who soon after the wedding stopped taking his medication and thence became violent and mentally & emotionally abusive. I separated for safety's sake when three weeks pregnant. Over the following 18-19 years, I have been legally harassed, blackmailed, terrorized, and subjected to witchcraft.

For many years, I hated, feared, and held anger against my ex and his family. Anytime they tried to force me back to fix their shattered perfect image or punish me if I would not oblige, I grew full of furious rage at the injustice, terrified of what damage they would do to my son and self spiritually or physically, and put up a firm and fierce barrier of hatred in opposition and rejection.

Over the past 1-2 years, I have been practicing Buddhism. I have now lost the ability to hate, and I no longer allow anger or fear to take hold if I spot their reappearance in such forms as injustice, annoyance, or threat.

Recently, I encountered yet another possible threat from this family of my past, despite the relationship having firmly ended in mid 1990. I was able to deal with the potentially threatening letter calmly - no fear, no hate, and no anger! Just a few years ago, this letter would have sent me rabid with anger, snarling with hate, and terrified me as to what they might do, but now, I am free of that suffering - YES, BUDDHISM WORKS!!!!

OK, now I am rid of the major league baddies, time to tackle the minor league seeds!