The shock method part 7

It is as if one day you wake up and the whole world had gotten colored with red and yellow stripes - after you had read that the world would become red and yellow stripes, and you believed it truly would do so - and then - suddenly it had…

But then, accepting the red and yellow striped world, suddenly you woke and everything had gone black - next, you were shown a world of only red stripes - you recognized them completely, but there was no yellow.

Then everything went black again - and you next woke to a world of only yellow stripes - you recognized them fully, but there was no red.

Then, you took a walk, nature gave you a thunder storm, you struggled thru a bit more - and then finally, you woke in a red and yellow striped world - that was now yours, because you had believed and proved it….

From my complete faith in Buddhism, I was able to learn and grow anew from what might otherwise have been my ending. If I had only learned of one pathway, rather than a complete reading, contemplation, and inner awareness of all aspects of Buddhism, I would not have been able to fully understand my experience.

If I had only learned the Thai Dhutanga or only the Tibetan Vajrayana - when BOTH options lay before me as well as my formerly made aspiration, how would I have been correctly armed to face the decision of which direction to take or have known my way?

Within a single week of having learned of my formerly made aspiration, I had put myself to the task of living it to the full - only to seemingly have it wiped out from me. I had a choice. I could save myself, fight for my life, and drop my purpose - quit on my aspiration, or I could hold on tight to my aspiration and give up EVERYTHING else - including self, life, marriage, love, body, every friend I valued - even my very existence.

I chose the latter route and won experience and reaffirmed my former aspiration in action rather than decision alone.