When I was fifteen years old, I went to the hospital for a routine operation that was supposed to have a simple one night stay for recovery, I ended up needing my second liver transplant and didn't leave for the next five months and three weeks. I ended up in a medically induced coma for nearly four months and when I awoke the physical and occupational therapy to relearn how to walk, dress, and feed myself was a whole different battle. I found that I deeply and profoundly resonated with this talk. Thank you!

I grew up Catholic and the first part reminded me of the whole "Memento Mori" philosophy I've kept close to my heart, I just turned 27 and still not sure what am I or what am I supposed to do but one of the reasons why I got into Buddhism is that at 24 I ended up going to a very dark place and felt close to dying, sometimes I'm just glad to be alive. One of the best Dharma talks I've heard so far.

Thank u so much wise words

I needed this as I was feeling sorry for myself. I like the term 'rift' to describe habitual patterns of thought. Returning to zero is a very good way to get out of the mental ruts. However, a criticism I have is the contradiction of making everything about us when at the same time they say there's no self. I think the Buddhists lead to a certain victim shaming. Whereby if someone does something to you, its somehow your attitude that caused it or are responsible. Very often that's not the case though so turning into yourself is actually damaging. I'm not sure if the above makes sense. It's hard for me to explain properly what I mean. I just feel it leaves you going around in circles. Someone is mean and you start questioning yourself, when their meanness has nothing to do with you.

The hardest part to me is recognizing that my irritability is from me and not from you. While my mind says , no it’s you Thom who is causing my own suffering, my emotions look at you as the source of my irritability.

Thank you!

Michael Stone was a personal inspiration, his passing deeply impacted me, and helped me to 'wake up' more to life :) Thank you for this helpful talk, and for all of your beautifully human teachings.🙏

Thank you for sharing, Bon Soeng. Very much appreciated.

Thanks for the talk!

~amazing guidance.

Brilliant opening :)

Thank you

I'm always amused by the like and dislike button on these talks.

thank you, thank you, thank you

I'll look at these later I'm really tired

Aren't all the things mentioned to be happy about relative and therefore delusional? Being happy about the ceiling fan is dependent on experiencing no fan. Whatever arises also disappears. Depending on relative happy things seems to be dukkha. A struggle but it is not equanimity is it? Fan or no fan, same same.

I wish to practice zen in the way empty gate zen centre describes. But how and where to start?