The Holy Man
|
Once, there was a rumor of a wise holy man who lived some distance from a small remote village. A young city man wished to visit him, and so after a long and difficult journey, he was relieved when he arrived at the rumored house. However, all he saw there was an old servant standing at the door. The young man said: "I would like to see the wise holy man." The old servant smiled and led him inside the house, and began walking through the rooms. The young man looked eagerly around the house, expecting to see the wise holy man with each new room. But before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. The young man said to the servant, "But I want to see the holy man!" The old man said: "You already have. See everyone you may meet in life, no matter how plain and insignificant they appear, as a wise holy man." Yes, this story is familiar, reminiscent of the tales of Zeus masquerading as a human. However, the difference here is the lesson: not that the humble person you're talking to may in fact be a Greek god. Rather, that there is something to learn from everyone, as everyone we encounter provides an opportunity for our growth and learning. Zen teacher Norman Fischer takes it a step further beyond people to include all events and circumstances, as he explains in his book Training in Compassion: Transform bad circumstances into the path...When something difficult happens, you will train yourself to stop saying "Damn! Why did this have to happen!" and begin saying, "Yes, of course, this is how it is, let me turn toward it, let me practice with it, let me go beyond entanglement to gratitude." ...It is not a mistake, and it isn't anyone's fault. And we can make use of it to drive our gratitude and our compassion deeper. As this season continues, please consider treating everyone and everything like you would the old wise man - with openness, curiosity, and compassion. From all of us at North Star Behavioral Health, Happy Holidays! A thank you to Carl Jerome for recommending Norman Fischer's book, Training in Compassion, which has been a helpful and inspiring read. Best wishes, Brandon Gimbel, M.D. |
601 Skokie Blvd, Suite 1-A, Northbrook, IL 60062 |
Brandon Gimbel, M.D.
Owner, North Star Behavioral Health and North Star Kids
We'd like to introduce our two new psychiatrists: Adult psychiatrist Dr. Chadwick Yip Child & Adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Dongho (Damian) Gwak Both Drs. Yip and Gwak have immediate Northbrook, Chicago, and virtual availability to treat new patients - adults for Dr. Yip and children and adolescents for Dr. Gwak. For more information about our new colleagues, please visit our website: https://www.northstarbh.com/team Our team of clinicians can provide comprehensive care from childhood through...
During the Buddha’s travels, he once arrived at a small town where his presence was anticipated by many. While the Buddha spoke to the crowd, one person began shouting at him. The Buddha did not pay attention to the shouting and instead continued speaking, which infuriated the person. This man eventually approached the Buddha and yelled, “You have no right to teach others. You’re a fake!” The crowd began to turn on the man, reacting to his anger. The Buddha intervened, addressing the crowd:...