The Poisoned Arrow / Living in the Present

I heard this story/parable in a book about Buddhism that I'm listening to that really really resonated with me. It goes something like this:

 

There was once a man that’d been wounded by a poisoned arrow. And when his family wanted to find a doctor to help him, the man said no. The wounded man said that before he'd get help from any doctor, he wanted to know who had attacked him. Where was the attacker from? He also wanted to know the man’s height, strength, skin tone, the kind of bow he used, and whether its string was made of hemp, silk, or bamboo. So, as he wondered if the arrow’s feathers came from a vulture, peacock, or falcon, etc, he ended up dying before getting an answer to any of his questions.

 

This hit super close to home for me. I've spent so much time and energy wondering what's happening to my brain and body. Why do I have this wd sx or that sx? Wondering how long it will take me to taper and heal. Wondering why my damn dr didn't warn me more about the dangers and risks. Worrying about what's coming down the pipeline. Wondering what I can do to speed along the process or relieve some of the suffering.

 

I don't want to be like the wounded guy anymore. I don't wanna end up dying trying to figure out answers to questions I'll never know the answer to. It's time to live in the present moment. I'll take what comes when it comes, and keep living as best and as healthy as I can. I know all of this will be behind me some day, and it's no use dwelling on it.

I love this, thank you! Do you have any recommendations of good books on Buddhist teachings you could share?

I love this, thank you! Do you have any recommendations of good books on Buddhist teachings you could share?

 

No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners by Noah Rasheta - Super good, short concise book that lays out Buddhist teachings in a way that super easy to understand

 

Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction by Noah Levine - Specifically about overcoming addictions and dependencies through meditation and Buddhist practices. I picked it up to help with my benzo dependency, but it also helped me figure out what my underlying issues are as well, and that I have other "addictions" that I would have never considered addictions before that cause anxiety and suffering. I'm still in the process of figuring out how to deal with and heal from said addictions 

There are local Refuge Recovery groups around the world that hold meetings to meditate and share experiences and heal. I've gone to a few, and they've been very therapeutic.

 

Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright - This one gets deep. I feel like I'll have to listen to/read this 10+ times to fully grasp all the concepts in this one, but I still found it very helpful.

 

Noah Rasheta has a podcast called "Secular Buddhism" and I've gotten something valuable out of practically every episode I've listened to.

 

 

It's super cool to see another person on here that's into Buddhist teachings! Best wished to ya!