« Bernard Madoff told his sons that their entire lives — all the wealth and success the family seemed to possess — were based on a lie, » The New York Times reports in article about the suicide of Madoff’s son today, two years after his father’s arrest for swindling billions from innumerable « investors. »
It’s another sad turn in this never-ending story, which death certainly will not end.
Obviously Madoff had no clue about the stunning depth of his statement.
The same news is true for us all, though: All the wealth and success we seem to possess is based on an illusion.
Why not just take a little break from all the razzle-dazzle?
Sit down and take a few deep breaths. Take a look at what’s right here.
It’s not a lie.
Welcome home.
All the wealth and success…
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
And so, yes, the question remains: Who is tormented?
Acknowledging the suffering our actions have caused is all right I guess.
Tormenting ourselves with it; could that be an unpleasant strategy for “being very special”?
The second bodhisattva vow in the Zen tradition is that a.) illusions are inexhaustible and b.) I vow to "put an end to them." The moment the illusion is "seen" for what it is, its power to deceive is at an "end." If we then take that "end" to be definitive, we are indeed caught by another illusion — the illusion(s) of "something" "being" "definitive."
Acknowledging the suffering our actions have caused is not illusion. If we truly "see" the nonduality (there is no rich or poor, for example, or there is no "me," no "you"), we also truly "see" the duality, and to not acknowledge either would be to fall for yet another illusion.
The Guardian added a quote from Bernard Madoff.
Just before he was sentenced, he said: "I am responsible for a great deal of suffering and pain. I understand that. I live in a tormented state now, knowing of all the pain and suffering that I have created."
This tormented state though (just like all the wealth and success we seem to possess) isn’t it also based on an illusion?
Wealth and success / poverty and failure must be made of the same material.
It seems we can see through one lie and immediately fall for the next one with the same structure.