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Is there such a thing as impossibly high standards? Surely, if we're trying to attain enlightenment, and further, then there is no limit, and we should set ourself standards as high as we can imagine.
I always loved the story about how Buddha Siddharta, in a previous life, came across a starving tigress, and because she was starving, he offered his body to him, so she ate him and lived, and he died.
Now whether you believe in these stories, or see them as a mythology designed to offer us inspiration and a guideline of what we should be aiming for, what would you do?
If you suddenly had that situation, in this very life, what would you do?
I've always hoped that I would happily die for another, but also that I would never hold anyone else to my standards. But I'm kind of in the situation in that story now, and my boyfriend is pointing out to me that there's a thing about not having to do things if they'll seriously impact ones own health. And then I remembered that story.
Now... if I knew for certain the 'tigress' in my situation would be harmed by my actions as well (high possibility), or not live to see the result (also high possibility), then I would feel so much easier making the decision to not give up my body. But I don't know. And the decision has to be made tonight. And I won't know any kind of useful information like whether the 'tigress' would be ok, or live, for weeks, months maybe.
I know this probably sounds really weird and confusing, since I'm sticking to a story and using it as an example without giving any further clues whatsoever, but I really don't want to post the full details on a public forum.
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