Merit Walk In The Wind

Two hours hard walking
One hour up
One hour back.

Thinking of a
Sangha Friend
in Canada.

Another health adventure
not knowing more than
the next breath.

Breath just
keeps on
breathing – you.

While I walked today my thoughts were very much turned towards a long time sangha friend who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Hard and heart-breaking.

There is No (Separate) Self

Continuing on from the last post, here is a link to site with a transcript of (some) of the Questions of King Milinda. He must have been a very interesting person and kept on coming back to Reverend Nagasena who patiently answered his questions at length and in a creative way. I’ve always appreciated how Nagesena used the image of a cart to teach about the truth of no separate self. He verbally dismantled it asking the king repeatedly , ‘is the wheel the cart’?, ‘is the axle the cart’? When you click on the link, scroll down to the section ‘There is no Self’. Engaging in self-education is not a bad thing. Good enough for the King, good enough for us!

You will note that the King was most reverent and polite in the run up to his questions and in his answers.

Dwelling Within

I have been contemplating dwelling, in particular where I will dwell once my present dwelling sells. No sign of a sale at the moment however where I am based is but temporary. And that fact is much before me.

There is a post on Field of Merit which focuses on a brilliant poem, Song of The Grass Roof Heritage. Here are the last two lines which speak to me this evening.

If you want to know
the undying person
in the hut,
don’t separate from
this skin bag
here and now.

We humans need physical shelter from the elements without a doubt. For survival we need more than a roof obviously. However it is important, for me right now, to remember that the ‘undying person’ needs nothing. Fundamentally.

Water – Everywhere

Now we are days into 2014 and the country is awash! My thoughts for all those whose homes and businesses and land are already flooded or under threat. My news:

Activities have had
Me fully occupied.

And to be honest
Posting inspiration
Has dissolved into
The damp and
Wintery nights.

Here photographs of the River Eden in her finest white dress. And some damp sheep for good measure.