Exchange of gifts after the Wesak Ceremony on Saturday.

We were over fifty gathered in Leeds to celebrate the Buddha's Birth and Enlightenment, Wesak. Traditionally this falls around May 8th and marks the Buddhist New Year. We'll be celebrating all over again next Sunday at Throssel.

Preparing for our Leeds event was much like preparing for a climbing expedition, although I've never been on a serious climb. Before the climb details rise up and spread out and can become overwhelming. (Thankfully I was not directly involved in dealing with all of the details.) Then there is the climb, or in our case the ceremony and the day of events. And then the the decent, the packing up and returning home.

We didn't get to the top of anything and nor did the group spoken about in the previous posting. Perhaps the merit, and the wisdom, that flows from cooperative effort is less about outcomes and achieving ends and much more about the step by step walking together with others. The walking, talking, driving, emailing, organising, thinking, planning, packing, unpacking, eating and laughing is what I will remember about our Leeds Wesak. And I remember it with gratitude. Next year perhaps we can make it a 24 hour retreat.

Yes, my attention has been very much directed otherwise and I'm sorry to bring a sigh for regulars who check-in only to find no new posts. This is a new post and my intention is to continue to write. My best wishes to all.