It is your own brilliantly luminous Treasure House.

Let loose this brilliance through your eyes, (and)
you bathe the Buddha body and Buddha Land in splendor;

Buster bathes his Buddha body on a long walk in the Lake District.

when you set this luminosity free through your ears,
you can hear the sounds and voices of the Buddhas at work;

Two young owls hang out waiting for parental rescue.

When you let this radiance pass out through your hands,
you change yourself as well as others;

Herdwick sheep of The Lake District - I'm thinking knitting!

when you let it pass out through your feet,
you put yourself into action,
now stepping forward, now stepping back.

View back from Fairfied summit.

Great Master Keizan

Many thanks to the monk who took the photograph of the owls and for his and others company on perhaps the longest and most arduous walk I have ever done. The Fairfield Horseshoe circular walk starting at Rydal Hall. Wonderful walk. Good company. Still. No wind.

Learn from the people
Plan with the people
Begin with what they have
Build on what they know.

Of the best leaders
When the task is accomplished
The people will remark
We have done it ourselves.

Lao Tzu

Yes, the best of it is working together. (This subject seems to be popping before me at the moment.) Working together to actualize a vision, a dream, a plan, a project. Build a house, build a community, build a garden, cook for a crowd. Or in my recent past, knit a tank top for the late Iain Robinson's grandson. Quite a number of people contributed towards it's eventual completion. Completed this very night.

One can think that working together means a lot of people, or a few, all in the same place at the same time doing something - BIG. And of course that is true and very enjoyable. It can also however mean a number of individuals, with particular skills or resources, living at a distance, contributing at different times to achieve a vision.

The basis of Buddhism is that Shakyamuni Buddha found Enlightenment and if he, a human being with human weaknesses and strengths, can do it we can know that too. His life is our inspiration, our lives and actions can be an inspiration to others. ...and what exactly IS leadership?

This evening I had a little bit of time to follow up on a link to a Huffington Post blogger which eventually lead me to Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. Now then. Just where abouts is that?

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And in Appleton a very interesting project has been underway and is now pouring the waters of compassion on all who visit this interesting exhibition. A mosaic of compassion.

The Appleton Compassion Project is a community art project involving 10,436 Appleton Area School District K-12 art students. In Fall 2010, participating students received a 6-inch-by-6-inch art panel to draw or paint their idea of compassion.

The inspiration behind the project came from Richard Davidson, PhD — a University of Wisconsin-Madison brain researcher who has found that those who practice compassion have measurably healthier brains. What’s more, Davidson’s research shows that compassion can be learned, and should be practiced, as a skill. “A little more joy might be within everyone’s reach,” says Davidson.

My thought and pondering is on the process of this project. That's the involvement of a community in a collaborative endeavour. Could it be that working together can in itself be an expression of compassion? Certainly so if one thinks of compassion as acceptance . In my experience there needs to be lots of exercising acceptance when working with others on a project. Living in community, monastic community in my case, is a huge expression of compassion now I think about it....

Enjoy the show and thanks to the person who lead me to this most interesting effort. After my own heart.

This evening I had a little bit of time to follow up on a link to a Huffington Post blogger which eventually lead me to this interesting project in...Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. Now then, just where abouts is that?

View Larger Map

And in Appleton a very interesting project has been underway and is now pouring the waters of compassion on all who visit this interesting exhibition. A mosaic of compassion.

The Appleton Compassion Project is a community art project involving 10,436 Appleton Area School District K-12 art students. In Fall 2010, participating students received a 6-inch-by-6-inch art panel to draw or paint their idea of compassion.

The inspiration behind the project came from Richard Davidson, PhD — a University of Wisconsin-Madison brain researcher who has found that those who practice compassion have measurably healthier brains. What’s more, Davidson’s research shows that compassion can be learned, and should be practiced, as a skill. “A little more joy might be within everyone’s reach,” says Davidson.

My thought and pondering is on the process of this project the involvement of a community in a collaborative endevour. I think working together can in itself be an expression of compassion. Certainly if one thinks of compassion as acceptance. Lots of exercising acceptance when working collaboratively.

Enjoy the show and thanks to the person who lead me to this most interesting effort. After my own heart.

Bluebells in hedgerow. Nature does it so well!
Not for the first time I inwardly nodded with approval. Over the past few years, slowly but surely, a once crumbling building is being restored to a serviceable state. There is clearly a quality job being done. As I walked on it occurred to me that I might have been disapproving of this project. Interestingly I realized that it didn't matter in the slightest what I thought! Thoughts are not the thing. How easy it can be to get caught up in ones own thoughts. To approve of approving or disapprove of disapproving! Uh! What a mine field, thankfully this time just seen from the edge of the field.

I walked on up the lane where life showed itself in that uplifting way which brings lightness to the step. A bird on a branch sings for you alone. A wildflower shows itself in its utter simplicity. An industrious Thrush pecks for worms. Lambs charm. The way only new lambs can.

Perhaps my regular steps past the builders work is much like being ignited by bird song, wild flowers and sunlight shafting through branches. I appreciate the beautiful brick work and the little architectural details emerging from the rubble. Brings a lightness to my step, now I think about it.

So what am I getting at here? Perhaps a small reminder to walk with a lighter step inwardly and find inward compassion when judgmentalism has us walk with heavy step.

As we are within so we are with others.

The huge black cast iron tea kettle was swinging wildly on its hook above the Muker Tea Shop. The wind was that strong. Even so a small group, including a dog, walked in Upper Swaledale today. From Keld to Muker and back with a stop of lunch. Brrr was it cold! We were a bit early in the year to see the wildflower meadows however the photographs on this site show the area really well. It is well worth a tour of the site, the photographs are really good.

The drive to Keld reminded me once again how very close I am to this wild country of Yorkshire. Stunning at any time of the year. But best of all, today, was the opportunity to walk and talk with members of the Sangha. To test out my thoughts and learn too. Wonderful. Another Grand Day Out and thanks particularly to Nic for organizing the event for us.