Category Archives: Daily Life

Friends in the Sangha

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Margaret, loyal blog reader and long time Dharma Sister

I count myself fortunate to have known Margaret since 1981 when her sense of humour and fun injected many a ‘tea’ at Shasta with a liveliness not to be forgotten. For the last few weeks Margaret has been staying at Berkeley Priory. Her lively presence and sense of fun while here will not be forgotten. Tomorrow she leaves by car for the north. Safe travels and good fortune with your onward journey. Our paths will converge many more times.

Back in September 2005, while I was the prior in Edmonton, I posted about friendship titled Admirable Friendship the Whole of the Holy Life. Here is part of a quote from that entry attributed to the Buddha.

As he was sitting there, Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, “This is half of the holy life, lord: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie.” “Don’t say that, Ananda. Don’t say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life.

Looks like Margaret left a comment to the afore mentioned post, and I left her an answer.

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Why Things Are The Way They Are

Driving down the road, nothing particular about the day. Life had been rough. Within the last couple of years deaths of two people. Too young to die, in her view. Then there had been many years of mother care. Of mother with Alzheimer’s care.

Suddenly, she said, while driving down the road I knew exactly why everything is the way it is. Everything! And then just as quickly the knowing passed. Just like that. She wanted to keep on knowing what she had known however the moment passed and was gone.

I doubt if anything will ever be quite the same again though.

There is no knowing why these moments come to people, and not necessarily to those who follow some kind of conscious spiritual path. It’s not really necessary to know why of course. And what would one do with that knowledge anyway?

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Natural Pride


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Tomorrow a group of cyclists meet at Watson Lake just inside the Yukon, Canada. They will be writing a blog.

The following is from a comment left on a posting here titled Engaged Action published July 22nd.

In Sept 2001 Grant and I did a 10 day backpack in the Wokkpash, one of the areas along the route the cyclists will take. Incredible, rugged, and we saw not a single other human, though many other creatures, including herds of caribou and grizzly bears. On Sept. 12 we came out of the Bush along the Alaska Highway, walked to a small gas station and discovered the whole world seemed to be completely insane. We both had a strong impulse to turn around and go back in. The efforts of these cyclists are an attempt to remind us of sanity.
It is important. Best wishes;
Michele

Two of the young women on this journey grew their Buddhism while I grew mine. During my time as a novice at Shasta, and later as a senior, I enjoyed their growing up and now their emerged and inspired adulthood. As they embark on this venture, there is a sense natural pride in them, and all the others too.

Natural pride is fitting here, for them and for what they are riding for.

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Buddha’s Kesa is Lived

On this day:

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I didn’t look out for the Golden Gate Bridge, or view the impressive skyline from the Bay Bridge. No, I was reading this booklet. It is inspiring. It is about the Buddha’s robe, the kesa. It is about The Tradition of Sewing Practice in the Shunryu Suzuki-roshi American Lineage. I’d just bought it at the Berkeley Zen Center.

In one of the Forewords to the booklet Mel Weitsman speaks thus:

When we had the first Lay Ordination at Zen Center in 1970, I remember Suzuki-roshi saying: “When we receive lay ordination, it’s not that you’re receiving something that makes you better than other people. We don’t receive lay ordination just for ourself, but we do this to encourage other people, to encourage everyone. And we do it to encourage each other’s practice.”

On this day:

Lots of other stuff happened; a wonderful vegetarian lunch near the Civic Center, visits to the Fo Guang Shan temple, to Lacis–Museum of Lace and Textiles (they sell stuff too), to the Berkeley Hat Shop (replaced hat I’d lost in Seattle) and then to my companions workroom. There to be found tankas’ he’d painted, magnificent altars, statues he’d painted, inspiring books, inspiring thoughts. And good tea brewed by his wife.

This was a day, of everydays, when the Buddha’s kesa lives. Many thanks Mike, you are inspiration. And an encouragement since before Buddhism found me.

Please know that you can buy the booklet I refer to in this article by going to Buddha’s Robe Is Sewn.

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In a Care Home

We visit a just-turned 89 year old woman, newly ensconced in a Care Facility. Noisy place. Wheel chairs crowd the long corridors. People call from their rooms. Care assistants roam. A woman reaches out as I pass. It’s like a movie. Wheelchair exercises. Few join in. The piano strikes up a tune as we wait for her daughter to pick us up to go for lunch. Watching the world go by….she sang along.

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Mother and daughter talk at a diner.mother_and_daughter_hands_open.jpg

We were reduced to tears when we said good by. Don’t worry about me dears, she said. I’m happy here.

Watching the world go by (watching the world go by)
Under a sunny sky (sunny sky)
Strolling ’round the park on a Sunday afternoon (Sunday afternoon)
Oh how the moments fly (oh how the moments fly)
Watching the world go by (the world go by)
When you’re with your love
Life is a beautiful tune (life is a beautiful tune)
Dean Martin lyrics

For Maggi and her daughter, and extended family. Was that really only last Thursday. Oh how the moments fly…

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