It might have been the young women in black charging down the isles with headsets on asking me, “can I find something for you”, “do you need help”? Or it could have been because it was the end of the day and it was getting dark outside. Or simply that there was just too much choice and I didn’t actually need any of the books. What ever it was I left Chapters book store this evening empty handed, again!

There is a line from a scripture which goes something like, The True Way is easy for those who do not pick and choose. Of course we all have to make choices all the time. This line is pointing out the mind of discrimination, a mind set in the opposites. So when I can discern wisely what it is ‘good’ to buy with my gift card I’ll return.

We had a good day on Sunday with quite a few people coming for the Buddha’s Enlightenment Ceremony in the morning. Afterwards a number of us went to a vegetarian restaurant run by a devout Indonesian Buddhist. Thankfully I’d been there before and so I just ordered what I’d had last time. Menu’s are particularly difficult as monastic training in Zen is very strongly geared towards exercising non discrimination around food.

Zen Master Dogen wrote rules to regulate every aspect of the trainees life in the monastery. They are called the “Eihei-shingi”. The Fushuku-hampo (Meal-Time Regulations), being one of the rules, starts with this quote from the Vimalakirti Scripture (written by a lay-man by the way).

“When one is identified with the food one eats one is identified with the whole universe; when we are one with the whole universe we are one with the food we eat.”

The first time I went to the above restaurant the owner asked me, just as we were leaving, if I’d do a Dharma talk at the restaurant. I said “I’ll think about it”! Returning this time I kinda hoped he would not ask again since talking in public is not something I am naturally drawn towards. As it turned out he didn’t ask; I offered! The generosity emanating from the people there just caused me to set caution aside and be generous back. If something comes of this I am sure I’ll be able to think of something to speak about. The Tenzo-kyokun (Instructions to the Chief Cook) for example is all about the attitude of mind while cooking; cooking with a pure and gentle heart. That kind of ‘heart’ can go anywhere.

I happened upon the Oprah Winfrey Show this evening while taking a moment to relax and found myself gladdened to encounter a highly creative performance of a poem entitled An Amazing Peace. It’s author, Dr. Maya Angelou, was joined by Oprah and a choir, not your ordinary poetry reading however I don’t remember ever seeing one before anyway.

Maya Angelou said “I wrote about what is in everybody’s hearts”, she spoke to mine. The poem is a call to peace with arms wide open, heart extended far beyond the boundaries of religious affiliations. Beyond affiliations of any kind, she was after all pointing to a ‘heart’ at rest. Dr. Maya Angelou, you are quite a lady. Thanks.

Today a good friend of the Prioy came for tea and most generously brought a Gift Card for “Chapters”. That’s the oft mentioned book shop on Whyte Avenue that I visit from time to time. Now, armed with this card I can allow myself to wander the shelves with intent to purchase. Maya Angelou’s poem has just been published, I’ll certainly pick it up and take a look if I see it.

If you follow the link you will understand the title of this blogger.

Back in Taiwan I spent a lot of time with the nun Du-an. The other day she sent me this image which I thought was a brave undertaking on her part since she has very little English.

December 8th is the day devout Buddhist all over the world celebrate the Buddha’s Great Enlightenment. We at the priory will be doing that together on Sunday.

I did not want this day to pass without pausing for a moment to remember John Lennon, one of the ‘fab four’ Beatles, who was killed 25 years ago by one of his fans who turned against him. (I’ve not studied the details however that is my understanding of what happened). The song, “Revolution” had a huge impact on the direction I took in life. Namely towards working for a better world by working on changing myself although I did contribute in external ways too. And continue to do so, hopefully.

The words from the song I remembered were, “if you want to change the world, you need to change yourself instead”. Through my late teens and twenties this was my silent mantra, it kept me going, kept me focused. The other day I checked the lyrics and discovered John didn’t write my mantra, I did! Oh well.

So, I hope you will join with me in a few moments of reflection for a man who helped influence a generation. “A bird does not sing because it has answers, it sings because it has a song”. He was a ‘seeker’ of answers, did it within the public eye and could sing right down to the end of his toes and into the gravel beneath. John Lennon was ‘earthy’ and, in his own unique way, a charismatic figure.

Zen Master Dogen warns against getting involved in ‘fame and gain’ and the wisdom of not seeking out association with rich and famous people. Basically because of the potential to incite the desire to want more than one has. To ‘seek’ outside of oneself. Charisma is found in the light and in the shadows and I’m deeply sad that John Lennon and others get caught in the shadows of somebody else’s unhappiness and become a target.

Oh Buddha, going, going, going on beyond, always going on beyond.

In the sub zero temperatures we are currently enjoying I find myself glancing out of the kitchen window willing the birds to find the, afore mentioned, feeder hanging from the washing line. By the way that’s the bigger and better feeder, which has attracted very few birds since putting it up. The other morning I spotted a sorry sight, a bundle of feathers all puffed up with the cold and eating away like there was no tomorrow. A sympathetic thought passed through my mind, “Hah, sometimes it takes getting that desperate”. As with frozen birds so it is with us mortals!

Many months ago a woman of my acquaintance spoke on the phone, “Well, I would not have thought I’d be grateful for all that’s happened in my life, however I am”, “I’d not change a thing, everything has brought me to this point, painful as it is, and I have everything I need to move forward”. This kind of sentiment is not rare, these people we call ‘marvelous’. They catch our attention because they are inspiring examples of people overcoming great difficulties. We meet them at the bus stop, read about them in the papers, they are everywhere.

It is coming up to the eleventh anniversary of my mothers death, she was a ‘marvelous woman’. The first blog I ever wrote was called “Entrenching Tool”. A good friend helped me to edit it and in the process helped me launch myself into the scary world of talking to the ‘world’ not knowing who in the world is listening. That was back in June 2003. That article was dedicated to my mother, writing it helped me to clarify my Blogging purpose. Thanks to all you unknown people out there who visit Moving Mountains, may we all move together.