Monthly Archives: February 2010

Out and About

Like A Devon Mountain?

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Here is part of a post from Undeceivable – Moonraker Zen. Our man in a van is still sitting. He also talks about the book Into The Wild. A mans dream that went terribly wrong.

It is the Devon Mountain that’s caught my eye.

…..often sit a little during the day with my incense and Hakuin’s Song of Meditation. The line that usually sticks in my mind the most is “Sit sincerely in meditation just once…” Even though I’ve been sitting a while, every time I do I feel it’s a battle to stay on the cushion and just enjoy being there. But during most sittings, after I’ve been drifting in and then out of daydreams for a few minutes, my mind will inevitably clear and I’m there sitting like a Devon mountain.

Links to Hakuin’s Song Of Meditation, can be found in the comments to post above. Hum, maybe I’ll take at look. Tomorrow.

Overcome Difficulties, Teachings

Giving It Up

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This morning. Half awake. Half asleep. Caught in that in between time. Half formed thoughts flowing on from a conversation yesterday. We were talking of the difference between giving up in the way one does which is looking down. And giving up in the way of giving up while looking up. Give it up. That’s what I came to, half awake/half asleep this morning. Give it up means giving up while looking up.

My early training would be full of instructions to let it go, offer it up. To be honest such instructions seemed to paralyze rather than move me on. Now give it up speaks more clearly of how it is. Not the giving up of despair more….let me think now…..more that giving is center stage, gratitude is center stage. Not that I think grateful thoughts all day long. Such thoughts hardly come up at all. Giving it up has a powerful connotation, for me, of release. Of release into activity. No namby pamby (which was the younger me) will I won’t I. Ought to. Should do.

Increasingly I find myself at a loss. Lost in the labyrinths of words when words, bless ’em, are what we have. Lost without them, lost with them. But let’s not get into that trap. The lost, tired, where am I and what’s to do thoughts are common to all. They, such thoughts, are the trap. Or can become so. They call out, come wrap yourself up in what you know, wrap yourself up so warm and cozy so even your eyes can no longer see, your ears can no longer hear. And you can no longer move or speak.

If all you think you know
Is all you know
And that uncomfortable/comfortable knowing
Has you wrapped up all warm and cozy…

Then, literally
Open your eyes
Allow what is there
To be there
Literally.

Beyond your eyeballs
Behind your eyeballs
Where is the boundry?
Give up – look up!

There is then, nothing more than this…it is enough.

Well, this might work for a handful of readers. And if it does great, and if it doesn’t don’t worry. Look out for your wisdom as it races past you. Follow it knowing it is not yours to hold and keep. Give it up!

Out and About

In The Direction Of Depth

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The rock
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Cautley Spout, in the Howgill Fells
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The scale of it….

It is almost two weeks since these photographs were taken. The falls called me back a week later and I expect I’ll go again before the end. It is known that a Stone Age community lived in this awesome valley. The imposing rock is near where evidence of the settlement was found.

Way back when, a path ran from the settlement to the the base of the falls – and stopped there. It was a road going nowhere, or so it would seem. I like to think those ancient people honoured and respected this magnificent place, the falls and the embracing valley. Far from going nowhere the road went in the direction of depth. Or so it seems to me. Yes, I’ll go back when perhaps it will be possible to clamber up beside the falls.

Daily Life

A Nest Of Schnauzers

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Jim and Nancy have been on an animal rescue mission to the central valley, California. They now have Annie another schnauzer to keep Muji company. Of all the interesting road trips they have taken this one was the least dramatic (no deaths, or near deaths) and they came back with a bundle of fun too.

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Annie, on the left, and Muji during a stop for fuel

One half-hour or so later and Muji and Annie are lying down, butt to butt. Another hour or so, Annie is laying her head on Muji’s leg without complaint. They sit up in unison when we stop for gas.

Finally, we are home. Everyone’s exhausted. A bit numb, we check in with the neighbor, feed the dogs, feed ourselves. Too tired to talk much, Nancy and I curl up on the bed with Muji and Annie. Just for awhile, of course. But it doesn’t take long to drift off in the nest of schnauzers while wondering how life will change.