Yearly Archives: 2010

Teachings

Face The Sun

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A reader asked for a Bodhi Leaf pin for a friend who is suffering. The person loves nature. I wrote a brief note to go with the pin and thought I would share it here. Partly as an avenue to offer merit and partly because the advice stands for all of us.

Nature turns its’ face to the sun and that’s what we must do. In our tradition we encourage people to ‘look up’. That never fails to make a difference. Literally, to look up to the sky, the tops of trees and the tops of houses throughout the day helps to lift ones mind and heart.

For all those who find themselves in extremity.

Out and About

Horse In Hand

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Sometimes with company, mostly alone and not on foot!

Yesterday, driving from Santa Cruz up past San Francisco and the East Bay to Meadow Vista above Sacramento I began to feel like the whole world is surfaced with tarmac (black top). There’s an incredibly complex system of freeways in this area of California where, at the very least, the freeways have three lanes, that makes six each way and a maximum of six lanes, adding up to a massive twelve lanes each way. Which all adds up to a lot of black ribbons snaking across the landscape.

And I drove and I drove, at around 70 mph, with cars side by side and one behind the other all driving at around 70 mph, or faster. When the traffic reporter says, the traffic is moving freely, this is what they mean! When it isn’t moving freely that’s when I am extra careful, and nervous. There is then much speeding and slowing down, cars switching lanes playing the odds on which lane will move next, and fastest. The danger of getting rear ended is huge, and the risk of not stopping quickly enough and running into the car ahead is ever present. Freeway driving for hours on end is a mental and physical work out. Tomorrow will probably be the last freeway trip I’ll be making on this journey.

Hope you like the photograph. It reminds me of happy times spent with Venus the horse at Pine Mountain Temple. I have known a lot of horses and ponies through my life. I find them exceptional communicators, mind to mind. And Venus was sweetly vocal with her whinny too. Heavenly horses.

Out and About

Surf’s Down

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Sadly it was late evening before I managed to get away from the phone and computer. Some days a just like that. When I finally emerged from the house and started walking along the ‘front’ as we call it there was a barking and a whining coming out of the gloom off shore. The seals habitually lounge on a rock just off the point on West Cliff Drive. You can see where that is on the map. When I reached Lighthouse Field State Beach surfer were pealing off their wet suits on the sidewalk (pavement). About a dozen hopefuls were still bobbing around below but there was hardly any swell at all. When the surf is up one gets a grandstand view of Steamer Lane beside Lighthouse Field Beach. If you think surf and Santa Cruz that’s the place to go gorp!

Whether one is in the water or a dedicated watcher I can see how very compelling this surfing business can be. As I walked along West Cliff Drive last evening there was a certain thrum of anticipation that’s infectious. I catch it every time I find myself in Santa Cruz, which isn’t that often. Clearly people can live their lives centered around the state of the waves, wind speeds etc.

One could live for worse, I guess. And….The means of training are thousand fold but pure Zazen must be done. Zen Master Dogen – Rules For Meditation. In other words surfin’ sitting OK, AND sitting sitting is essential.

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Buddha Is Everywhere

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The Buddha inside the stupa
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Offering incense at the stupa before leaving Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple

Before leaving a temple it is the custom to offer incense, recite a scripture and say goodbye to the Chief Priest. In this case Rev. Master Phoebe. And then on arrival at the next temple, or home, one offers incense and makes bows in gratitude for having got there safely.

To stand before the stupa and then to see the golden Buddha inside is phenomenal. Quite takes ones breath away. It is almost that one has just met the Buddha. One HAS met the Buddha! So to make the Pilgrimage to the stupa, offer incense and then walking around it three times is to have accomplished something quite remarkable. Really.

The story of how this stupa came to be here is a story of faith/trust. Each person who visits and pays their respects as described above contributes in a way, and at a level, that I find hard to put into words. On the Pine Mountain Buddhist Temple website can be found photographs and text documenting the construction of the stupa. There is also valuable teaching on the meaning of the stupa.

I rarely talk about the devotional aspect of Buddhist practice because devotion is something one expresses, through action. To write about it is to be looking on, observing, and that is NOT what devotion is about. Making a religious journey is an act of devotion. While I write about my travels it is not the nitty-gritty journey itself, it is just a description. Each of us makes our own journey, be it to the local temple or further field. Oh, and sometimes I fancy that traveling over to Jademountains is a religious journey, especially for those who are not able to physically get about. The thing to keep in mind is that it is not reaching a destination or having a goal that is the important thing. It is to realize that Buddha is right now, right here be that on the dusty road or beside tall trees or sitting in traffic. And still one goes on Pilgrimage. In our meditation tradition one would go for retreat, as well as paying ones respects as a pilgrim.

This post has been edited 13th August.