Every now and then
a bend in the road
a twist of the path
and just for a moment
The Truth is true.
Every now and then
Yearly Archives: 2013
Photo and Words Series
Once again I have pre-published a series of posts to cover seven days while I am away and not able to apply myself to writing, or even thinking about writing. It has been enjoyable to let my fingers do the typing and then find photographs. There might be some thing for you, might touch a cord, might not. Back in a week.
I will be able to publish comments and they are always appreciated.
Space for Insights
Most of this morning was taken up with writing this post A Call to Maintenance for the Field of Merit website. And should you go there and read I just want to let you know the car passed its MOT.
This evening I’m glad to report ironing is still a fruitful activity during which stray thoughts surface. Creative thoughts which could lead to something new and interesting, thoughts for future blog posts and solutions to problems too. As I mention at the end of the article on maintenance it is not necessarily during formal meditation that insights, taps-on-the-shoulder calling one to act and the like happen. For some people, and I must be one of them, ironing is
mentally calming, an eased mind, like a hand opening after gripping fast, can be a wonderful thing.
Lotus Flower – Symbol of Enlightenment
Just rest your eyes on this beautiful image of the quite rare Shetland White Water-Lily. Thank you to Kevin who is a long time reader here. As some of you will know the Lotus flower is used in Buddhism to symbolize training and enlightenment. With its roots growing deep into the mud and nourished through them. Then there is the long stem representing faith and the flower which rises out of the water untouched by the water that surrounds it. The Lotus flower itself is used as the symbol of enlightenment. We have a blessing verse which goes thus:
Just as the Lotus
is not wetted by the
water that surrounds it
pure and beyond the
world is the mind
of the trainee.
Let us bow to
the highest Truth.
The last couple of lines are paraphrased. As I understand it the water-lily flower floats on the surface of the water unlike the Lotus so the lily can’t really be used in quite the same way, with the same meaning, as the Lotus. That said I’m sure I have seen lily flowers sticking out of the water….
Zafu Without Edges
Years ago I remember listening to a chap in a spiritual counselling setting. Gradually we got around to what was really bothering him. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get to the heart of the matter. I kicked my zafu (meditation cushion) across the room the other day! he confessed. I can’t remember what I actually said in response, I most likely smiled a smile of recognition before drawing out what might be behind this act. Those moments of utter frustration at seemingly not getting anywhere with meditation and Buddhist practice come to most of us in one form or another. Zafu’s are such a tempting item to heft across the room too!
Lurking below the frustration and the desire for progress is an ever-present sincerity of purpose which transcends any particular religious tradition. The rub of it is that what draws people to a particular practice, meditation/compassion/Precepts, is ultimately resistant to rational explanation. The Dharma, the teaching, points out the way others have gone before which we can learn from. Deeper encounters with Dharma, by my way of thinking, sets up a resonance within us with that which brought us to the cushion in the first place. Being around, talking with, sitting with, walking with those who (in Buddhism termed the Sangha) are living the practice can be both encouraging and taken deeper bring one to realize the zafu is without edges.