On June 11th 2008 I started a series of posts with a photograph and a few lines of a poem by Zen Master Ryokan. Here is the link to the first post in that series. The photographs were all taken in the woods in Washington state.
Ancient sages left their works behind, not to let us know
About themselves, but to help us understand our own stamp.
Songs of Ryokan, Chinese Poems #103
I have just finished pre-publishing two weeks worth of old posts. I wasn’t able to spend as much time as I’d like to have done selecting them unfortunately. So I hope what I have selected will be of interest. It is just past midnight now, time to turn in. I’ll return to live posting on the 26th June. Please do leave comments.
Every now and then, over the years, I have search my computer and blog for this photograph. I took it in the late autumn of 2007. This evening a good sangha friend found it on her computer. So in the middle of this current great explosion of greenery here is a skeletal winter Sycamore.
I’d like to say more
How to express the
feeling of deep
delight?Trees dressed
green
in their party
best.
Click on the image to see the full size version.
If you struggle with keeping focused and moving forward in a pleasingly orderly way you are not alone. This Mindmap, which came in a long letter received well over a month ago, caught my attention as I prepared to responding to it. But that I had been more orderly in my work habits I’d have answered the letter much sooner!
Efficiency isn’t everything of course and I for one find myself oppressed if I get too populated with ‘to do’ lists. The part of the map which speaks of creating rituals and habits is good. Yes and up there top right is Morning Quiet and part of that is….meditation. A very good way to start a day.
Out on a beach or walking a path we pick up something that catches our eye. I’ve a pine cone on my altar which I picked up beside the river Dee in Scotland last year when out for a walk there. One of these fine days I will take it off for a walk and leave it beside a path.
It has been eight years since I started writing regularly here. Much water has passed under the bridge since then and very many posts have passed down the page. Now in a few days I’ll be taking a couple of week to sit still and reflect on these past years and contemplate what might be ahead. It will be a time for looking within and a time of reflection. In the next few days I will be working on pre publishing posts which will appear each day at 4.00 p.m. GMT. I’d like to invite you to help suggest posts from the past that are worthy to be republished. I’ll be going through old posts as a lead into retreat reflections.
Do you recall a posts which had particular significant to you? Memorable ones which perhaps helped you to see and understand something at greater depth. Or a photograph you simply love to bits which says it all with no, or few, words? Like shells on the beach, stones on the path the posts can be picked up, appreciated anew and then set aside. If you have something to say about the post(s) you choose, then let me know that too. If you left a comment to the post I will republish that as well.