Speaking to Experience – Poem

I’ve been looking through the posts from this year with a view to choosing a few that stand out for me, for one reason and another. I couldn’t call them my ‘best’ posts, just ones that resonate now. In the mean time here is a poem which still speaks loudly for me first published in February of this year.

If there is a post that spoke to you in particular please do let me know in the comments section. Here begins that February post.

Speaks to the heart of experience (mine anyway) like nothing I’ve read in a very long time.

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t always mean security.

And you begin to learn
That kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child

And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow’s ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight

After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers

And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.

Author: Veronica A. Shoffstall

In the Dark

Beautiful still evening
stars out
walking in the dark
Refreshing

 

Slow Sunday – Video of Swans Squawking!

Here is another short video from Sunday Morning

Nature: Swans at Cayuga Lake

Do take a moment to just listen to these swans, gradually I became engaged with the sight and sounds. It took patience and acceptance at first. Perhaps because nothing much is happening, no story, no punch line. Just swans squawking. Talking?

Non-Becoming

A light still burning bright.

From Zen Master Dogen’s  Shobogenzo,  Shoji (Life and Death)

It is a mistake to think that life turns into death. Life is a position at one time with its own before and after. Consequently, in the Buddha Dharma it is said that life is itself no-arising. Death is a position at one time with its own before and after. Consequently, it is said that death is itself no-perishing. In life there is nothing other than life. In death, there is nothing other than death. Therefore, when life comes, just live. And when death comes, just die. Neither avoid them nor desire them.

Each and everything then, is in its own non-becoming ‘place’, unique place, at each moment, simultaneously here and gone. with its own before and after. So? Nothing to get excited about. And everything to be grateful for since it is impossible to become stuck in ones everlast place. Not for long anyway!

Bows to Zen Master Dogen and all who venerate, read and appreciate his teaching.

Making Donations

Just to let you know the facility to make donations is now working again. I believe you can donate in a currency other than GBP and I’ve added an advisory note at the end of the Donations page for non GBP donars.