Walking Striding Edge – Video June 2017

June 19, 2020 Mugo 8 Comments

<span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" data-mce-type="bookmark" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>
It’s three years since this video was taken as I walked along the ridge leading up to Helvellyn called Striding Edge. While watching this there might be a few nail-biting moments however in real life, as far as I recall it wasn’t THAT challenging. Sharp Edge is more challenging by far.

In the Lake District and elsewhere, there are a few walks/climbs/scrambles that have what is termed a ‘bad step’. Striding Edge has one and yes, it was ‘bad’ in that on the downclimb it’s difficult to find the next foothold. With those important three points of contact on the rock the unsupported limb looks for a foot hold. Eventually, that foothold found me and I lived to tell the tale.

Enjoy if you dare! Partway through the walk, I hear myself saying, ‘it’s all about thinking, isn’t it’. I’d call that ‘attentiveness’ and a subject I’d like to explore in another post. It’s a quality of mind/body that is particular. In daily life ones attention can wander with little consequence, when walking the Fells there can be serious consequences to inattention. Death!

This post is for Kasia. Hope you enjoy the views.

Daily Life, Information, Teachings

There are Always Guests Here

June 18, 2020 Mugo 4 Comments

It is still very much daylight at this time of year at around 10.00 pm when a senior goes around the monastery locking doors and switching off lights. I was scheduled to do this the night before last and was hard-pressed to remember which lights needed to be switch ON! For security reasons, we keep several outside lights on during the night as well as a number of night lights in corridors. However there is more to it than the physical security and safety of the monastery and all staying here.

In the past when we used mostly Japanese terms the ‘lights out’ monk was called the Tenkein, now translated to ‘Heavenly Guardian’. The spiritual safety of those resident in the monastery is primary and so the Tenkei’s task is to help settle the ‘air’, so to speak after the busy day of activity. The monk on duty processes around the halls purposefully and formally; wears a full kesa, makes bows in several places, offer incense and also recites the Three Homages in front of the main altar and main gate. Needless to say one remains very still inside – it’s basically a ceremony. The whole thing a blessing.

At a certain point by the Skanda Altar at the entrance to The Hall of Pure Offerings, the lay guests came into mind in the form of a wordless blessing. Immediately I thought, ‘Oh! there are no guests here’! Then I thought, ‘there are ALWAYS guests here’!

Sleep well, stay safe where ever you are.

Pilgrimage 2005

Pilgrimage 2005 Revisited

June 16, 2020 Mugo 2 Comments

At the site of Kojō Zenji’s memorial in Tokyo – Iain with Edera beside me.

It’s just over fifteen years since I went to East Asia. The months leading up to setting off were so challenging there is no doubt about that. I was prior at Edmonton Buddhist Priory in Alberta Canada at the time and along with the daily life of running the priory, I was going half crazy planning this trip. I needed a map of China! I needed a map of Japan! Simple, fundamental tasks were deeply challenging, for the most part, because I had to face my fears. Constantly. On a practical level, I just wasn’t that easy to get such maps, let alone book hotel rooms. Thankfully I had the, now late, Iain Robinson in Japan with Japanese wife Edera to help us both plan this trip. Without Edera we would have been sunk before we ‘set sail’.

I wrote this piece, A Pilgrimage to East Asia for the Order Journal and the text was published in April 2005 on this blog. Today I found out the post was not rendering correctly so I worked on republishing it this afternoon. I’m so glad to republish it now complete with macrons, Mugō has a macron over the o and now I am able to write Kōhō Zenji correctly. Magic!

With a current discussion about ‘next steps’ and dealing with challenging questions like for example, ‘why am I doing this’? I thought it timely to point to the post A Pilgrimage to East Asia. Here below is an extract.

If you are encouraged and inspired by what you read here, that is good. If you are poised at the brink of a next step, as I am, then raise your foot and the road will appear before you. Be willing to not know where that step will lead.

Teachings

Conversation With Kasia

June 14, 2020 Mugo 4 Comments

A few days ago I published a post titled Searching For a Handhold. The following conversation ensued in the comments to that post with the woman climber, unknown to me at the time of writing. I thought it worth bringing the comments together to make a post because it demonstrates how ‘refuge’ works. There is a back and forth, a conversation which draws out wisdoms. From both parties. Refuge is not a onesided business.

I love the image of Kasia on the rock so much, here it is again so we can connect with it all over again.
Mugo, Love how you managed to grasp all my life struggle just by seeing the image of me climbing. Feels like your message comes to me in the right moment. Thank you. Kasia

Dear Kasia, what I saw in looking at the image of you in the rock was a body moving well and a focused mind, body and mind working together. I saw that at that moment the photograph was taken a person who is awake, alert and intent on making the next good move. Then I used that example to talk about how in life one can get stuck ‘gripped out’ i.e. stuck or confused and how being as you were on the rock is an example of how to get ‘unstuck’. I didn’t see a person with an inner life struggle, I don’t think I have that kind of insight. What can happen though is that while doing some kind of skilled activity, such as rock climbing, playing an instrument, gymnastics etc. one can function fabulously and then when that activity is over….lifes troubles come into focus and intention flies out the window. So, if this post has helped you I am happy. Several people have identified with the message of the post.

For those who might be interested, I tend not to know what the message of a post is when I start typing. The message or ‘teaching’ emerges as I write and I’m frequently surprised at what the message is! Mugo

Rev. Mugo, You are absolutely right. At that moment I was focused, my body, mind and heart were as one. Nothing was distracting me and I know what I was going for. The question is, yes how to move this into everyday life, then we not get distracted and stay in that pure consciousness. Kasia

Dear Kasia, I really don’t think we are trying to achieve a certain state of mind or consciousness in either daily life living or through some kind of focused activity. Not in formal meditation for sure. As I said in yesterdays post ‘Anicha is our friend’. Everything changes, all is impermanent especially ‘states of mind’. I’ll not say more now but it is so good to be having this conversation with you. May it continue.
Bows, Mugo

Teachings