All posts by Mugo
Buddhism in Plain English – a Book Available
For those of you who have not read Rev. Master Daizui’s book Buddhism from Within there is now the chance of buying a print on demand from LULU, downloading a .pdf or buying a copy when visiting either Shasta Abbey or Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey. I’ve a particular connection with this books since Rev. Master Daizui finished writing it sitting in my mobile home/trailer in Cornwall when he visited in the spring of 2002. He was a monk with a mission striding to my trailer each afternoon to work. In the mornings we would do Order business.
We are pleased to announce that Shasta Abbey Press has arranged a second printing of Rev. Master Daizui MacPhillamy’s book, Buddhism From Within: An Intuitive Introduction to Buddhism. Rev. Master Daizui was a senior disciple of Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett and served as her successor as Head of the Order from 1996 to 2003. The content of the book remains the same.
Buddhism from Within can now be purchased through Lulu.com as a print-on-demand book. This means that when someone orders a copy from Lulu, the book is printed and mailed to the person. The proceeds from purchases help support the Order.
The book is also available for sale at Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey and Shasta Abbey; it can be downloaded as a free PDF on the Shasta Abbey Publications webpage.
Appreciating The Day
Yesterday, Wesak Day. We celebrate the Buddhas Birth and Enlightenment sometime during May, the event marks the Buddhist New Year. Traditionally Wesak is on the Sunday that is closest to May’s full moon. In Malaysia this year that’s the 29th May. As a point of interest Rev. Master Jiyu’s Ordination Master, the Venerable Seck Kim Seng, was instrumental in getting Wesak Day made into a public holiday in Malaysia.
As you can see we get out the Buddhist, home-made, bunting and generally decorate brightly around the monastery. I was fortunate to be at Throssel on Sunday to join in the celebrations.
Today, a public holiday. Moments of repose beside a river: here Wild Garlic in profusion, a Blue Heron statue like, birds calling. A lone duck floats by on the current. Ah! the sunshine, the warmth. The profusion of greenery. It’s been a record-breaking day in terms of temperatures. A good day all around. Even the trash looks good today!
Sitting beside the river this afternoon my mind wandered to those less fortunate all around the wide world. This post is for them.
The Noise of Memory
Mourning is
the noise of
memory
that follows the
quiet liberation
of death.
How removed we are from death now, how sterile and unseen it has become. My entire fear of death was built on a foundation of having experienced it too little. I feared that the burst of noise that is our lives, once silenced by death, would have no echo. But having experienced her death, having stood at the side of her bed in the middle of the night as she gave one last breath for each of us present, I can tell you that this is what death is like: motionless, hushed, the sound of a candle being extinguished. And then: the cacophony of memories that follows, a cacophony that is both torture and ecstasy. The noise of these memories is what makes you wail and shake and hold your head in your hands. Mourning is the noise of memory that follows the quiet liberation of death.
From Memento Mori
I’ve read through this article, Memento Mori several times and still I come back again. Why? The clue is in the title, Memento Mori – Remember you must die. I’ll say no more. This takes one deeply.
Tiny Interesting
Perfection is achieved,
not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
French writer (1900 – 1944)
The above quote comes towards the end of this video:
https://faircompanies.com/videos/thoreauvian-simple-living-unelectrified-timeless-tiny-home/
Tiny/tidy…tiny/messy. I’ll take the middle way.