Everyone Sang
Siegfried Sassoon – 1886-1967

Everyone suddenly burst out singing;
And I was filled with such delight
As prisoned birds must find in freedom
Winging wildly across the white
Orchards and dark-green fields; on; on; and out of sight.

Everyone’s voice was suddenly lifted,
And beauty came like the setting sun.
My heart was shaken with tears and horror
Drifted away … O but every one
Was a bird; and the song was wordless;
the singing will never be done.

This is apt for our times. Thanks to Mark for sending me this link.

Back in the 1980’s Rev. Master Jiyu was the celebrant at the funeral for her beloved dog. Called Dog interestingly! He got quite the send-off with his body in a box on the main altar and the whole community turned out in full ceremonial robes for the event. Many of us had sat with Dog the previous week as he slowly died in our community common room at Shasta Abbey, He was a bit of an old reprobate, a hound with many a story to tell. One couldn’t help but love him even when he would escape and do bad things locally, involving chicken!

During the ceremony, Rev. Master became choked up with emotion and paused while she composed herself. We were just still with her even though it was an awkward moment. Afterwards, we all met in the common room for tea, and cake probably. By way of acknowledging she had become a bit tearful earlier, she said with force, “I didn’t bring you all up to be tin Buddhas you know”. And so it was that we learned something rather important that day.

Our humanity, our emotions and attachments are an acceptable part of our whole selves which we do well to acknowledge, show our acceptance of and be able to be light-handed with. And so it is now with our facing, dealing with, accepting the facts of and the ramifications of the virus that has taken our world by storm.

And so it was for me a couple of days ago as I lived through multiple emotions on returning to the monastery. Emotions that others no doubt have, or will have while negotiating tricky decisions around possible contamination, spreading the virus unwittingly and oh so many other complex issues. I’m no tin Buddha and I can live with that!

These bikes are for children to learn to balance before they graduate to pedals to propel themselves forward. The bike rack is pretty nifty too!

Oh and just how much now is a balance needed before propelling ourselves forward into motion and action.

As beings currently struggle to gain their emotional footing the twins of fear and desire are behaving more like identical twins! Those seemingly inseparable emotions are entirely understandable. We call this being stuck in the opposites.

So pausing. Stopping for a heartbeat. Standing still for a moment as if to take in the view. Well yes. Taking in a wider view is good. Our inextricable interconnectedness needs us to do that constantly especially before peddling forwards into action.

Applause for a young man who decided not to take to the sky a few days ago.

I have been out walking in a couple of parks in North Norfolk these past days. The trees are skeletal in form with spring promises sprouting like fingernails. However, these trees speak of harder days; of winter winds lashing and frosty rains creeping into their fabric. Deep inside to compromise their structure. Many have, as you see in this photograph, multiple downed branches.

So, I’m out and getting about. Relaxing with fellow monastics and lay sangha. The world I meet is rich with sights and sounds, the air is soft with the approach of spring. I notice memories from previous visits to this county popping in and then out of my mind. The temptation to voice them and the wisdom to not do that juggle back and forth.

Memories are the past come into the present. It can irk to constantly recount the past yet also speaking of events held in common is affirming of long time contact. So I attempt to steer a middle path in conversations these days away and on return? The middle path, as ever with everything.

Silence is OK too.

The photo below is a detail of iron work at Hexham station, taken a couple of days ago. Faded and rusted yes but there is still ‘glory’ within our railway system. Me thinks

Just 5 minutes into my journey the train hit something on the line, we were stationary for 25 minutes. Announcements came ‘the train has run out of air’. We breath in, ‘no problem here!

And so, I arrive eventually at my destination about an hour later than expected. Along the way, kindness. Along the way, the trains arrived and departed. Along the way, we are safe. Kept safe. Is there something good here amongst the funkyness. Yes. And that’s glorious in a world gone slightly bonkers.

‘Be thankful for small mercies’. My mother would repeat. Quite often.