What a difference ones viewpoint can make. Looking down and the world is full of muddy puddles. Especially so lately with the onset of autumn rains. However there in the puddle is reflected the blue sky above.
Stepping stones leading up through the woods into the light but it easy to miss ones footing where the steps are not lit by the sun.
Navigate the Way with safety and in faith.
I’m in Northumberland where I will remain for the next three weeks.
The mind is like
a parachute.It doesn’t work
if it isn’t open.
Frank Zappa.
I spotted this quote on a church notice board while I was stuck in slow moving traffic in Harrogate recently. Apparently Zappa was outspoken against organized religion, I’m glad religion can use his words though.
There never seems to be lack of opportunities for talking about old age, disease and death. They are all around and with that birth/life, an endless cycle. Down at the river more baby ducklings. Ten the other day scooting across the surface of the water, today six. Were the other four up-river or down the otters gullet! They do say there is an otter abroad in these parts. Something so charming about otters. If you like ’em here’s one caught on camera on Shetland.
Lee over at Future Health 2020 has gone into remission after six months of chemo having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma almost six months ago. I’d mentioned Lee’s positive outlook to his health situation in a post titled Sustained Intention back in April.
Dave of Holding no bough has been pondering on the ‘black dog’. Depression it is said is anger spread thin. Anyway he invited his ‘demon’ to tea and over stayed his welcome somewhat but not without providing some interesting insights. I believe we come out of unity in order that the very unity of which we are might see itself. Nice one Dave.
As you might guess from recent posts I’ve been thinking about death for a reason. When Somebody Dies, just published on Field of Merit site, has me talking about the death process and meditation. It is a merit post.
A good monastic friend turns the big seven o tomorrow and every good wish and congratulations to him. Seventy is no age at all when once it would have been old age.
The Art of Looking, a book reviewed extensively in Brain Pickings might at first glance appear a bit off topic in terms of Buddhist practice. However read on, take a look! There is talk of presence and paying attention and noticing. Although I have not had a chance to read all of the article quite yet what I have read resonates.
One of our senior monks will talk about perception from time to time. Our ears know how to hear, our eyes know how to see. What is needed is to loosen our tendency to go out there hunting. Indeed, more and more I am realizing one need not go out there seeking with ones eyes or ears or any of the other senses – what is there comes in!
If all you can manage mentally in this hot weather is to look at moving traffic where nothing much happens then this is for you. For around six minutes somebody in Melbourne Australia is featured doing formal zazen in the middle of moving cars, she or he is not moving! I’d have been happy just to watch to the end with nothing happening, but something does! If that is too much excitement in this heat-wave we are all enjoying in Britain at the moment I suggest sitting very still, not in the middle of the road, with a wet flannel on your head. Keep cool.
Back in the day when the monastic kitchens would heat up to impressively high temperatures I’d wear a wet bandana on my head and from time to time spray a fine mist around the kitchen from a spray bottle. Anything to help keep the kitchen staff keep their heads. One day we registered 100f while a monk fried chips on the griddle.
As we all must know already there is a real danger to health when the temperatures stay consistently high day after day. Vulnerable people such as the elderly the young and those with certain medical conditions can suffer from heat-exhaustion and worse, heatstroke. Let’s watch out for each other out there.
Thanks go to Walter for the link to the video.