Category Archives: Teachings

Teachings

The Key To The Gateless Gate

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Here are a couple of photographs. The first one from Angie, faithful reader in Yorkshire. The second from my walking companion at Throssel, also faithful as far as I am aware. I’m soon to be there in Northumberland walkin’, talkin’ and eatin’ and generally joining in the life of the community for a week. I’m looking forward to that.

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on the moors, my walking companion stands tall.

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in Yorkshire, islands of snow with skirts of ice.

We have the saying, and who knows where I am quoting from, which goes something like: When it is hot be completely hot, when it is cold be completely cold. And there are lots of opportunities to be cold in Britain this evening. And all next week probably. What is being pointed to in this quote is to accept what is, what conditions actually are. There is nothing like extremes of temperature to force one to accept conditions. But that is not the end of it, of course.

Last week we were being warned of a lot more snow to come. It didn’t come. At least not where I am staying in the Upper Eden Valley. I went into snow denial, snow? what snow! People on the street were saying, Snow? What snow. They have it wrong. Again. Gradually as the days went by I realized I wasn’t preparing as one should for winter road travel. So I have now packed for extreme conditions. I’ll be driving away towards Throssel tomorrow morning with the full kit aboard. Including a set of Autosocks. Good on snow, good on ice.

And there we have it: All acceptance is the key to the gateless gate. However if we don’t pick up the key and open the gateless gate, we are likely to be left spinning our wheels. In other words acceptance of conditions comes together with taking action.

Thanks for the photographs. This wasn’t quite what I had in mind for this evenings post however this is what came out of my fingers.

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Overcome Difficulties, Teachings

Squawk This Christmas

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The Upper Eden Valley

Looking up, and who wouldn’t considering their call, a pair of Scarlet Macaw. Beak to beak, long tail feathers flying, wobbling atop a TV aerial. Well above the dripping icicles. So, the thaw has come. A welcome relief after two weeks of harsh weather. The Macaw said it all. Bringers of joy, uplifting stressed spirits. Noisy, funny and tropical exotic! Not your typical winged Brit. Not at any time of the year. They said so much. Spoke of much more.

This is the time of year when one would wish for cheer. For, perhaps, the thaw to set in where there is need of that. Hearts. Families. Extended families. Families of interest and of shared heart. Communities spread distant or neighbours in a row. And, thinking as wide and deep as can be. A call for a general thaw. A world thaw. However for now, here, to see the pavements again is a start.

There has been talk of family. Difficulties. So much suffering. And the incredible human ability to walk through. Scarred, yes. And not without huge persistent feelings of loss, rejection. Real loss. Real rejection. Incredible then, that general persistent life-time thaw is carried within all of that. We talk about people turning their life around. People can and people do. Safer to stay peeping from behind the curtains? Or so it might seem. However, sooner or later one has to go out and face the weather. Like the Macaws we tend to gather together in groups. The harsh conditions has people talking on the streets. Smiling shyly at the kindness of strangers. Weather unites like nothing else. Given half a chance and buckets of intention, in good directions, thaw happens.

Watching the Macaw. The bright scarlet Macaw. Now! What on earth are they doing? Pecking and preening. They’re rearranging each others feathers! Bless ’em. Birdie community building? All the while they squawk. Loud, low-pitched, throaty squawks. Apparently these sounds and their squeaks and screams are designed to carry for miles. They are calling to their groups.

‘Tis the time to squawk! While looking up.

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Teachings

Grace And Ease In Simple Activity

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Even the easy things are hard
if you do them halfheartedly.
From the movie The Final Season.

Thank you to the person who passed this quote to me in Edmonton.

Perhaps living wholeheartedly,
easy living?
difficult living?
brings grace and ease,
poise and vitality.

Perhaps this pondering
points through to where
concepts of easy and difficult
cease to have the power
to stumble us.

Perhaps when fixed ideas
fall away….
we can be flexible.
Like life dancers!
BE life dancers.

And here is a team dancing something remarkable. A different take on Swan Lake.

At last dear Virginia I have linked to this remarkable video. Thank you so much.

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Daily Life, Overcome Difficulties, Teachings

Mobility Compromised – On Allowing The Sight To Enter In

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Garden Buddha – pointing to where we sit, benefiting self and other.

Viewed from my window. A lorry loaded with huge plastic pipes went up the road. Then later, down the road only to be followed by it coming back up the road. Lost! Yes probably lost and the roads are in no state to be in any doubt as to where one is going. People on foot. Booted and gloved with shopping bag or backpack. Many preferring to walk in the road rather than the uncleared pavements. All walking purposefully. Fetching and carrying or escorting children for play in the snow. The going underfoot is somewhat perilous for the young and fit, for those who are less young and less fit life is a struggle right now.

Last afternoon I fell into conversation with an older chap as we slush-ed our way along an uncleared side road. Him in his wellies, me in hiking boots. He had a walking pole. He recounted that he had already fallen and had gone back to fetch the pole to steady himself. Poles are in effect an extra limb to help with balance especially on ice and inclines. We parted with a wave. I mused to myself that these extreme conditions do bring people together. I found myself entering into more conversation as I went about my business. Getting in supplies while there was a break in the snow falling.

Being sure of foot goes largely unquestioned and thus unappreciated. It is after all more or less continuously. The occasional trip or slip gets ones attention, to pay more attention to the going under foot, which is good. Then there are the little slips which have big consequences. A broken limb! A sprained ankle! Mobility then becomes a BIG ISSUE. Then imagine a young man, on patrol, in the army, stepping on a trip wire. The story of one such chap, now a triple amputee, has been told on a BBC3 Documentary titled My Boyfriend the War Hero. It can be downloaded or watched on line for the next 13 days on BBC iPlayer. The story centers around the relationship between the chap and his sixteen year old fiance who becomes his full time carer. People who have amputations tend not to lament their loss, they are focused on mobility and all the huge challenges presented. They have had time to make their decision and come to terms with it. However for our soldier in the documentary there was no time, just a bright white flash as he took the hit.

Mobility compromised is a gross understatement and not the whole picture by any means. This post is for all those who take the hit like this soldier, or in the other multitudinous ways people are hit in life. Largely such extremity is hidden to all save those who care for them. One can only imagine the chronic isolation and loneliness for all who suffer a hit, as well as the stresses and strains encountered by those around them. A thought.

Unlike our little bitty fall of snow, fetching strangers to converse in a picture postcard world, the raw reality of amputation is not a pretty sight. However I believe it is important to allow the sight and reality to enter in. For the benefit of others as well as oneself.

Thank you for the photograph good friend. The Buddha has a good place in this post, and a good place in your garden too.

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Out and About, Overcome Difficulties, Teachings

Discomfort Zone

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Filmed in 1955 Snowdrift at Bleath Gill follows the actions of railway workers who are sent to rescue a snowbound train in the north Pennines.

For those of you who are not caught up in the drama of the unseasonal snow and frigid temperatures we are enjoying in Britain, the news is…we are snowbound! Much of the UK is white, again. Schools are closed, two in the town where I am staying. This morning I swept off the car I am borrowing intending to go shopping, then watching the snow blizzarding across the road I went indoors. And stayed there.

This film seems like a good one to watch given the current weather. Perhaps a reminder to remember those who are out there tonight helping to keep the roads and rails clear for travel. Even so two major crossings of the Pennines are closed this evening. One, the A66, crosses close to where the film was shot.

Meanwhile in Antarctica….a band of climbers are gathering to make the summit of Mt. Vinson. This climb, this being the first of seven climbs, is to raise Alzheimer’s awareness and $1M for research.

And for the intrepid armchair traveler, this.

Extreme conditions, and I am not just talking about the weather, has the effect of helping us to rally round. To rise above and do, and think and achieve great things. Like Alan Arnette and his fund-raising efforts for Alzheimer awareness and research. Like people simply getting out and shoveling snow, when they could be indoors by the fire. Like…well at one time or another most encounter extreme life conditions. And it seems to me it is not the details so much, the drama if you will, it is the heart/mind of those caught up. Our deep ability, built in, as human animals to face adversity, and win through.

However facing adversity isn’t necessary in order to know this. Simply going indoors is an option.

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