Category Archives: Teachings

Aspire To Play

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This water colour is by one of the monks, inspired by a ceiling painting in the Dunhuan caves. Interestingly enough the flying being is called an aspara. I’d like to think that she/he are there to help bring about an aspiration to play. In fact I’ve been pondering on the subject of play. That’s the merits of, the necessity of, the simple good fun of and above all, the release that play brings about. I’m talking about the spirit of play one sees in children and animals and sometimes in adults.

A thought I have of play, or image more like, is of a mumma Grizzly Bear seen in Montana sliding down a mountains side on her back with her cub on her belly. …and then climbing back up and doing it all over again, and again and again! And another image of a grizzly, not so into extreme sports, spotted on her back with front claws entwined with back claws, rocky back and forth, back and forth. Perhaps her teenage cub watched on thinking, Dah?

The above events were described in True Grizz by Doug Chadwick. An engaging book about Grizzly Bears in and around Glacial National Park, Montana.

Postings may be a bit patchy for a few days.

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Rise Up And Greet The Dawn

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This was painted by a good friend in the Dharma for the original Jade Mountains website, circa 2003.

*Rise up!
Rise up and greet the dawn.

Step out!
Step out and the Great Earth,
Leaps joyfully.

Walk on!
Walk on and forget…

It is said that the Great Earth is the foundation of gratitude and refers to the fundamental ground of Everything.

*This piece first appeared on April 11th 2005 with the title The green mountains are forever walking.

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Constancy

I’ve just re-published an article called A Place To Sit. Initially published in the Journal in 1992 and then, in 2004, I posted it on the original Jade Mountains. For reasons I don’t understand the article didn’t transfer into the new Jade Mountains back in February this year. I’ve just re-published it in it’s original ‘place’ on 26th May, 2004.

I hope this article speaks to those of you who are part of meditation group and concern yourselves about numbers of people who come regularly. Offering people a place to sit each week is a real gift. There being the potential, an actual space, to join with others to meditate formally is, well…something without measure.

Back then in 1992 I seem to have an idea of what I was talking about and put it in poetic form. Here are the two verses which appear at the beginning and end of the article. I’ve made slight edits to the original, who can resist an edit!

The place in which we truly sit
Is within our own body and mind.
Since body and mind embrace the Universe,
Nowhere can this place be found.

When bowing to our place
Gratitude knows no bound.
The longing to be as Buddha strengthens
And our True Place is found.

As I write this I’m thinking of Walter who, all the way back then, would come and loyally listen to what I had to say when I was a prior. He is still coming and listening, I value that. As is young Ian, as was.

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O Followers Of The Buddha’s Way! – One

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If YOU speak delusions, everything becomes a delusion;
If you speak the truth, everything becomes the truth.
Zen Master Ryokan

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What We See In Others

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.
Thomas Merton – see more quotes.

Thomas Merton died 10th December 1968, aged 53.

The other person who died today was, The father of the lady in the coffee shop where I get my morning drink – of cancer. Thanks to Walter for bringing to mind these two deaths.

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