Whereas a foolish person holds willfully to facts and details,
To drown in subtle differences of words and lines,
And being envious of others in their supreme achievements,
Wastes the mind night and day in efforts to exceed,…
From Songs of Ryokan, Chinese Poems #103
A wise person learns the mystery of existence in a flash
And climbs in a leap beyond the world of hollow phenomena,…
From Songs of Ryokan, Chinese Poems #103
Had we wisdom deep enough to know ourselves, single-handed,
No benefits would result from the works of ancient saints…
From Songs of Ryokan, Chinese Poems #103
The last Oxherd picture can be seen on the right of Roger in the first photograph. It shows a joyful person, perhaps dancing in the street! Somehow that sums up my day, which might seem odd all things considered, but that’s the way it is.
The refuge of the Sangha is without compare. Thank you good sisters and brothers, near and far.
I’m sorry that I’ve not been able to respond to comments recently.
Gethsemani III / Monasticism and the Environment. All of the talks given at this gathering mentioned a few days ago can be downloaded as MP3 files. The following is a small part taken from the statement issued at the end of the conference.
We renew our commitment to the sacredness of the earth, relating to it as a community, not a commodity.
A monk from our Order gave a presentation titled, Monasticism vis-à-vis the consumer society: The Monastic Instinct to Revere, to Conserve, To Be Content with Little, and to Share.
Gassho to Urban Dharma for posting the material so briskly.