It’s interesting how the word gets around. This morning I had an email from a Taiwanese Buddhist nun studying in England, with whom I’ve had periodic contact with over the years. She was kindly letting me know about the annual conference of the Network of Buddhist Organizations which will be held in June at Taplow Court, Taplow, Nr Maidenhead, Berkshire.
As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one among them might be the Messiah. And on the off off chance that each monk himself might be the Messiah, they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect.
And respect extends to all that we encounter making our land the land of the Buddhas and Ancestors. A bow to Angie for this story from the Jewish tradition.
Getting out is a welcomed break from work on Jade Mountains. At the moment I’m adding categories to all of my postings, as well as poking around the OBC web sites for teaching material link to. I found hidden treasure!
Found on the Lions Gate Buddhist Priory website an extract from a letter Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett sent in 1979 in answer to one from a lay trainee.
I cannot explain how to keep the mind bright except to say that it is an internal looking up, a raising of one’s aspirations in the midst of it all. Faith is essential here.
And here’s another treasure in the form of a Journal article published on the OBC web site.
The River is the Ocean; The how is as important as the why.
It is when we are spiritually on hands and knees that we learn the deepest meaning of bowing, of true gratitude and of asking for help. When the call of the Eternal is heard clearly, we must not stifle the uprising within in our heart, and “quickly, quietly and obediently say ‘yes’.”
Next week a loyal reader of this blog is going to receive the Precepts at the Ten Precepts Retreat at Throssel. The retreat will start on Saturday. We have been in correspondence talking back and forth as she works through the inevitable
Shall I, or shall I not, cancel? Will I, or will I not, be able to go through with the commitment to formally become a Buddhist?
Her story is much the same as my friend and her steps towards surgery. I find them both inspiring in their willingness to lay themselves bare, to examine what’s there and keep going on into the unknown. Congratulations to them both!
By way of offering encouragement I wrote the following:
You do realize that the first ceremony of the retreat is the journey to the monastery and you are well on the way to completing the most testing ceremony of all.
Her reply:
I hadn’t thought of the journey to Throssel being the first “ceremony”, but now you have said it, it makes perfect sense. It’s funny how this practice gets to one, even though it is so subtle and you aren’t aware of it happening at the time. I have already told you of some of the things that have changed for me like the drinking, smoking, watching less TV and being more discriminatory about what I do watch – but the wonderful thing is that they have all happened without any conscious effort. (Because she wants to follow the Precepts, and is.)
Today is the anniversary of a significant step I took some years ago, which involves rededicating ones life to keeping the Precepts. After the coffee and desert pictured here I walked for a few hours to reach home base. Close to where I’m staying is an old woodland. The guidebook describes it as one of the Island’s most delectable spots. I reclined there for awhile against a tree and gazed up at the clear blue sky listening to the spring birds tweeting. Yes, time for celebrations.
This post is dedicated to yet another friend who is undergoing the ceremony of the journey to the monastery, literally and figuratively. Make that two friends.
A good friend has been readying herself to have hip replacement surgery. Here follows excerpts from our recent correspondence.
So I phoned today for my annual medical check-up, and as I put the receiver down, a little voice said, call your surgeon, to which I replied, Oh, I don’t think so, this is enough for one day to which the little voice replied, call your surgeon, to which I replied, well, I don’t have the number to which the little voice replied, look it up in the phone book. So I did and then reached for the phone, and hesitated, and you can guess what the little voice replied, so I reached again, and hesitated. And that little voice, in a rather exasperated tone, said how will you ever explain this to Mugo? so I (reluctantly) dialed and asked to speak to Dr. Watson’s nurse. A cheery voice said You got her! Oh well, no backing out now.
The nurse answered all my questions and the surgery coordinator will call me next week to talk about possible dates. And as if that wasn’t enough, after I hung up the phone I went into see my department head and we sat and talked about possible dates and what would work best for him. I was also able to talk to him about some of my anxieties at having the surgery done at all. When it was all over (the phone call and chat), I felt much better. It’s actually a big relief (to have started the ball rolling), and I am immensely grateful to you for your encouragement. Please consider this my first installment to my helpful mentor. Is mentor the word I want? Yes WordWeb has given me a definition that describes what you are, for me.
Here is part of my response:
I think your story is not uncommon when it comes to taking a major move in life. And let’s face it having major surgery is a major move in life. It just takes that first leap over the voices, familiar ones I know about too, for the next steps to roll out before one.
…and her response:
Thank you for your reply. It was very encouraging to hear you say that my story is probably not uncommon. I had never thought of that! (And after all those years of mothering and nursing!) I actually think writing what I wrote to you helped me along in my process. And by all means you are welcome to use whatever of it for your blog, I trust your sense of privacy. In addition your comments have given me the thought that perhaps I will try to write a little more about the voices we hear in our own minds.
I hope this posting speaks for itself.