A number of nuns from the Forest Tradition came to visit yesterday afternoon.
After a morning roped to my computer I’d climbed up the hill to sit in the sun and drink in the valley readying myself for tomorrows adventures in the sky. Seeing a monk waving me down, a small figure in the landscape at that distance, I extracted myself from my perch and made my way to meet the nuns. They were already tucking into tea, chocolate and conversation in the common room.
This is a picture of our side of the valley where I was sitting. The monastery is in the center of the picture, more or less.
….I would just like to wish you ‘rruga e mbare’ for your journey; loosely this is Albanian for bon voyage but better translated as ‘may your way go properly’ (rruga = way, mbare = properly), an expression I like and that is my wish for your travels.
From Tim. Thanks for keeping in touch. Keep on writing your blog.
Our phone conversation was coming to a close. She asked, ‘Is there anything you can suggest I do to help myself during the day’? I asked, ‘Well, is there anything that you can think of? There was a long pause and then the answer came. ‘This might sound strange, given all that I’ve spoken about, however everything is well’.
Light House, South Shields Northumberland.
“Those who, either now or after I am dead, shall be lamps unto themselves, relying upon themselves only and not relying upon any external help, but holding fast to the truth as their lamp, and seeking their salvation in the truth alone, and shall not look for assistance to any one besides themselves,…” The Buddha’s Farewell.
Seeking help is not a problem, overly ‘relying’ on or depending upon external help is.
Be a lamp unto yourself…because you are that lamp.
The beach at Wells, North Norfolk coast. Land of ace huts.
I’ll be stepping out into the great blue yonder on Wednesday bound for Vancouver Canada and then onwards to Edmonton. My itinerary is taking shape under the Schedule tab.
Tomorrow we celebrate the Birth and Enlightenment of the Buddha termed Wesak and the monastery is suitably dressed for celebration. Each year during Wesak week-end parents, together with their off spring, are welcomed into the monastery to mingle and to play. The atmosphere is informal, creative and very active. There was football on the lawn at 4.00 pm, a music workshop all afternoon in the library and a picnic to round off the day. Earlier a crowd did some dry stone walling while others did map making.
Meet Miles, veteran reader and comment sender. He and his partner and 8 month old son were here today. It was a great joy to meet them all together.
Two Jade readers, both called Anne, have articles in the Spring edition of our Order’s Journal. The first Anne speaks of the benefits of staying at Throssel outside of retreat times.
And now, after more times spent there when no retreats are running, the (admittedly, self imposed) lines between Throssel and my home have started to blur as the amount of more ‘ordinary’ experiences at the Abbey interweave with my life in my town, and Throssel seems not only my spiritual home–as it always was–but just like where I live day to day–my home.
The other Anne writes about her journey from the onset of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME) through to her life in Mt. Shasta and her association with Shasta Abbey.
Sometimes I just go over to the Abbey grounds, walk down to the stupa and sit. Or I do some little inconsequential errand that takes me over there, so can feel the difference between the silence of living alone in town and the deep quiet of a spiritual community training together. Underneath my surface unrest, a part of me is deeply content with what is, when self is willing to acknowledge it. “Separate,” one of the monks once said, “but not alone.”
Spare a thought for Anne in America who is having a nasty flare up of symptoms at the moment. A thought for her dog Lily too is appreciated.
Practice Within The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives
