Tuesday, April 01, 2008

The Non-Abiding Way

This is the last posting on Moving Mountains, it's almost three years since the first one was made in Vancouver Canada just before flying to South East Asia. These have been long, and sometimes arduous, years filled with good kind and compassionate friends, known and unknown. If I've not been in touch I'm sorry, within these pages you may get an idea of why. Please come and visit me on my new Internet home, Jade Mountains. (edited May 2013)

Surrender the need for the world to be ordered according to a conception of justice, logic, rational motives and the 'truth'.
Develop the stamina to live in accordance with ones highest aspiration. To walk your talk.


Author unknown.


Offered to all who walk the non-seeking non-abiding Way.

Monday, March 31, 2008

The Benefits of Breathing

1st April - Comments have been switched off for this post. You can leave a comment here though.

Have you ever paused to notice?
if your mouth is closed
when you breath in
and when you breath out?

Have you ever considered?
if your mouth is OPEN
while you walk in silence
and have you wondered why?

Have you ever paid attention?
to the soft touch of top on bottom lip
and noticed the wonder of it
in your toes?

Have you ever paused to ponder?
if mouth open or closed
while breathing through your day
matters?

A friend pointed out the merits of nose breathing, when ever possible, as against mouth breathing.

Why wander the world panting? Surely life is not one long emergency.
Is it?

This posting was edited on 1st April.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Alum Bay, IOW

From Alum Bay looking towards the Needles

Yesterday I took a couple of walks. First in the Parkhurst Forest near Newport, and very near the renowned maximum security prison. And then onwards to Headon Warren and Alum Bay attracted by the the coloured sand cliffs. My original intention was to walk to Freshwater Bay over Tennyson Down however it was a bit late in the day for that after exploring the beach. That walk have to wait for another day.
This is for those interested in the Geology of Alum Bay, with more photographs too.

Walking The Camino de Santiago

Just take a look at what Ruth, a member of our lay community in Vancouver, Canada is contemplating doing.

I've been mentally preparing for this trip for sometime now, however, I still have doubts as to the sanity of an old woman with worn out knees and other signs of impermanence, doing such a trip.

The British Buddhist Landscape – Transplantation and Growth

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.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Remembering the Power of Respect

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.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Oceans of Merit Needed - Cat Adoption

A reader is relocating from Florida and needs to place her two cats before the end of the month. This is heart breaking for a devoted cat lover. She may need to drive West with them on the back seat...unless they find new homes.

Today I definitely got both cats up on the shelter website -- if you want something done it's necessary to do it oneself sometimes. There must have been a miscommunication last week, as I thought they were set to put Mitra up then. Anyway, now they're both up here, under adoption.

Looking at the cat adoption site it's clear oceans of merit is needed for them to find homes. Offering merit is just about all I can offer at this point.

Mitra Domestic Long Hair, Dilute Tortoiseshell

Suzy, a green eyed 'senior'.

Hidden Treasure

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’."