56: Don’t set up your own standards
Thoughts on not rushing to try to correct everything, and how we should trust ourselves.
Thoughts on not rushing to try to correct everything, and how we should trust ourselves.
My mother died of cancer just before Christmas. Here a few thoughts about her passing.
My amazing mother died peacefully at 6pm 20 December 2020.
I’m so grateful to have spent time looking after her before she had to go into hospital, and to have been able to visit her in her last days. I was there at the end. So much love.
As my mother is now on end of life care, I’m able to visit her at the hospital. It’s a hard, hard time. Thankfully my younger brother has been able to be here too, so we can take breaks and tag-team and my Mum has someone with her almost all the time.
Sorry about not posting or podcasting for a while. A family member has just been diagnosed with a serious illness, and helping them has taken up all of my time and energy. I hope to be able to resume posting soon.
Back at the lake, talking about greed, including spiritual greed.
The podcast I mention is by Brad Warner - Can you be just a little bit greedy?
The quotation I give as “Now you have, so guard well” is actually “Preserve well for you now have; this is all;” and is found in The Most Excellent Mirror—Samādhi, one of the scriptures recited in the morning at Sōtō Zen temples. (The wording I give may exist in a different scripture, but I haven’t been able to find it).
Misty by the lake today.
Back on the Ridge walk. Today I talk a little bit about a chapter from the Shobogenzo called Kobusshin - The original, unchanging Buddha-mind.
Wonderful walk today.
I’m still here. An experiment in recording at home. I’ll be getting back into themed podcasts soon. Stay well.
I made a mistake in the podcast: Rev. Master Mugō’s blog is at jademountains.net.
So many fungi on this walk.
Once again the necessity of letting go in meditation is clear.
Fresh
Thoughts on time, meditation and the self.
I would strongly suggest reading “Uji”, a chapter of Dogen’s Shobogenzo.
I would also suggest listening to Rev. Master Daishin Morgan’s talk: Time and existence are the same thing
A brief podcast from Trafalgar Square. I talk about how compassion is to be found everywhere and in all things.
How meditation lets us see how we set up our own contexts, and allows us to let them go.
How not doing is just fine.
How meditation allows us to let go of undigested assumptions and find peace of mind and deep meaning.
Sunday morning
Keeping effort at the right level.
I don’t mention it in the podcast, but the title is a reference to a piece of teaching the Buddha gave to a monk who used to be a musician before he was ordained. The monk was trying too hard in his practice, and eventually exhausted himself and became discouraged. The Buddha knew of his musical interest, and reminded him that tuning a string too tight or too slack will not produce the desired result. The monk understood, and was able to find right effort, and continued his training successfully.
More on balance and active training.
I finally get round to talking about Dharma, and how we can find the capacity to deal with things which we didn’t know we could work with.