As I entered the forest this morning, a myriad of experiences assaulted my senses. The bird song was prolific, the burbling chatter of the song thrush, the rich tones of the blackbirds, the rapid hurry of chaffinch notes and tweeting of the blue tits. The wind rushed through the swaying tree tops, roaring like a … Continue reading I think, therefore the universe is.
Tag: whole
Life’s potential
A famous middle-aged Buddhist monk, who was suffering from a terminal disease, was interviewed by the press. “How does it make you feel, knowing you are dying?” the interviewer asked. “How does it make you feel to know you are dying?” the monk replied. “I mean, soon, before your time,” came the reply. “Whenever we … Continue reading Life’s potential
Self Love
We are told that we cannot truly love others until we learn to love ourselves. What does it mean to love oneself? Does it mean we should be vain and preen ourselves until we look as physically attractive to others as possible? Does it mean we should be proud of our achievements and boast about … Continue reading Self Love
Atman
In Zen there is no self. When we sit, we are concentrating on the self that doesn't exist, devoting ourselves instead to the everything. We all exist as part of the whole, as part of the oneness, and in sitting we are letting go of our ego, of our self and realising our part in … Continue reading Atman
Harmony
What come to mind when you think of harmony? Everyone working together? World peace? No arguments or strife? A piece of music may come to mind, the harmonious chords resonating with each other to create a stirring sound...but when we think of it in these terms, we realise that with harmony also comes division. A … Continue reading Harmony
Sea of Consciousness
The mind is like the sea. Sometimes it is still and serene, at other times turbulent, troubled. It's depths are unfathomable and we do not know all that lurks there. It is made up of millions of tiny droplets, just like our minds have countless thoughts and processes, yet it is all connected together, the … Continue reading Sea of Consciousness
Echo
Lewis Carroll made a valid point through Alice, when she said; "It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." There is the old story of the great war ship, which saw countless battles and rode many seas. Through-out its life it was repaired, when its deck was splintered by … Continue reading Echo
Shielding
Buddhism talks about 'emptiness' and for many this can be a difficult concept to accept. The idea that everything leads to suffering and that ultimately everything is empty can appear nihilistic and fairly depressing, but this 'emptiness' does not mean worthless, or devoid of meaning. It is a common human condition that we attach personal … Continue reading Shielding
Moving mountains
The ‘accidental miracle’ that brought each and every one of us into being, the process of chance meetings and love affairs, embryos born from the earth, fed star dust in the womb, growing into a physical human from a collection of fluid particles – this being we are, made from constituent parts of the universe, … Continue reading Moving mountains
Waterfall droplet
This conundrum of life, this seemingly incompatible, duality of being the individual we know we are, and yet being one and the same with everything, simultaneously - it's not really much of a conundrum at all. You are you and I am I, he, she, they...we are all individual parts of one whole. All the … Continue reading Waterfall droplet
Zen musings 