Doing morning service in our open-to-the-elements hall is sometimes chilly but can also be magic. This morning a shaft of light was exactly illuminating the Quan Yin shrine as the sun was gradually rising. We all read the Smaller Sutra together and it brought back memories of years ago at The Buddhist House reading it each morning until one knew it off by heart. Afterwards I gave a talk about the importance of filling the mind with positive imagery, feeding the intuition with good things.
It has been a lovely sunny day here and we have all been out working on the garden, grounds and buildings. Elja is taking care of the front garden which is a very different proposition from previous years when it was more of a wilderness. This year there are an interesting mix of planted and wild flowers. She is good at spotting the wild ones and identifying them where I would probably have pulled them out as weeds. Adam has been cutting grass (and stinging nettles) in the lower garden. It makes a huge difference, seeing the area looking tidy and welcoming. Modgala is gradually extending the area she has been weeding and digging in the main garden. I spent much of the day putting lime onto walls. All these jobs carry the satisfaction that one can look back and see results. Elja also spent some profitable time in the kitchen and we had breakfast, various snacks and evening meal all out in the sunshine.
I'm still busy with my writing. I now have a first draft of a new book written, though it still needs a good deal of polishing and it is the kind of material where everyday I want to add something new, often waking in the middle of the night with ideas or insights. Still it is good to be getting somewhere.
I was shocked to discover that a good friend has had a serious accident, having been run down by a speeding car. The driver was arrested and my friend is in hospital with a damaged spine and likely to be there for some time. What a fragile thing is life!
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