WEDNESDAY 7 Sept ~ Thoughts & Blooms
This morning I read one or two interesting things that led to me writing a blog post about not knowing what we know.
Meanwhile, outside, the flowers are blooming...
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TUESDAY 6 Sept ~ Preparing for Winter
Fruit
Today Elja was picking berries and making jam and syrups while I was sawing logs that Adam was then storing away in the woodshed. All preparations for the colder months to come.
We are still getting plenty of garden produce. Today I harvested a
Read more…A BUNDLE OF DEPENDENT FACTORS
In my post: Principles Against Some Common Fallacies...
5. 'Oneness' and 'interdependency' are mutually contradictory ideas and neither is central to Buddhism.
Interdependency exists, but is a special case, not a universal one.In the Abhidhamma secti
Read more…Gothic Relationship Drama
A Compelling Novel
I have recently read the Iris Murdoch novel, The Unicorn. It is what is technically referred to as a 'closed' novel in 'gothic' style; closed in the sense that the characters are constrained in a closed world by the structure of th
EKAGATA
In my post: Principles Against Some Common Fallacies...
4. The idea of 'interbeing' was not taught by Buddha.
This item is close to that of yesterday. However, we can address the matter from a different angle. One often hears these days that the esse
Read more…WEEKEND 3-4 Sept ~ Berries, Conversation & Iris
We are a community of three once again, now that Elja is back. It is blackberry season and we have been picking berries and she making syrups in the kitchen.
I have been doing some woodwork and the hut in the barn now has a roof, effectively giving
Read more…RESPECTING DIFFERENCE
In my post: Principles Against Some Common Fallacies...
3. It is not true that believing that all people are part of one another will necessarily make somebody a better person. People are often careless of themselves.
Advocacy of the idea that we are
Read more…Self Psychology East & West
In my post: Principles Against Some Common Fallacies...
2. It is not necessary to create a 'self' before you abandon it.
The attempt to square Western psychology with Buddhist psychology sometimes yields useful ideas, bit it also often leads to confu
Read more…FRIDAY 2 Sept ~ Wet & Dry
This morning, as most Fridays, we went to Oasis.
Tara met up with the hens
Adam had a splash in the pool
BUDDHISM & 'SELF-AWARENESS'
In my post: Principles Against Some Common Fallacies...
1. Buddhism only values 'self-awareness' insofar as it cultivates humility and compassion.
The point here is that 'self-awareness' is not, in Buddhism, a goal in itself. Buddhism is not about de
Read more…THURSDAY 1 Sept ~ The Birds Have Flown
Our little birds have left the nest. It is empty now. They have joined the dozens of other ones that loop around our years and fly through the refectory, in one end and out the other. I guess they are all hearing stories about Africa and chasing the
Read more…DUALITIES & NONDUALITIES
There is a passage...
銀碗盛雪 明月藏鷺 類而不斉 混則知處
“A silver bowl full of snow / a white egret hidden in the moonlight / these are not the same / comparing them we can appreciate [our own] place”
This comes from the Jewel Mirror Samadhi, a medieval Chinese
WEDNESDAY 31 Aug ~ Blackberry Season
Picking berries on one's own is a very silent activity. Here at La Ville au Roi much of the time there is no ambiant npoise whatsoever. With only the mantra rolling around my brain for company I set off to pick the first real takings. It is apparent
Read more…TUESDAY 30 Aug ~ Autumn is Coming
The month is nearly over. Time flies. Walking in the woods today I was conscious of the first fallen leaves. Autumn is coming. Everywhere blackberries are ripening. Today we harvested our first pumpkin, a big yellow one. The tomatoes are ripening too
Read more…IS THE ATLANTIC GETTING WIDER?
In the news today are speculations that the TTIP negotiations are in trouble. TTIP is the attempt to negotiate a near-to-free trade agreement between the EU and the USA. It is already well behind schedule and has come in for a lot of criticism from t
Read more…SUNDAY 28 Aug ~ Flying lessons have started
There is now no longer room for all three chicks in the nest so one has crossed over to the next beam.
leaving two in the nest. The parents keep coming and feeding them all.
including the one on the nail. They are all practising stretching their wi
Read more…DOGEN & SAIGYO
Saigyo and Dogen were both independent Buddhist monks. Saigyo was, perhaps, even more independent than Dogen in that he seems never to have been strongly identified with one sect, although he clearly did have a great respect for Kukai and, therefore,
Read more…SATURDAY 27 Aug ~ Journey home? ~ by Jan
Jan sent us this account of her journey from La Ville au Roi (Eleusis) to Hawai'i
Would I sound deluded if I say I feel that I have a new take on time and space? Maybe it comes from having two places with strong connections. As I journeyed back to Ha
Read more…PRESERVING DEMOCRACY
All systems are impermanent, but while they are in favour they seem eternal, at least as far as the future is concerned. Feudalism must have seemed so until absolute monachies made it seem old hat. Democracy seems so nowadays, but one should not be c
Read more…FRIDAY 26 Aug ~Everything Grows in its Own Way
Our little friends are nearly ready for flying lessons.
The roses are blooming
Strawberries are sleeping
Tomatoes are ripening
And pumpkins are on the way
