I'm a bit confused, but well. The heart guides one way, the life is lived another. My conditioning from the last few years says this is not a good thing. My guts twist up just typing it...There is a lot more calm and love in general daily life as a result of continuing the practice here, though. The heart keeps patiently, yet insistently speaking Japan, Japan, JAPAN. I am to go and just let the journey unfold as I did here in Thailand. My teacher is still waiting there.
In the mean time, I have done another yanna course (I swore I wouldn't do another one 3 courses ago...) and I'm really enjoying being a penniless beggar (I made a promise not to use money two weeks ago and should technically have waited another two days to come do email, but my impatience is borrowing from the kind email lady...).
Almsround is SOOOO awesome! I get to walk about a mile--mindfully, acknowledging the step of each bare foot as "right goes thus, left goes thus," this takes about an hour. I go by myself in the quiet of the early morning, leaving the temple just after dawn at about 6:30AM, I am free to explore Chomtong Village's nooks and crannies. I have "discovered" several cute tiny schools (wondering if they need English teachers?), many beautiful little canals, and at one end of town, the houses open up to rice fields in the forground of some very beautiful lush karst mountains off in the distance... It's nice to get the exercise, be by myself for a change, feel the freedom of choice in at least one aspect of my day, and have the opportunity to offer blessings to the almsgivers. Such a beautiful process. I actually have more faith in Buddhism seeing it practiced by the laity than by the sangha in the temple. Is this as sad as it feels like it should be? anyway, progressing on.
Whatever we think, speak, and take action towards is what manifests. It's nothing personal. Drop the ego. Live in peace. One breath at a time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment