I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I watered it in fears,
Night and morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine.
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.
William Blake
A couple of days ago I was listening to Poetry Please on Radio 4 as I drove to Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey. This poem stood out as one I’d want to link to here. It speaks to something we probably all do at some level.
When we are completely honest with ourselves does friend mean somebody like me and foe mean not like me?
The Dalai Lama has been speaking about his role as a spiritual leader and why it is important not to give up hope in times of hardship, in an interview (with Andrew Marr) during his tour of the UK.
Other subjects up for discussion on The Andrew Marr Show included his exile from Tibet and his encounters with the late Chinese Communist leader Chairman Mao.
Toward the end of the interview Andrew Marr basically asks What teaching do you have for us in these difficult times? The response from the Dalai Lama was sane and accessible, as is usual. There are other clips from the interview which are worth watching.
The video linked to above was not working last time I looked. Probably there has been a lot of people wanting to watching it.
Here is a video of Aung San Suu Kyi being interviewed on TV. Towards the end of the interview, having been pressed for an answer to how she dealt with leaving her children, she explains that she is Buddhist and makes the point several times about being responsible for ones actions and not to wallow in regrets which get one nowhere. Quite so.
Thanks to Angie for the link to this interview. Much appreciated.
Yesterday
in the evening
with blue sky
sunshine
AND strength.
Ah! The climb
The view
from the top –
on the way down
From the Nine Standards Rigg
Congratulating myself on this evening expedition a woman I know strode up towards me. I HAVE to run down she said not even breathless, So I will pass you.Bye! There is always the opportunity to compare oneself (unfavorably) with somebody else. But it’s not necessary to take up the opportunity!
Practice Within The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives
