Yearly Archives: 2012

Overcome Difficulties

Buddha Pears – Believe It Or Believe It Not

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Gao has been working on his pear-growing technique for six years and this season he managed to grow 10,000 Buddha-shaped baby pears. Each fruit is grown in an intricate Buddha mold and ends up looking like a juicy figurine. The ingenious farmer says the locals in his home village of Hexia, norther China, have been buying his Buddha pears as soon as he picks them from the trees. Most of them think they are cute and that they bring good luck. Chinese Farmer Grows Buddha-Shaped Pears

It did take a bit of time for the truth of this interesting endeavour to sink in. Buddha shaped pears. Amazing!

Thank goodness we who aspire to sit still (meditate) don’t grow in molds. Although that’s a common mistake in the early days. Well intentioned newbies quite often attempt to fit into an imagined ideal posture for meditation. And once there attempt to internally mould themselves into meditation mind.

photograph, Teachings

Now Stepping Forward, Now Stepping Back

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It is your own brilliantly luminous Treasure House.

Let loose this brilliance through your eyes, (and)
you bathe the Buddha body and Buddha Land in splendor;

Buster bathes his Buddha body on a long walk in the Lake District.
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when you set this luminosity free through your ears,
you can hear the sounds and voices of the Buddhas at work;

Two young owls hang out waiting for parental rescue. Owls_x_2.jpg

When you let this radiance pass out through your hands,
you change yourself as well as others;

Herdwick sheep of The Lake District – I’m thinking knitting!Herdwick_sheep_with_Grassmere.jpg

when you let it pass out through your feet,
you put yourself into action,
now stepping forward, now stepping back.

View back from Fairfied summit.
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Great Master Keizan

Many thanks to the monk who took the photograph of the owls and for his and others company on perhaps the longest and most arduous walk I have ever done. The Fairfield Horseshoe circular walk starting at Rydal Hall. Wonderful walk. Good company. Still. No wind.

Teachings

Working Together – Shared Vision

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Learn from the people
Plan with the people
Begin with what they have
Build on what they know.

Of the best leaders
When the task is accomplished
The people will remark
We have done it ourselves.

Lao Tzu

Yes, the best of it is working together. (This subject seems to be popping before me at the moment.) Working together to actualize a vision, a dream, a plan, a project. Build a house, build a community, build a garden, cook for a crowd. Or in my recent past, knit a tank top for the late Iain Robinson’s grandson. Quite a number of people contributed towards it’s eventual completion. Completed this very night.

One can think that working together means a lot of people, or a few, all in the same place at the same time doing something – BIG. And of course that is true and very enjoyable. It can also however mean a number of individuals, with particular skills or resources, living at a distance, contributing at different times to achieve a vision.

The basis of Buddhism is that Shakyamuni Buddha found Enlightenment and if he, a human being with human weaknesses and strengths, can do it we can know that too. His life is our inspiration, our lives and actions can be an inspiration to others. …and what exactly IS leadership?

Daily Life, Out and About

The Art Of Collaboration – Growing Compassion

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This evening I had a little bit of time to follow up on a link to a Huffington Post blogger which eventually lead me to Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. Now then. Just where abouts is that?


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And in Appleton a very interesting project has been underway and is now pouring the waters of compassion on all who visit this interesting exhibition. A mosaic of compassion.

The Appleton Compassion Project is a community art project involving 10,436 Appleton Area School District K-12 art students. In Fall 2010, participating students received a 6-inch-by-6-inch art panel to draw or paint their idea of compassion.

The inspiration behind the project came from Richard Davidson, PhD — a University of Wisconsin-Madison brain researcher who has found that those who practice compassion have measurably healthier brains. What’s more, Davidson’s research shows that compassion can be learned, and should be practiced, as a skill. “A little more joy might be within everyone’s reach,” says Davidson.

My thought and pondering is on the process of this project. That’s the involvement of a community in a collaborative endeavour. Could it be that working together can in itself be an expression of compassion? Certainly so if one thinks of compassion as acceptance . In my experience there needs to be lots of exercising acceptance when working with others on a project. Living in community, monastic community in my case, is a huge expression of compassion now I think about it….

Enjoy the show and thanks to the person who lead me to this most interesting effort. After my own heart.

Daily Life, Out and About

The Art Of Collaboration – Growing Compassion

Leave a comment

This evening I had a little bit of time to follow up on a link to a Huffington Post blogger which eventually lead me to this interesting project in…Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. Now then, just where abouts is that?


View Larger Map

And in Appleton a very interesting project has been underway and is now pouring the waters of compassion on all who visit this interesting exhibition. A mosaic of compassion.

The Appleton Compassion Project is a community art project involving 10,436 Appleton Area School District K-12 art students. In Fall 2010, participating students received a 6-inch-by-6-inch art panel to draw or paint their idea of compassion.

The inspiration behind the project came from Richard Davidson, PhD — a University of Wisconsin-Madison brain researcher who has found that those who practice compassion have measurably healthier brains. What’s more, Davidson’s research shows that compassion can be learned, and should be practiced, as a skill. “A little more joy might be within everyone’s reach,” says Davidson.

My thought and pondering is on the process of this project the involvement of a community in a collaborative endevour. I think working together can in itself be an expression of compassion. Certainly if one thinks of compassion as acceptance. Lots of exercising acceptance when working collaboratively.

Enjoy the show and thanks to the person who lead me to this most interesting effort. After my own heart.