To “do” or not to “do”, that is the question Sorry, Shakespeare! But why did I put “do” in quote marks? And what is that guy “do”-ing arranging flowers? Actually, I’m punning (it’s a tradition in my family, my grandpa could still make puns even in advanced dementia). In Japanese, the word that sounds like “Do” 道 […]
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Head or heart? Head or heart? New Age spirituality and pseudo-spirituality constantly calls for us to be “heart centred” – to trust our feelings. And yet, a life path directed by emotion is going to be a roller coaster of ups and downs. A constant seeking of highs and running away from lows. A constant swinging […]
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A complete waste of time? There is a story… A group of zen monks were about to embark on a long and arduous meditation retreat sitting 18 hours a day for three weeks. At the start of the retreat, the master gave them an encouraging little pep talk: “I want you to understand,” he said, […]
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Is enlightenment the means rather than the end? I’ve spent the greater part of my adult life believing that my purpose in life was the achievement of union, enlightenment, realization, liberation, non-duality – call it what you may. I believed that the practice of meditation, kindness, moral discipline etc would (in one lifetime or another) […]
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There is more to mindfulness than meets the eye… There is more to mindfulness than meets the eye… or the ear, or the nose, or the skin!The term “Mindfulness” has become almost a cliche today and the idea of bringing ones attention to the present moment is often cited as a panacea for every emotional […]
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Tea ceremony and sex???? In an oriental tea ceremony, the one serving does so with full attention, engaging all their senses and all their care on the simplest of ordinary activities – making a cup of tea. The ones receiving are totally present in the moment in the same way.When you find such presence of […]
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Self love in Action Brain Tracy, the multimillionaire life/business coach recommends standing in front of a mirror daily, repeating, “I love me”. Frankly, that makes me reach for the sick bag.True self-love is more nuanced and much of my work as a counselor/mentor/ therapist centres around cultivating self-love. The Inner Union work Kalyani Ma Mukti […]
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The only thing that counts is releasing the arrow This well known Zen saying has the obvious meanings of overcoming fear of failure and the importance of learning from mistakes.But there is a deeper meaning. Unless the arrow is released it will never reach the target. Releasing the arrow is what counts. Feeling into it, […]
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Sunrise at La Source “Hold the sadness and pain of samsara in your heart and at the same time the power and vision of the Great Eastern Sun. Then the warrior can make a proper cup of tea.” La Source, our home in thr Ardéche in France, is so much a place of the Great […]
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Grandiosity and the Fall of Icarus I’d like to take a moment today to offer a word of advice for the year to come – advice that my inner mentor often needs to give me, and for which I am always grateful. The advice is simply this: Keep to the middle way, do not dramatize your life. Dramatize […]
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