The phrase “there is space for it all” came into my head while sitting this morning and it seems to describe for me (so far) practising during the pandemic. My main practice at any time seems to be sitting with whatever feels the least comfortable. It’s not a practice I deliberately choose but on reflection […]
Read more…
Very little is known about Ryonen, the Zen ancestor that I find myself drawn to write about. For many of our ancestors the historical details of their lives are often much less well known than the stylised reputation their names have gathered over the years. In the case of our female ancestors even less is […]
Read more…
The Network of Buddhist Organisations (NBO) which StoneWater Zen is a member of, hold a Buddhist Action Month in June each year. The theme for 2019 is “Climate Action – Personal Action”. The NBO have produced a Handbook which suggests actions that Buddhists might want to consider taking, either personally or in groups, to make […]
Read more…
I’ve been experimenting with words recently. Not deliberately but rather noticing how different translations of some of the words that we use in talking about practice or in our chants bring a very different feel. I’m going to be exploring here just one of these – the biggest – emptiness. I’m not going to really […]
Read more…
The European Buddhist Union (which StoneWater Zen is a member of) has an e-newsletter. Its latest issue is now online with articles from different Buddhist sanghas across Europe on the subjects of ‘Ethics in Buddhism’ and on ‘Young Buddhists’ See the latest issue HERE
Read more…
While some sangha members have been thinking about ways to introduce children to Buddhism and to answer the very good question of why we sit on cushions doing nothing, my child conversations have been of a more internal nature. “Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)”, […]
Read more…
“This could be the start of something real. This could be the start of something beautiful” As I sat this morning, these lines from a song played through my mind. It was a particularly fine looking morning with a golden sunrise glow in front of me. In a moment like this it is perhaps easier […]
Read more…
Sensei invited Woo and I to represent StoneWater Zen Sangha at the Greater Manchester Buddhist Convention where the theme this year was Dialogue. Our session was entitled “Shut up and Speak: The Zen approach to dialogue and how it influences two Zen practitioners”. Here (roughly) is what I said: I think we all have our tendencies, […]
Read more…
“What for you is the essential teaching of Buddhist practice and how does it influence your life?” I’ve found this an unexpectedly difficult question to respond to: each time I tried I met a brick wall. There are probably a variety of reasons for this including I think a mountain of resistance that I have […]
Read more…
‘the book’ – lowercase because this is less a book review (the title and author are lost) than a tribute to the power of reading, the value of public libraries, and the wonderful serendipity that the right book will appear when we need it to ….. “I have to preface this writing with an admission […]
Read more…