"One of our own"At one level the various worlds of Faith are drawing closer together. Certainly they are when the actual experience of faith is compared, rather than the more dogmatic and creedal form I have, though, noticed in some quarters an almost unyielding...See More »
No record of wrongsMany know of the great "hymn to love" in the NT. Many also tell us that "God is Love". In the hymn to love one attribute of love is that it "keeps no record of wrongs". It seems to me, simply observing and taking the words of others at face value,...See More »
Telling it like it is v seeing it as it isAs I see it (!) we ALL tell it as we see it. We are the beings who interpret. Interpretation is what we ARE. We are also the animal that asks questions that cannot be answered.....in words. Our answers are our unique lives. At least, that is how I...See More »
Moan of the dayOften in UK buses there is a sign near the entrance that says:- "Please remain seated until the bus stops". I presume to avoid anyone going ar*e over t*t if they should arise prior to the bus stopping. My moan is that more often than not as I...See More »
The beginning of loveA quote from Thomas Merton has been well received:- The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. I muse upon...See More »
Cosmos and PsycheOthers may or may not agree but as I see it a common view in our modern world is that "meaning" is entirely subjective. "Out there" is a barren Cosmos, bereft of meaning in and of itself - mere matter in motion obeying impersonal laws. Maybe...See More »
Dogen (13th century zen master)It seems quiet on SW at the moment. But I love to waffle. Therapeutic in a funny sort of way. I have run threads on Dogen elsewhere and this is adapted from one of them. Dogen was a Japanese zen master of the 13th century, known now in the west as...See More »
William BlakeWilliam Blake spoke to angels. He said that when his brother died he saw his soul leave his body, soaring upwards "clapping his hands with joy". Yes, a bit of a nutter. Here is an excerpt from one of his letters:- And I know that This World Is a...See More »
How to read the Vedas (I haven't)From an introduction to the Vedas:- The hymns are meant to puzzle, to surprise, to trouble the mind; they are often just as puzzling in Sanskrit as they are in English. When the reader finds themself at a point where the sense is unclear (as long as...See More »
Hakuin's ChantApparently chanted daily in many zen monasteries, Hakuin's "Chant in Praise of Zazen" has the following line:- "Like water and ice, without water no ice." (Best heard or chanted while sipping cappuccinos in Costas) Commentary by Albert Low:- We...See More »
It has been a tough couple of yearsLike most of us, I assume, the past couple of years have been tough. Covid and everything. We all have our stories. On top of lockdowns my dear wife, the greatest blessing of my life, has had a replacement hip operation. Prior to this I had to watch...See More »
Which scriptures/texts have you read? Poll (40) See Poll OptionsJust a question. Which scriptures/texts have you read? By "read" I would just define it as "reasonably familiar with." Thank you. (No catch, no...See More »
Being blockedI have now been blocked by three Christians on this site. The reason given by the third is that I have been "abusive", this 26 times! I suppose our perception of exactly what constitutes abuse is very subjective. I have simply suggested, in...See More »
A monastic lessonLove this from Thomas Merton..... I have tried to learn in my writing a monastic lesson I could probably have not learned otherwise: to let go of my idea of myself, to take myself with more than one grain of salt................In religious terms,...See More »
The Hindu answer to the jealous GodThe Vedas:- Thou art formless. Your only form is our knowledge of You. Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 7, verse 21:- Whatever celestial form a devotee seeks to worship with faith, I steady the faith of such a devotee in that form. Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9,...See More »
My poetry from days of yore....I have run a thread like this elsewhere, so in effect, mainly cut and paste. With various results.....😀 Here we go:- I gave up writing poetry many years ago. I began to enjoy the poetry of various poets and my own efforts seemed not quite up to th...See More »
Who are the wise? Poll (4) See Poll OptionsHere is an excerpt from the Kalama Sutta, one of the texts of the Buddhist Theravada Canon of Scripture. Come.....Do not go upon what has been...See More »
Memos from the Pure LandOn various forums I have ended up posting Memos from the Pure Land. The title is in part simply my whimsical sense of humour. Just how "pure" the land I'm in is is for others to judge - if they are of the judging kind. I find writing them...See More »
Links to other sitesI can see how to upload videos and photos, but not how to provide a Link to another website/article. Is it possible? Thanks
The devil AKA Satan.Do you believe in the devil? Many fundamentalist Christians would obviously say "yes" with the sage and knowing comment that the greatest trick of the devil is to convince us that he doesn't exist. Myself, I think his greatest trick is to...See More »
Paul McCartney - The Lyrics Anyone else reading this? Very well produced but a bit steep in price at £75. A little over £45 on Amazon, and together with a £20 gift voucher from a mate of mine (bless him) I managed to get it for about £25. Some wonderful illustrations, one bel...See More »
Two mugs for a couple of mugs A couple of snaps of the family mugs. Mine is the Winnie the Pooh, which has the slogan "Simple & Cuddly" on it, which may or may not sum me up, depending upon mood. My daughter bought it for me many years ago. More recently I bought my dear wife...See More »