Diary of a Buddhist and the Community she Communes with
The valley floor is 12,000 feet above sea level
Alistair and I will be traveling with Ajahn Pasanno, Tan Naniko, a couple of lay supporters from India. We will be travelling by road slowly up to Ladakh via the Baspa valley (Rampur and Kalpa) and Spiti Valley (Tabo & Kaza). Upon our return I’ll share photo’s and stories with you…can’t wait.
Anjali,
Sakula
For the past several months life has felt drab, dull, uninspired . . . honestly just not very fun. Today, unexpectedly, my spirits have been slightly lifted albeit from a rather humble meeting with . . . chickens. The living, clucking, pecking kind that offer eggs in exchange for food scraps (now there’s a good a deal).
Pedaling our bikes to a in our Sellwood neighborhood Alistair and I met farm manager Nikki. As we were nearing the end of our riverhouse tour and preparing to mount our bikes I stopped to admire Buffy and her girlfriend; two beautiful full grown fowl. “Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always wanted to raise chickens” I sighed and Nikki smiled . . . you just never now when you’re going to meet a kindred spirit.
We decided to buy a with riverhouse farm, exchange mutually supportive expertise’s and hand raise four baby chicks for three months, just old enough to live on the farm. I just got a whole lot more popular with my grandkids.
With the promise of fresh produce in the belly and warm-fuzzies in the hand, whose spirit wouldn’t rise?
Good thing she doesn’t raise goats.
This is brilliant!
From Jonathan Reeda, a 20 year old’s entry for a contest hosted by American Association for Retired Persons (yes I’m a member;).
Turn your speakers up, relax and enjoy the wisdom of our youth:
“I don’t want to be judged by who I am”
For over ten years now, Alistair has been Chef for our Thanksgiving gatherings and still I can find it a challenge to restrain myself from offering ‘helpful’ advice. Ahhhhhh….let it go Sakula, let it go…
How to Serve up a pleasant Holiday meal:
Take opinions from the freezer
Set them on the counter till thawed
Remove anything from the carcass not of personal responsibility and throw down
the toilet….flush
Simmer and serve remaining duties
Appreciate those of others
Resolve, according to Mirriam Webster is an act of determination; synonym is courage.
Courage: from Anglo-French curage, from coer heart, from Latin cormore at Heart: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.
Heart: the emotional or moral as distinguished from the intellectual nature: as
a: Generous disposition: Compassion (a leader with heart)
b: Love, Affection (won her heart)
c: Courage, Ardor (never lost heart).
As I listen to friends and family making their New-Years Resolutions I’m encouraged to re-establish my own (and much in process) resolve. Like Calvin to Hobbes I’ve found help from wiser folks than myself. Ahhhh the web, how do I thank thee?
Resolve or Determination as a Western habit is most often emphasized during the season of the New Year . . . speaking from my own experience, my Western mind-set can barely manage even this much frequency. Ah but take heart, is also one of the Ten Perfections listed in the Pali Canon, the scriptures of the Theravadin teachings. In the Pali language the perfection of resolve/determination is “Adhitthana Parami”.
Ajahn Sucitto and Ajahn Thanissaro both offer guidance when exploring or undertaking these virtues. They describe in detail how Adhitthana is nurtured and applied. Given that a study shows a pathetic 12% likelihood of success rate for new resolutions to last even one year, it seems most of us could use a bit of help from our friends . . . might as well listen to some wise ones.
Ajahn Sucitto’s mp3 Dhamma talk “Adhitthana Parami”
Ajahn Thanisarro’s study guide on “The Ten Perfections”
Cheers to keeping your New or Old resolutions! And just for fun, here’s a hint to my re-Newed Years resolution: (not a pretty picture but certainly familiar.
all that we are arrises with our thoughts - the buddha
Abhayagiri Talks Dhamma
