My younger brother has a blog: The walking fool.
My elder brother has a blog: Martin's Luthiery Page
My friend David has a blog: Brigadoon.
What are you doing here?
I just drank a cold cup of coffee. Not my favourite drink. Hot coffee is. It was cold because I forgot about it. This article How to Train the Aging Brain could explain. I read a lot of stuff in the mornings. Too much. I get up very early. Four is early. That started when I was trying to meditate. My mother-in-law gets up early too. Angay means grandma. She makes lots of noise. Chanting. Saying her prayers. Going to the toilet. To get some quiet for my meditation, I had to get up even earlier. Now, I am on holiday so I can meditate later, when the sun is up. Instead of meditating, I waste time on the internet.
What do I check? Much the same things every day:
Has anyone ever got lost in the internet?
Porridge is what I normally have for breakfast. My father does too. The rest of my family here does not. They eat rice and chillies. Quite possibly, ema datshi.
When I sit, I go up where the photo was taken. On the ridge, in the middle of the picture, you can see Buddha. A very large statue of him. It is not finished yet. You can read about it here. It is a nice place to sit. The winter skies are often very clear, and the sun does a good job. Angay's voice is not loud enough to reach up there. Misty usually comes up with me. She has many names. Our son first found her. That was before he was my son. He was Ugyen's son. I married Ugyen. The dog was called Mitzer. That could be a Dzongkha word for dog. If it is, I now know three words in Dzongkha. Languages are not my specialty. The other people that live in our apartment building have other names for the dog, like Mickey. I call her Misty, or Mister, or Mrs Mister. She doesn't seem to worry too much. She snuffles around in the grass while I sit.
That is where I am going now. Maybe we.
Markie T, I like your dog - Misty. Hot coffee really is the best. I at this stage will not donate to your camera fund, as I think the images actually look just fine. It is cold here in HK, normally its hot, so we do not cope so well. Fergus would love to come snuffle with Misty, and I would sit quietly by your side. We have just had our short Christmas break in the Philipines. Hope the clan is well in NZ and in Bhutan. Cheers Jackie
ReplyDeleteJackie...Congratulations, you are the first person to comment on this blog. And what a nice comment too. What a nice person. This comment IS your prize.
ReplyDeleteHi, Blogger!
ReplyDeleteLove your view of the world!
Nothing quite like a perch way above the level of our daily lives, is there? Is it really easier to breathe up there, or is it just that after all that climbing one's lungs are still in first gear?
Loved your comment about needing to get up early to be able to meditate! Do you remember Mr Akai? He sits Zazen regularly and he admitted recently that the worst place in Japan to try to meditate was in Eiheiji Temple in Fukui Prefecture - there are so many visitors (enthusiastic visitors, i.e.,) the 'noise' level is non-ignorable.
And, I wonder. When you are meditating, do you face the valley or do you turn towards the mountain? I find that everything here related to prayer or meditation seems to come equipped with a point of focus. Our local mountain (Mikamiyama, remember? Ohmi-fuji?) has a tori at the top which I thought was meant to add inspiration to the wonderful view of creation below. But Sho told me I was on the wrong side of the gate! Silly me.
Please share your bread recipes - one of the best things in NY was the Italian "casareccia" bread which most places offered with a small pot of olive oil. Beyond delicious.
I miss you, Mark.
Ted.
Ted..you are back in Japan. You win the prize for the first writer from Japan. Your comment is better reading than my blog! I face the valley when I meditate. But I can see the mountains. More on the bread later.
ReplyDeleteMark
About bloody time.
ReplyDelete