On the verge of awakening..................

isn't it truly amazing how people meet, collide and become friends.............across continents..............different worlds................different lives.................different times...................and yet, and yet, .................correspondence.....................united in this amazing journey of life..............this difficult, unfathomable, outrageous, inexplicable............and yet beautiful, limitless and wondrous panorama of feeling and experience.............

whilst you are dreaming right now it is early morning on this side of the pond and I have just arisen from my morning Sitting.................

things quite hard at the moment....life throwing challenges and trials my way, but thankfully am able to offer up all my woes and worries to the 'Sunyata' - [Emptiness] that is before me when I sit..............

'emptiness' is a strange but accurate and time-honoured way of describing the awakened state that is the essence of Zazen [a.k.a. serene reflection meditation - let's just call it 'Sitting'............]

well, that IS the essence of Sitting - to quieten the mind and allow the incredible reality that is the Awakened state to show itself without the hinderance and judgementalism of our intellect trying to direct the course of our understanding.

The secret with correct sitting is to ...........just sit.  With no agenda other than to spend the next 35 minutes allowing everything to settle down.  Just watch carefully what is going on in your mind - do not try to direct your thoughts.  Do not follow your thoughts, just notice them and allow them to pass across your mind.  Do not hold on to them, do not push them away.  No grasping, no avoiding.  Just watch, listen - the Truth will arise naturally, that I can assure you...

you will find at first that your mind is so so busy and crowded - that's okay that's cool - what is happening is that you are beginning to notice at a deeper level - bit by bit the busyness will disappear, for when you stop feeding and following your thoughts, they will dry up..........and THEN, oh boy, you will get it!!  A moment of bliss and serene reflective quiet that is...............indescribable but oh so real that it will guide you for eternity.....

with bows,