Sharing a few thoughts

"To study Buddhism is to study ourselves. To study ourselves is to forget ourselves." - Dogen Zenji

I've been consistent in posting to my Patreon account and have left alone all the other platforms. But, in the process, I've missed writing extempore, i.e. on the hoof.

I'm very conscious that I'm still to publish my book and, in a way, I should pull the plug on all my writing and invest all my efforts in getting the bloody thing shipped.

But that's not how I work -- or at least up to now.

You see, I like to write daily; I like to share what's uppermost in my often busy mind; and, I like to connect with my writing.

And when I don't do it, something's missing.

For the moment, I'm undecided if I'll write beyond Patreon -- at least until the book gets shipped -- and where I'll do so. I did think about using Medium but I'm loathed to pay the subscription. Likewise, Tumblr and Livejournal could have been a worthy investment of time but again neither feel right. So, for the moment, and mainly because it's easy with my slightly peripatetic work patterns, I've decided to give Blogger another whirl. I know it's not perfect -- far from it -- but I see no reason not to give it a proper go this time around.

In terms of what I'll write about, I'm not yet sure but something tells me it might be more in the storytelling genre than where I've previously invested my energies or have been drawn to write.

Blessings to you all,

Julian

Comments

Kindness et al.

Now, more than ever, we need to find a way through this collapsing world . Yes, there are lots of strategies, templates and exhortation we could employ but, truthfully, we know in our hearts that if only there was a little less hate and a lot more kindness the world would be a much better place - in so many ways. Then again, the trope has been done to death and look where it's got us. Not very far. Perhaps it is that we've an aversion to opening ourselves up in case we're taken advantage of or worse still. Perhaps it is that we don't feel it. It's more act than truth. Perhaps there's no quid pro quo. (Does there or should there be?) Truth is, I've no more an idea than you why the world is too often riven with a lust for hate when it should be in swoon to kindness. That doesn't (of course) stop me wondering. And wonder I will alongside all those other issues that continue to haunt me. Blessings, Julian

Where next?

At the moment, I'm deep into capitalism, having finished David Whyte's thought-provoking book, Ecocide: Kill The Company Before It Kills Us . If I'm honest, I'm not sure what I'm going to discover that I don't already know. That said, I'm not suggesting I know very much about (inter alia) Natural Capital, Green Swans or neoliberalism, but you don't need to be Einstein to work out that capitalism has been one of, if not the main enabler for the Anthropocene . Oh, that, and our insatiable, wanton desire for more stuff. Yes, that's right. Absent us, there wouldn't exist the corporate vehicle, less still greedy capitalists (I say that, of course, only mildly tongue-in-cheek.) As I've said so many times: we need the world; the world doesn't need us . And where does all this fit with the latest UK-wide CV19 restrictions and the catastrophic situation we find ourselves living in and through? Again, I'm not sure. Perhaps it is that we were n...

Back to nature

I'm just back from my daily walk with Alfie and Fidget. I managed to stay dry right until the end when the heavens opened; Alfie didn't mind; Fidget looked like she'd had enough. For me, the daily walk isn't just a way of raising my heart rate and enjoying the fresh air -- both very important -- it's a way to connect, deeply. In fact, I'd say it was in the same vein as meditation. There's always a temptation to get it over with, but these days I nearly always take a moment to stop, breathe in and out with a strong sense of purpose and listen to my environs. It grounds me. I don't take this for granted. I realise how fortunate I am to have Dartmoor on my doorstep and to have the time to walk this way. Actually, I'm pretty sure that even if I didn't live here, I'd find a way to connect with nature, even if I had to do it in some other way, e.g. gardening. Think about your own experience with nature. I'd be very surprised if...

Julian Summerhayes

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