… as Dr. Knock would ask (“Does it itch or does it tickle?”).
The Itch started in the train, with bites around my neck and
feet; it took me a while to realize (accept?) that it was an allergic reaction
to … flea bites. AAARgh
Try to sit and meditate when you body is itching all over
and you just want to peel your skin off
and get a new one, and you know it’s not going to stop until you’ve eliminated
every single one of those invisible enemies! Clearly they are “merciful avatars
of Buddha” here to help me practice (as we chant every morning)…
Luckily, the heavy dose of antihistamines eventually makes
me drowsy, and I can sit more quietly, if not always focused… After a few days
of mindful washing and spraying and letting dry in the sun – and medication –
my body finally calms down and I can relax a bit – just in time for the
mini-Sesshin, an intense 3-day meditation splurge in silence…
It was however so lovely to be back at Bodhizendo –
Andrew, Sassi, Alosanai welcoming me with big smiles! walking in the hills and
reading in the garden! It was home! I quickly got used again to the routine, and
seeked advice from the Master.
-Father, how to face physical pain? (or giant unnerving itch
that wake you up at night)
- Aaah, it’s inevitable to feel some pain in life, but best
you go and see a doctor. [always the pragmatist!]
- Father, my meditation practice is not very deep, what to
do?
- Aaaah, don’t worry too much about that, best work on a
Koan [a zen spiritual riddle, a way to dynamic enlightenment in the
Rinzai tradition…well, this will take me a while…]
I’m reading every day a few pages of Thich Nhat Hanh’s
Creating True Peace. The peace practices laid out and the compassionate tone
are just what I needed: somehow they perfectly complement the experiences and
learnings of the past year, paving the way forward on this inner journey, like
the last piece of a puzzle, falling into place in a giant, slow motion, silent
“click”… This is nourishing my sittings in the zendo, my walks in the back
garden, my take on the centre’s residents... Hard to explain that book, best you go and check it out :)
One aspect of Zen that I love is the stories: every point to
be demonstrated is starts with a tale or Koan.
“A Master brings his students near a cliff, and asks them to
come closer.
- - But Master we are scared.
- - Come closer!
- - But Master we are scared.
- - Come closer
The students eventually came
closer, the master pushed them over and they flew…”
Dear reader, I’ll let you meditate
on that one J
And a last thought on this post:
the recommendation of the Master in Dokusan on my last day, and now my new
mantra:
“Aaah, sometimes, don’t take it
too seriously…”
| Album: tamil nadu |
Before Bodhizendo, I spent a few days in Madurai, where Deepa gave me a tour of Araving Eye Care Hospital - mentioned in a previous post here - and I had some of the best dosa and sambha ever, cooked by her mom :)
Ladies coach on the suburban trains in Chennai:
-
L
a sign that “eve teasing” is still on-going in regular coaches (not sure
exactly what it is, but does not sound friendly towards women)
-
J
love it when a women fiercely tells men to get off that coach and they
sheepishly retreat to another coach
The fruit shop keeper lets me try one of his mangoes
and then tells me to use the dustbin for the peels and his tone says that I’ll
be in trouble if I don’t J
J so it IS possible!
I am now back in Ahmedabad, Gujarat - arrived yesterday July 10th - discovering the city in the monsoon!
PS: un grand merci a mon Tonton pour la consultation a distance et le soutien moural dans la lutte contre les puces
