Samye Ling Day 4

9:21 a.m.
I'm not asleep in the tent! Hurrah!

The thoughts you get first thing in the morning might be the ones you don't want to get, especially if you are sleeping in a tent, even one big enough to sit up in. You have to move around and do stuff first thing. And your head and body are not quite right then and this is when you might find that your thought frame isn't right and unwelcome thoughts may appear. For instance, this morning I began to feel resentful about something and was casting the force of my resentment onto someone else. As in, it's all your fault; projecting the blame onto someone else

It takes two to tango, Jack! It certainly does, Hotboy!

So I'm not all alone after all! Little Jack the Spam Robot has appeared!

Anyway, Buddhism is all about taking responsiblity for your own happiness. It's not something out there that's funging you up. It's something inside your head. In fact, it having your head stuck up your backside! Every thought misconceived and lying basturns every one!

Being on this kind of retreat is a good way to take personal responsibility for your own happiness. So we're not doing resentments, are we, Jack? Certainly not, Hotboy! Certainly not!

At the end of this wonderful summer holiday (just finished week one of six!, I am going to have to go to Skye to a house full of drunken flatheids. This has been bothering me a bit ever since it was suggested. The dhammapada is very explicit on flatheids. Stay away from the too dumb to meditate, it says. But it's not all about moi! I am not a hermit, which is a bit of shame really. It's just when the festival starts as well. Dearie me! Of course, I'll have a wonderful time. But I mustn't think about the future either. Anxieties about the future ... or anything else ... are as bad as resentments about the past. There is no future of course. Eternal now.

I haven't spoken to anyone for four days and I'm having a wonderful time here. And the weather has been brilliant!! What a fortunate creature I am, I am! What a fortunate creature I am!!

The meditations just keep getting better and better!

12:20 p.m.
I've spent the time since I posted sitting on the wee island in the middle of the river. What a fantastic time I had!! I think these meditations are actually starting to work. Amazing astonishments! I cannot begin to describe how brilliant those few hours were. This is the life, Jack! This is the life!! And it can only get better. I'm sure this has everything to do with the lama being holed up in Purelands. Everything! Just can't express how brilliant that was. Thank god! Thank God! Thanks Gods!