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the Zen side of Nagarjuna.. With all its many risks, this life enduresNo more than windblown bubbles in a stream. How marvelous to breathe in and out again, To fall asleep and then awake refreshed.

Haven't taken ordination vows before so can't directly relate to your question, but have attended a few retreats with durations ranging from 1 year to 3 months to weekends. Pertinent to the OP, the weekend retreats tend to be scheduled as follows: 4 am - 2 hours of preliminary practice 6 am - 1 hour break (for breakfast and shower) 7 am - Dharma talk with Q&A session 8 am - Group discussion on topic of the day as given during the Dharma talk 9.30 am - Half hour break 10 am - Sitting meditation 11.30 am - Lunch break (everyone volunteers for lunch duties so it takes a bit of time) 2 pm - Walking meditation 3 pm - Prelims practice 5 pm - Sitting meditation (optional) 6 pm - Supper 7 pm - Walking meditation 8 pm - Feedback and discussion on the day's practice interspersed with short 10 min sitting meditations 9 pm - End Past 9pm, the group usually hangs out in the dorm (hostel) chilling out over tea and biscuits, chats, music sessions, readings, discussions, evening drives to the village for those who want to watch a bit of TV or have a pint, or some just remain in the meditation hall to continue with personal practice. Bed time's up to the individual, but usually everyone's in bed by 11pm.

It can be said then that causes of dukkha are what's reborn, beginning with ignorance. (as mentioned, the seed) The gist of Buddhist practice is putting joyful effort into directing mindfulness towards these causes, is it not? The intent being awareness (of causes), unsullied by aversion (avoidance of dislikes) or craving (desire for likes to be permanent or long-lasting).

The first Nidana: Not knowing suffering, not knowing the origination of suffering, not knowing the cessation of suffering, not knowing the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering: This is called ignorance. It leads to action, or constructing activities. Ignorance is the seed of rebirth.

Hi Edward, Trying to help you locate the video and put it up here for you, but could not find it on their YT page. Have a look and see if the video in question is there. If it is, I can copy & paste it for you here. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8igl66kfARuQPeZzVZNFPQ Cheers!

I just remembered that we had some white magnolia plants (trees?) in our garden and in flowering, they gave off the most divine scent, fills the air and penetrates into the house during breezy evenings. It was quite sublime just to catch wafts of the scent now and again. Anyone have this tree/shrub/plant around? There are a few varieties, but ours looked like this

there's a saying which gose like thees: The barest essential is the Mother of all growth.. Worry not. If plants can grow out of cracks in the concrete, there's no reason to lose faith. The Way always find a way. Thats why its the Way.

http://www.tibetan-buddhist-art.com/upcoming-thangka-classes-workshops/#images/mudras-tara-handgebaren.jpg I like Tibetan calligraphy. Its something i would dabble in occasionally. Something like this..

"It is often thought that the Buddha's doctrine teaches us that suffering will disappear if one has meditated long enough, or if one sees everything differently. It is not that at all. Suffering isn't going to go away; the one who suffers is going to go away." ~ Ayya Khema there is newness in each moment.. with every blink of an eye, and each breath released, we are no longer what we were before, but the tendency very often is to bring the old into the new, and we get comfortable with familiarity. Suffering loves familiarity. It thrives on familiarity. But since familiarity is only a frame of mind, a feeling that is not based on reality, it can therefore be said that suffering is also not based on reality. To call it an illusion is only going to make it more troublesome for those who depend on the familiar. This explains the oh-so-familiar adage: If you see the Buddha on the road, kill it. People mistakenly think this is a call to kill the Buddha, when in actuality it means to curb any reactive urges arising from familiar and patterned ways. It is futile to engage in the frustrating process of seeking the new. Seek to remove the old habits, and the new will reveal itself, naturally.

Good points. Perhaps keep two wet sponges handy: One for the self-absorbed patron, and the other for the self-closing door that keeps unclosing itself from the draft..

pffft

its always those who have sat closest to the door that get the brunt of it. Then sometimes the proprietor would get pretty frazzled for no good reason cos she is so so busy behind the counter and suddenly she finds the room besieged by flying yellow napkins, and place mats, instead of sitting where they ought to, now sits haphazardly on the floor. but i get your message...

so am I.. a lost cause, me thinks the only consolation is the knowledge that the awareness of that grumpiness is forever and always pure and bright!

Speaking of etiquette: Does anyone here get bugged when someone walks into a cafe or eatery on a cold, blustery day to get a takeout coffee, and then leaves without closing the door behind? I do. Its a simple, basic thing which is often ignored, and 'why' is very hard to pinpoint. At times i really wished to throw a wet, soapy sponge at their (prob unintentional) inconsiderateness.

In Tibet and all over the Himalayan regions practitioners often use thangka painting for this purpose. Its a very intricate process which leads to supramundane concentrative abilities if performed correctly.

Some people think karma is fate. “It must be my karma,” they sigh, resigning themselves to some calamity. But karma doesn’t have to be bad. It can be good. And we make our own karma. Every thought, feeling, and deed sows a habitual karmic seed in our mind that ripens into a corresponding positive, negative, or neutral experience. Anger and jealousy manifest as painful, unhappy experiences. Selfless, joyful thoughts and feelings flower into wondrous, fulfilling experiences. So we don’t have to resign ourselves to “our karma.” We control our karma. Every moment is a new juncture, a chance to improve our way of thinking and thus our circumstances. This principle of interdependent causation is the bedrock of the Buddha’s first teachings, the four noble truths. ~ Tulku Thondup Rinpoche ~

.. or two, actually

Hope you won't be standing on your neighbour's kid, or your dog, at any point during your kata

Welcome, Jolanda. Gorgeous-looking dog

Or you could buy a few fruits and bind them onto the branches with sticky tape, step away for a few moments, then return and pluck them gleefully. A Mr Bean kind of scenario

me no scholar too not much i know about the historical derivatives of karate except that its true origin is said to be India, thanks to Bodhidharma for doing what he does best, its now established in Japan. But the Japanese seldom mention Karate's history that far back. I am to know that 'Kara' means 'empty' and 'te' means 'hand'.

I do. Check them twice too. Though where we are I have not heard of anyone's property being broken into in the last 5.5 years. In neighbouring estates, yes.. therefore the risk is there. An ex-colleague of mine who lives about a mile up from me had an attempted break-in recently despite knowing the property was occupied.