Reflection on Dawn at Swayambhu Stupa There are places that remain with us long after we have left them. For me, dawn at Swayambhu Stupa is one of those places. The sound of monks chanting, the steady rhythm of temple drums, the fragrance of incense and the first light spreading across the Kathmandu Valley combine Read More
Tag: stillness
When Did Autumn Arrive?
Autumn and Impermanence Thick morning mist drifts across the fields from the River Thames. After a week of rain, the countryside has changed almost overnight. Grass that seemed tired and dry is green again, with new growth appearing in only a few days. My feet are wet. I make a mental note that my walking Read More
How Mindful Walking Led Me to Haiku
Mindful Walking and Haiku I began writing short poems in the Japanese tradition of haiku during the Covid years, when I was recovering from prostate cancer. It was a difficult period of my life, but also a strangely reflective one. Perhaps age had something to do with it. Perhaps illness did too. I found myself Read More
Stillness Haiku | Buddhist Not-Self
Reflection on Buddhist Not Self Every now and then, meditation leaves me not with an answer but with a question. The teaching of Buddhist not-self (anattā) is one of the deepest and most challenging aspects of the Dharma. Intellectually, I understand that what we call "self" is not a fixed or permanent entity. Yet ordinary Read More
Stillness Haiku | Don’t Stop; Thinking About Tomorrow
Reflections on Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow One of the pleasures of growing older is discovering unexpected connections between different parts of life. My wife and I met at university during the 1960s, so our home is often filled with the music of that era. One day, listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop, I found Read More