Stillness Haiku | Dawn at Swayambhu Stupa

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

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

What Do Buddhist Prayer Flags Teach Us About Impermanence?

“All conditioned things are impermanent."— The Buddha During my many visits to Nepal over the past fifty years, I have almost come to take Buddhist prayer flags for granted. They seem to be everywhere. They stretch between stupas and temples, flutter above monastery roofs, cross mountain passes and dance from tall bamboo poles in remote Himalayan Read More

Stillness Haiku | The Pebble-Walking Meditation

Reflection On Walking Meditation During one of my early morning walking meditation sessions around the fields of the Cotswolds, I found myself reflecting on the Mental Discipline section of the Noble Eightfold Path. The image that came to mind was a still pond. When the surface of the water is calm, even the smallest pebble Read More