Dharma Library

Because of your military background and Sandhurst voice,
Because of your wild white eyebrows, as mobile as eels,
Because I knew you before I knew you,
Because you could see with your third eye,
Because you saw me and smiled,
Because you said, ‘Are you ready for an adventure?’
Because I felt heard and known,
Because of your delight in chocolate biscuits,
Because of the predictability of cauliflower cheese…

When I was asked to write something for New Chan Forum about how I ended up as Simon’s Dharma heir I took a sharp intake of breath. How could I get that down in sentences? It has been a long, perhaps even tortuous, journey with many side roads and incursions into various unexpected places.

I discussed this with some Christian friends of mine who I consider to be part of my wider Sangha and whom I…

For years I was beset by the question; ‘What is serious practice?’ This was a sincere question, for my Buddhism was important to me, I had seen the impact that it had had on me and knew that somehow it had altered my life and the way I felt that I should live it. I wanted to pursue this path, it felt right and I wanted to get it right.

I threw myself into the practice; by which I mean that I went…

The Mahamudra Retreat, December 2003

This was to be my first experience of guestmastering for John. I had guestmastered for others; notably for Hilary, but this was assisting the 'big cheese'. It had the formal label of 'training', even though all retreats; in whatever capacity one participates in them, are training. I was really looking forward to it, but I was also slightly apprehensive.…

It is eleven o'clock at night and I have had to get out of bed to write this. I say, "have to" because I feel compelled or impelled or something. Driven anyway. The latest NCF arrived today and I looked, or more accurately, glanced through it. John was asking how we do our Buddhism in our lives. How we translate our practice into our life. Buddhism has seemed to be a series of translations or…

I had trained with Pete, one of the established Maenllwyd cooks, in March. I had been ready to cook a short, five-day retreat in June but it had been cancelled due to foot and mouth disease. Suddenly, it all seemed a long time ago. Could I remember any of it, come to that? What utensils were up there and what had Pete taken along himself? Did I need a big stockpot or not? How much cheese did one…