On day eight of Going Inward Nishpara reflects on being more in tune with this time of year
He writes -
I find this is a good time of year to naturally be quieter — a period of dormancy of darker days, looking ahead to the light of Spring
Modern life is oppressed by the ticking of the clock, whereas we once lived by the winter daylight and naturally lived and worked with our lesser energy. So let’s keep it simple, work with our lesser energy and acknowledge how we may be feeling
No begging in town today
The snow falls and fallsI lie down near the hearth
and stretch out my feet to the fire
But still the cold pierces my belly- Ryokan
But we can also notice that the solstice is part of cyclic conditionality — that the seasons represent the arising and falling away of conditions, again and again.
We can practise simply with meditation and ritual to encourage the arising of the unconditioned within ourselves. One of the simplest ways of doing this is to bring to mind the qualities of the Buddha, that as an Awakened One his mind was free of all conditions, his energy was unlimited and his compassion was boundless.
As Buddhists this is what we move towards
Next session
Tomorrow’s session starts at 10.30 am — all sangha members welcome
New to Buddhism and meditation?
Tools for living your life runs every day through to new year, alongside but separate from Going Inward, and starting at 11 am — everyone welcome!
