Archive for September, 2009

Well, after last post I feel a lot better.
These things come in waves.
One thing I realised is that I was falling into an old trap and that is trying to live my life to what I think are other people’s expectations of me.
That’s always a mistake. I can only live my life doing what I… »

Had a bit of a difficult week.
One of those weeks where nothing seems to work or fit.
I felt down, irritated and slow.
I’ve been searching for things that may have caused it, but I’ll probably not find it. Sometimes you just are down and irritated and slow.
One thing I know that does contribute to my mood… »

I’m in the process of quitting smoking at the moment, and I can say it’s weird kicking another habit, but also rewarding.
I’ve taken so much from quitting alcohol that I feel that this is some kind of rare treat.
When you go through rehab it is like some sort of dream. Everything happens for the first… »

The only thing I need to do to feel real and present is remember my feet.
I feel the ground beneath them as I walk through Amsterdam.
I feel my weight upon them, and enjoy it.
No longer floating foggily, but standing solidly on the floor.
Taking each step I am part of my surroundings.
Sharing the space with everyone… »

I love Hasidic Tales. Most of them deal with unorthodox rabbis and have a nice twist at the end.
I just rediscovered two of my favourites:
The Answer
Some Hasidim of the Maggid of Mezheritz came to him. “Rebbe, we are puzzled. It says in the Talmud that we must thank God as much for the bad days,… »

Whew, it’s been a busy, but a good week.
I’m glad I have long weekends off, because I need them. Not only because physical work is tiring, but also because being around many people for a long period tires me, even when they don’t talk.
I love being on my own and just reading, pottering around my… »

It’s been a busy week, so far.
I’ve been making cushions of course, and I am getting quite proficient at it. If you ever want to learn to be able to gauge how much a given amount of buckwheat husks weighs, go work as a cushion filler! I found out that I can usually get it… »

I’ve decided to start a new category on this blog, which is my “weekly codeword”.
When I started this blog it was as much an effort to keep a diary of my (near) daily happenings as a place to share things that inspire me in my practice. Over the months I feel that the inspiration part… »

Things are looking up.
Looking back I can honestly say I like the weekly program I have right now.
As I said in my last post, we started working with the Skillful Means program at the Buddhist Center this week. Basically Skillful Means is a way to incorporate Buddhist teachings into your ordinary daily work and life…. »

Had a turbulent day .
I got up with a severe case of grumpiness, so I promised myself I would be alert and try not to let it get the better of me.
I also made the deliberation I would try to mainly listen to people today, instead of voicing my opinion immediately.
At work we have started… »