Lately I’ve been feeling the end of summer blues. My old ornamental cherry tree keeps dropping its leaves. And it’s only mid-August! The heat and humidity of deep summer has switched into cool nights and damp mornings. My lazy summer seems to be turning a corner, picking up steam. I sense that summer is ending … Read more
When I have doubts about not working hard enough, smart enough, disciplined enough or empathically enough, I circle back to one thing, myself. I come back to wondering if this is a sign that I’m self-centered and selfish. Compared to others, my life is easy. It can make me feel guilty when I find myself … Read more
Duty—what is that? According to the Shivapuri Baba, as Bennett relates in Long Pilgrimage, duty is what creates Right Life. There are three main duties to be addressed. First, to maintain one’s physical existence and the welfare of one’s dependents. The second duty is towards one’s “profession” and community. The third and most important, is … Read more
Jogging with Deer Flies buzzing around my head in New Hampshire the other day taught me something. What I already knew, was that I don’t like Deer Flies—they bite. Of course, there’s working with Like and Dislike—yes, that. Then there was the arrogance of thinking I didn’t need to apply bug repellent before setting out. … Read more
*Today we would be manifesting our Work. It was a perfect day in June. Sweet perfumes floated on the air as a fitful sun played hide and seek amongst the clouds. Green grass glistened with the brilliance of dew. Sherborne House was hosting a Spring Fête. Besides the Spring Fête, today was June 8, Mr. … Read more
It’s all about right life. I’ve been listening to Bennett’s book, Long Pilgrimage, which introduces the Shivapuri Baba and his teaching. Bennett was able to meet with this extraordinary sage who, at a hundred and thirty-six years old, had a clear message. “Think only of God and strive to live a right life.” In Fourth … Read more
On the subject of death, I’m not done. The old ornamental cherry tree just beyond the deck is where I hang birdfeeders. I eat on the deck and sit in the twilight to watch the birds. They have given me great joy throughout the years. However, I was not happy to see a family of … Read more
Death and learning can be linked. With the death of an old friend the other day, I learned something new. Even when the body is the last thing to go, it doesn’t have to hold on. I’ve been reading about the Shiva Puri Baba in Long Pilgrimage by J.G. Bennett. The account of his death, … Read more
I never considered the thinking center my strong suit. Yet it was the ideas as I first read about them in, In Search of the Miraculous, that caught my interest. Learning about worlds and laws, octaves and vocabulary, was right in line with where I was in life. My thinking center was being exercised and … Read more
