A life more ordinary

Film 180 South...
excellent travel film about surfing, climbing and taking it as it comes

Yesterday, after yet another week of ridiculous loveliness at the school and with all sorts of people and stuff, we ended up at a film held by one of the sanghas which seem to have sprouted all over Belfast. It was a film about this bloke who travels to Patagonia via Rapa Nui and the things he learns on the way. The film was super, the company for the evening even better... when i went home, i thought, yeah, i love this simple, perfectly ordinary life.

I have had a long hard think about the Holy Grail and Parsifal and all of that. I have done a lot of reading around the Holy Grail now and a lot of silliness is said about it. I mean it is all very interesting, but most of it is very silly.

I really had to tussle with it. And i mean draw diagrams and make notes and see how things met and joined up... it was very amusing. However i have come to an understanding of what all this is for me right now.

And right now i have to say that while i LOVE all the wonderful imaginings of writers and people, i think that more or less, the stuff that i sometimes read in these escoteric and occult sources, they are mostly quite confused and muddled. The symbolism was taken far too seriously and insufficient attention was being paid to self development. I think if there is ever a common thread which links so many of the disciplines and activities which we as human beings engage in, is that there is not enough of looking at ourselves and taking responsibility for our behaviour, and too much of trying to find explainations in externalities. This can manifest itself in the search for the big bang or blaming something else if it goes wrong. Imagine if people recognised that 99.99% of all the consumption they did or activities which are carried out are due to some acting out - imagine that.

If i try and do anything over the next few years it would be to simplify. Simplify, simplify, simplify. The Holy Grail for me i think is to live every moment with an open heart and with truth and integrity.

I think that i have gone past the point of having to prove myself to anyone. I am 43 years old. I think i have proved myself enough. I love travel and i love new experiences, but really, the truth is that i have had enough of new experiences to last me a lifetime. I think to myself that i don't feel older or jaded or fed up. I wake up each morning now, excited about the new day.

So many ways i can think about the last year. But it has mostly made me refocus, made me think about what are the really important things and to approach life with grace, gratitude and generosity. I think if i learn nothing else for the rest of my life, that will be more than enough.

Soooo... this week the hard work we put into the school's grounds is now begining to bear fruit. The place looks fantastic. If you have never spent any time outside with children gardening i can tell you that there is NOTHING in the WORLD that is better for the soul. I wish i could say i was not so ridiculously happy teaching and teaching where i am, but that is not something which i can help being and doing.

Already i am looking towards the next few months. The holidays of course, in Singapore, which i am sooo looking forward to. Ah Asia! I love Asia. I love it that i have one foot there and one foot here. The Easter Conference and then Forest School training. Then lots of the everyday magic in between.