Truth Is Within

Our retreat ended yesterday, in a whirlwind of events that have brought me to the top of a mountain preparing to join a large group of monks and meditators walking back down into the city.

I think I may have a new place to live, my own monastery, finally. More on that soon… Preparing for Los Angeles by stepping up the meditation and continuing my determination not to lie down - five nights so far.

It is very cold up here, but I imagine once we start walking, that will change. I’m thinking of heading out ahead of the group, maybe 4 AM (two hours from now), as I’ll be meeting Georg in Chiang Mai today to continue editing our new set of videos - meditation in HD.

The last day of the solar year is here, and so am I… Walking and sitting alone in the forest. Other monks in the forest around but I stay to myself; not yet done is that what needs to be done. We have come here to clear up our past by living in the present. Out with the old to make room for the new - hoping to be better prepared this time around. Last night sitting in the open air through the night, sleeping when otherwise wasn’t an option. Tonight my last chance of the year to live life to its fullest. Susukha.m vata jiivaama. Happy indeed we live.

Trying to decide which is the least disruptive method of letting everyone know what I’m up to. Starting to consider giving up email entirely, but keeping the weblog. Waffling again. In the meantime, this is still up.

… spacious apartments, clean paint and paper, Rumford fireplace, back plastering, Venetian blinds, copper pump, spring lock, a commodious cellar, and many other things. But how happens it that he who is said to enjoy these things is so commonly a poor civilized man, while the savage, who has them not, is rich as a savage? If it is asserted that civilization is a real advance in the condition of man-and I think that it is, though only the wise improve their advantages–it must be shown that it has produced better dwellings without making them more costly; and the cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run.

– Thoreau, Walden

Here’s my new hut, inside and out.

Can’t help but feel like I’m moving up in the world…

There is another very interesting phenomenon that occurs around December 25th, or the winter solstice. From the summer solstice to the winter solstice, the days become shorter and colder. From the perspective of the northern hemisphere, the sun appears to move south and get smaller and more scarce. The shortening of the days and the expiration of the crops when approaching the winter solstice symbolized the process of death to the ancients. It was the death of the Sun. By December 22nd, the Sun’s demise was fully realized, for the Sun, having moved south continually for 6 months, makes it to it’s lowest point in the sky. Here a curious thing occurs: the Sun stops moving south, at least perceivably, for 3 days.   During this 3 day pause, the Sun resides in the vicinity of the Southern Cross, or Crux, constellation. And after this time on December 25th, the Sun moves 1 degree, this time north, foreshadowing longer days, warmth, and Spring.  And thus it was said: the Sun died on the cross, was dead for 3 days, only to be resurrected or born again …  It is the Sun’s transition period before it shifts its direction back into the Northern Hemisphere, bringing Spring, and thus salvation.

– http://zeitgeistmovie.com/transcript.htm

If you’re looking for something a little different this cold season, just thought I’d drag up an old post I wrote last year around this time:

http://yuttadhammo.sirimangalo.org/posts/buddhamas-dharma-bells-and-sangha-claus/

Just put the webblog up. Should be slow to update, but it’s still the easiest way to keep people updated. Stay tuned … if ye be patient.