Articles
Below is a selection of articles from our newsletters. Please click on any to read more.
Heart of the Pine, joints of the Bamboo.
February 2nd 2009
The Heart of the Pine, the Joints of the Bamboo.
The heart of the pine is solid, the joints of the bamboo are hard; therefore they do not wither in the cold of winter, but continue to flourish even through snow and frost.
What I realise as I observe this is the Tao of establishing life through cultivation [...Continue reading...]
Commotion and Tranquillity
January 9th 2009
An excerpt from the ‘Taoist I Ching’ ( Thomas Cleary translation) :-
Situations of ordinary commotion are even considered by some Taoists to be better for the practice of inner tranquillity than are situations of external quiet. In his ‘Annals of the Hall of Blissful Development’ the Yuan Dynasty adept Huang Yuan-ch’i says:
‘People are happy when there is quiet and vexed when [...Continue reading...]
chants
October 13th 2008
METTA CHANT
NA MO TA PE KUAN SHE YIN PU SU
Homage to Kuan Yin, the all compassionate one,
who hears all the sounds of the world.
THE TRIPLE TENFOLD PARAMIS
*DANA PARAMI SAMPANNO
*DANA UPA-PARAMI SAMPANNO
*DANA PARA-MATTHA-PARAMI SAMPANNO
METTA KARUNA MUDITA UBEKKHA PARAMI SAMPANNO
ITIPI SO BHAGAVA
*DANA [...Continue reading...]
Praying the Body
July 16th 2008
An introduction to the book ‘Praying the Body’
by Tew Bunnag
The deepest level of T’ai Chi is that of prayer, which I would like to define as communion with the universal spirit. If meditation is the awakening and nurturing of the unconditional awareness that puts us in touch with the reality behind image and appearance – [...Continue reading...]
Tao Te Ching : 37 - one version
July 16th 2008
Tao abides in non-action,
Yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this,
The ten thousand things develop naturally.
If they still desired to act,
They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
WIthout form there is no desire.
WIthout desire there is tranquillity.
And in this way all things would be at peace.
Tao Te Ching : 37 - another version
July 16th 2008
The Tao goes on forever
Wu wei – doing nothing
And yet everything gets done.
How?
it does it by being.
And by being everything it does.
If people and rulers go by this
Then every living thing will be well.
And if parts still want to separate
The true leader will use
The centrifugal weight
Of this original unnameable
Oneness.
It is simple:
If no-one wants anything
for [...Continue reading...]
The Five Elements
July 16th 2008
Wood, Fire Earth Metal and Water are the different sources of energy feeding the three levels of our being. Each energy pathway is identified with one of the five elements and with a specific organ and function of the body. The elements reflect the forces we see in nature outside, and have our daily and seasonal [...Continue reading...]