the garden

thought i'd post a pic of the veggie garden. funny this little patch of the garden, in some ways it is very much 'mine' in fact it is one area where i pretty much do what i like without consulting anyone else (though some would say i do that in all sorts of areas!) but it is a little project that lots of people coming on retreat have had a hand in, weeding, watering, lying brick paths as well as just having a look... maybe the most important thing to do.

below are two pictures taken by Cheri a friend of mine in Finland. she is a designer and takes great photos, she sees the things that other people walk by without noticing. she's just been on retreat with us and sent loads of beautiful, quirky pictures which she is happy for us to use in our publicity, very generous of her. what with her pics, dhammarati's design and samudradaka's web building we should look pretty good in 2007.

jack kerouac - gatha

sitting in the chair
in the morning ground
is no sitting in no
chair in no morning ground

(to be continued)

preparing for ordinations

early morning and outside my window it is pouring with rain. tomorrow are the private ordinations of five women here at tiratanaloka. today, in the rain, we'll build a shrine in the hut under the trees.

wabi sabi

the first of many posts about wabi sabi, but here is where it all got started! i saw this picture by jeff wall many years ago in some modern art gallery, i don't remember where, but i remember turning a corner and coming across this picture in a light box say 3mx2m sq. it was this perfect abstract form in these beautiful muted colours. it baffled my perception, i just saw what was there, my mind couldn't for a few moments make anything out of it, it was just perfect form. then it registered. it was a dirty old sink, maybe in a caravan. it was horrible, like your worst experinces of public toilets.

i'm fascinated in that moment where perception changes, where, as leonard koren says 'beauty is coaxed out of ugliness'. since then i've uncovered wabi sabi in all kinds of places, in art, movies, music and most of all in ordinary life. for now here are some more pictures.
this is another jeff wall it's called something like 'pie dish with peas'.

i don't know who this is?

this is one of many that i took in a deserted mining town in america, it is called 'bodhi state park' but i don't think they spelled bodhi like this!