To sow seeds.

To sow seeds.
In Brazil, some two hundred years ago, a small village was starving.
The crops had failed once again and things were desperate.
The head man called all the smartest young men and chose one to go and find a way for the village to survive.
All the gold was collected and given to this smart young man.
This was the first time anyone alone had left the village to go outside.
Two years later, the smart young man came back.
The head man was the only one who had believed the young man would come back.
"What have you brought us after all this time?" the head man asked.
"Seeds", he replied " they are called coffee".
History tells us Brazil was placed on the map by this one young smart man.
In the last century Brazil became the largest coffee producer in the world.
So the question is, what seed have we to give others a future?
The seed can be love, or hope.
The seed can be a Dharma from a good book .
All of us have seeds that have not been shared.
Some seeds never sprout, never grow, because we don't know, or understand, that the seeds exist within us.
When we operate from our true self, our inner self, the self that has no ego, no fears, no thoughts of past or future.
This is the self that operates in the now.
The present moment.
This self, this pure self, knows about the seed.
Nathan



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Holiday--

Holiday--
When I announced that I was going to take a holiday,
friends said" enjoy yourself, don't do anything I wouldn't do".
What does that mean?
That's really scary, would they eat someone?
I most certainly wouldn't do the things my wild friends get up to. Not that there is anything wrong with being wild, I just don't do wild things.
I go on holiday to relax.
I try not to speak, not a lot of social intercourse .
Just commune with nature, and watch the Divines work firsthand. Of course , there are other things, like food, always the food.
The most important part for me, is
the letting go. We carry so much nonsense around with us, so much garbage. Concerns from the past, future dreams that will never happen.
The stress and suffering caused by past and future.
When we realise the cause, we become truely enlightened.
All of a sudden, our surroundings look and feel different.
Very clear, crystal clear,
no judgement, only joy and love.
Even when transport is not on time, service not the best, there are flies and bitey things, never mind.
We rise above the argument in the mind. We overcome obstacles that normally stay and build,
until we share with strangers what we hate about everything.
I don't do that anymore.
I realized that I caused the problems.
I was the argument.
I only saw in others ,what I didn't like in myself.
All that has changed.
There is nothing I don't like about me now.
Unconditional love, for myself and all beings.
It's not easy, practicing a no judgement attitude.
Practicing unconditional love takes work.
The decision to practice, is the work.
It takes a decision.
Our whole life is based on decisions.
To get up in the morning,
till the time we sleep,decisions.
The decision to be nice,that is another matter.
What to eat,what to wear,which wife ,which life.
These are the easy decisions.
When it comes to behavior, that is another matter.
To be at peace with oneself is the key. How can we be at peace when our behaviour is determined by our emotional state?
Most spend all their waking life in discontent, worry, anxiety, being
depressed or other negative states of mind.
These directly effect behavior.
When we are able to enjoy simple things, like listening to the sound of the wind, or the rain, or watch the beauty of clouds moving across the sky.
Be alone without the feeling of loneliness, not needing to be entertained.
When we find ourselves treating a complete stranger with kindness.
We find a space has opened up,
our behavior changed.
It is this space that gives us a sense of well-being, of peace, of what the Indian sages called Ananda-the Bliss of Being.
We appreciate simple things, our own company and we relate to others with loving kindness.
The common element contentment
peace
being alive
being
I love holiday.
Nathan


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Advice---

Advice---
A man went to the Dharma Master to ask advise.
" My life is miserable I have a very small house , one room and it's too crowded.
There's my wife , our eight children, her old parents , my sick dad,our deaf uncle and crippled sister.
I cannot pay for a bigger house what shall I do?"
The Master thought and asked ,
"do you have any animals ?"
"Yes we have five goats , three cows , ten chickens, two cats, one horse and a dog."
The Master said ,"let them all into the house for a week."
The man was puzzled but he respected the Master, so did what he said.
Life became a nightmare, he had to sleep standing up and the room stank.
He ran to the Master after a week nearly crazy.
The Master was pleased and said "now go home and take the animals out , you will be suprised how much space there is now."
Deep inside everyone there is an empty space and that emptiness is divine
That emptiness is reality.
The Buddha called it "Shunyata."
Sooner or later, one has to come to terms with inner emptiness and reality.
Nathan

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Perfection--

Perfection--
A novice monk asked the Dhamma Master
"Why are you so happy,so peaceful ?"
"I have accepted myself,"
explained the Master.
"Look out the window ,do you see that bush with the beautiful red flowers,the large tree behind it?
I have been watching them each day for the 23 years I have been in this Temple and at no time,
over the years,have I heard one compare itself to the other.
The tree is,the bush is,
no comparison,you are taller than me,you have more flowers
you need less water.
The difference between most people and what we see here is comparison.
You, my dear monk,are always comparing.
More hair,better body,more money,larger car,house,better food,cooler,warmer,the list is endless."
"We are told to become more like Jesus,Krishna,Buddha,why?
Drop all of this,all the ideals of being not what we are."
"If you must compare ,then,,,,,
We are the snowflake that falls from the sky.
Each flake is perfection.
It is then gathered and made into snowmen by external forces,
each snowman is different,
but the underlying is perfection."
"As the snowman melts and turns to water,the water evaporates,
returns to the sky and once again becomes a cloud .
It can then return as a snowflake.
Perfection.
Again there is no comparison,the cycle of birth,life,death and
re- birth happen automatically."
"My dear monk,your original face was perfection."
"I see perfection now before me.
It is only your thoughts that make the difference,it is comparison that makes the difference."
"To me you are perfection."
Nathan

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Travels Thailand

On to Thailand,some sixty million buddhists.

Nearly all of whom are waiting for their next  life for some form of enlightenment.

These beautifull,smiley,helpfull,full of life,love,and prayer and food. Always the food.

 Best food anywhere.

Most Thais are not the slightest bit interested in outcome. 

Kharma is not a consideration even though it is the backbone of the way.

"In my next life" is the mantra.

The wonderful thing is, there doesn't seem to be a concern for past ,only the ancestors.

 What happens now,happens for a reason,destiny,fate,luck.

To a Thai,there are two things in life,things that happen and things that matter.

 Family,business and Buddha and King.

These things matter,all else happens.

So is there a priority?

For a short time in all Thai's lives they are deeply spiritual. Yes,Buddhism is important.

 The Royal family is important. 

To a Thai the family and business is the priority and most do these well. 

I love Thailand,I have learnt a lot,particularly patience.  

As far as learning more about matters spiritual,just look at a Thai,and in return comes a smile.

 A look of love

that comes from the heart.

The heart that is Thailand.

Nathan

http://www.dharmamaster.com

With love

My travels

My Travels. --

I have visited two of the most spiritual countries anywhere. 

In India,i am told,there are thousands of Divine Beings,

I shall be over one hundred and sixty years old,should I  visit one a day for the rest of my life.

Not much else to do.

I saw men and women who spend their entire lives in service to just one Divine Being.

Total devotion,nothing else.

Some don't wear clothes,don't cut hair,

put ash on face and body,to show  they are dead.

They rely on others to supply food,their shelter is nature.

I don't know,where is the compassion?

I saw compassion,the Krishna serve the poor,there are many poor,very sad.

The question;

Is The Divine responsible?

Is it karma?

So many questions,and the cycle continues for generations,rich,poor,how to break free.

The answer, is of course,religion.

The promise,eternal something . The Divines  grace,everything by the grace of The Divine.

In India the system keeps everyone in place. 

To belong to a poor caste is to be doomed forever.

The Divines grace.

I met members of a food cooking caste,holy,devoted people,who's purpose in life is to cook. 

They are magnificent .

Once again,The Divines grace.

What happens, in a deeply religious country,run by The Divine,if you are not religious? Maybe you become a taxi driver,or member of parliament.

India,I love you and your people,my dear friends,your crazy religions,holy cows,Linga worshipping ,dervish swirling,cymble clanging,drum beating strange smelly dirty wondrous India.

My next stop is Thailand

Next week

With Metta

Nathan

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Enlightenment

Enlightenment is not something we achieve 

It is the absence of something 

All our lives we go after something 

pursuing some goal

Enlightenment is dropping all that

Talking of it is of little use

Practice has to be done 

There is no substitute but to practice 

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