Under the Bodhi Tree

A descent into silence and meditation. A search for the soul.

Taliban

Has it ever known peace, this sad and beautiful land.

Spring

What a difference a few weeks can make and how powerful the influence of the season upon the mood. If ever evidence were needed that we are mere creatures of nature, there be it.

Which Way

Will you listen, perchance, to a holy man or prophet. Does philosopher or mage have the answers you seek, a fool even.

Meditation – Proof of the Pudding

Does it work?

Gardening for the Soul

Recently, gardening has become more than a metaphor for me. I have followed Candide in a literal sense and found great peace in our garden.

My kind of God

I have been profoundly moved by religion my entire life. I have always believed in the “Good” even though I may not always have done it.

The Past is a Foreign Country

They do things differently there. Or do they? Man’s real fear is of the unknowable future.

Lost in Thought

Lost is often a good thing. Thought may not be so good.

From the Hymn of Empedocles

We overlook everyday beauty dogged by anxiety about the future.

Nu Couché au coussin Bleu, one of the finest examples of reclining nudes by Modigliani, 1916

Achievement

What does achievement mean? What have you achieved and by what standards will you be judged? Will you be found wanting and if so should you care?

The Path of Slowness

Slowness is a vital ingredient, in my case at least, in encouraging me along the path I wish to follow.

A Road Less Traveled

If we seek reality, I am told that we look in the wrong direction by obsessing over the human condition. I think that is right.

I’m off to Narnia

When it comes to parallel universes, it does not get much better than Narnia. Where better to escape the troubles of a world which at times feel overwhelming.

Glimpses of “Truth”

Enjoying the cool spring sunshine this morning, I had a moment of truth as my eye was caught by dew drops in the long grass. I was sitting in our beautiful patch of wild meadow at the bottom of the garden.

Edge of the World

I wonder if this is what it felt like during the phoney war in 1939? A period of almost surrealistic calm before the horrors of world War II really began.

Doing it Differently

Breaking up my routine seems to add enormously to my well-being. While I might not persuade my wife to let me go trekking in the Empty Quarter, even mild change can be very beneficial.

On Choosing Happiness

I believe on any number of counts, including personal experience, that we have the power to choose to be happy but the road is not altogether straightforward.

Messiah – Netflix

Profound and beautiful would be my best shot at describing this wonderful new series Messiah from the creative genius that is Netflix.

The Algorithm

The parallels between Taoism and the Algorithm are unmistakable, comforting and instructive.

Fading

I had a curious sensation of fading, being absorbed into the background, while walking along a country lane in glorious winter sunshine.

In, and out of the Silence

Can or should you remain in a state or place of “silence” or must or ought you return to the world?

Letting go

I hadn’t quite realized until very recently just how damaging the human ego is.

Unworked Wood

Let the world go by and you may find yourself at peace.

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Figuratively speaking I suspect the meek are indeed blessed and that in a sense they shall inherit, if not the earth, then at least a life of peace.

The Contented Craftsman

Is there anything so wondrous as a man truly happy in his own skin and content with his life and … More

To Concentrate on “Good Things”

How much better you feel when you focus on the good and ignore the bad.

Economic Growth Sucks

Do we need economic growth? I find myself answering “no”.

On Facing Daemons

“Exi ergo, transgressor. Exi, seductor, plene omni dolo et fallacia, virtutis inimici, innocentium persecutor.”

Philosophy – Would we need it if we were happy?

Would we spend so much time in hand wringing existential anxiety if we discovered the genetic code of the pain … More

How to be a Happy Human

Given the basic needs of life and in the absence of physiological abnormality, the solution is fairly simple. The trick … More

Happiness and Genetic Bingo

We can expect limited success in our endeavours to change but some change is better than none. We may be able to tip the balance in our favour.

Was the Noble Savage a Happy Bunny?

It is pleasant to imagine that there was a day in the distant past where people did not live in Grenfell Tower and didn’t have to look at Trump’s haircut in the media.

Is it all gloom?

Is everything bad? Is the world a bad place? Are we humans damned and doomed? Is there any good news?

Scandinavian Happiness

I am disappointed to hear that Scandinavian happiness is “more a matter of class whether you can afford to take time to take care of yourself”.

Dealing with Depression

If you can deal with depression at all you need to determine whether your life is causing your anxiety or whether it is your anxiety which is ruining your life.