The drums of war are beating. Conflict is boiling over. Spilling out from Ukraine and the Middle-East like magma flows from angry volcanic eruptions. At the same time politics seems gridlocked. Battle lines are being drawn up. The Western powers, some potentially underprepared, are waking up to the reality large-scale… Read More »Zen Buddhism and the coming War
Hard rain. Torrential rain. Rain that drums on the roof like it wants to get in. Accompanying gale force winds. Whipping through the trees, whistling and howling. Change has come to the weather. The last week of ice and frost with its pleasant, expansive open blue skies has given way… Read More »Change and Enlightenment the Zen Buddhist Way
Acceleration. It feels good to be moving. Hitting the pace. Autumn sunlight caresses the skyline and the bright yellows and subtle browns of my window view begin to blur as the train picks up speed. Swiftly approaching 120 miles per hour. Positioning my mind to have a good day, I… Read More »On Personal Development: Building People and Having Faith
The world is burning yet there is hope Juxtaposition is an awkward word. It feels odd to say, strange to write and dubious to use. Yet I think it accurately describes my emotional and spiritual standing at the moment. Externally the world is on edge. There are no breaks. From… Read More »On the Importance of Hope
Doodling with Intent This weekend I taught my son how to draw expansively. At least that’s what I’m calling it. I don’t know what the word is for drawing doodles which connect to each other but it must be a thing. The rain poured outside. The little ones had tired… Read More »Doodles, Old Souls, and Koans: Lessons from a Rainy Afternoon
Tick. Tick. Tick. The gentle, rhythmic ticking of a watch, each second marks the relentless passage of time. Now, imagine that watch transformed into a canvas. A scenic depiction. A wrist-sized snapshot of life in all it’s splendour, as well as displaying passing seconds, minutes and hours. In the vibrant… Read More »On Time: What is your relationship to your watch?
Scary Times I close my eyes. Blackness. Solitude. Fear of the unknown. I picture horrendous things out there in the darkness. My inner voice tells me they want to harm me. Shadow beings with teeth like knives and creatures with many horns and limbs. Crawling, scrambling somewhere out behind the… Read More »How does storytelling create reality?
Moments of learning Absorbing knowledge. Taking in notions, being aware of their importance. Then returning to unpack the information later in the comfort of one’s own mind. Moments of revelation, moments of growth. I’m casting my mind back to such moments during chemistry lessons with one fine teacher. I will… Read More »On the climate crisis: Facing down disaster moment by moment
A chance encounter Such intricate design. The silver serpents gushing forth fans of smaller snake heads were enticing. I took the steps up to the temple complex in this small city in Northern Laos. As I started taking photos I was approached by a young man in an orange robe.… Read More »Buddhist fashion? How Zen influences the design process
A few days ago it was the summer solstice here in the UK. I love this time of year. The summer lies ahead of us like a vast canvas, ready for us to elevate our experiences into lifelong memories. Friends will be contacted, good times will be had. May is… Read More »On the employment market: How to mindfully embrace uncertainty
Cant catch a break? Try this. Unexpected, unprecedented. Resetting and refocusing. A kind of a break, and a new start of sorts. Three and a half weeks without my young family’s constant needs was just what the doctor ordered. Only, I didn’t know it until the opportunity was thrust upon… Read More »1 Tip to improve everything: Take an actual break
Do you enjoy a good plot twist? Exciting. Enthralling. Entertaining. Most people love a good paradigm shift in their media every once in a while. Like watching the final scene from Planet of the Apes when the destructive potential of humanity is revealed to the protagonist. (Spoiler alert) He finds… Read More »On information overload: Practicing mindfulness in a data driven world