THERE IS NOTHING WRONG HERE

This weekend (7/27-7/29) I went to the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies for a meditation retreat. Nena suggested I go as a 61^st birthday present. I have wanted to visit BCBS for over a year because it is an important center for Buddhist studies and it is so close. Mark Hart teaches there and many of the members of the Bodhisara community attend workshops and retreats at BCBS, and the Insight Meditation Society campus, which is associated with BCBS, is close by.

The retreat I picked to attend was titled “Learning Meditation from Within” by Jason Siff. The catalog description was intriguing, but I really did not know what to expect during the weekend.

Learning meditation from within one’s experience of meditation requires looking at what goes on in one’s meditation sitting more carefully and thoroughly. . . to increase discernment and investigation, and to examine the various conceptual frameworks we bring to our meditation practice.

By the end of the weekend I was wishing there was more time to sit and talk with Jason about not only my meditation practice, but about what ever came up in the conversation. Jason was able to point me in a direction that Mark had started. Neither of them “teach” a meditation technique. Both Jason and Mark are along for the ride and act as conductors to make sure you are comfortable and answer questions about the passing scenery. Jason spoke directly to the idea of the meditation teacher as a guide. He does not want to lead people, but he feels he can help mediators find their way.

The first evening Jason said that the narratives we have going on are important and to trying and stop them should not be the purpose of meditation. Like Mark, Jason wants to hear about your meditation experience and then asks questions that can help you find deeper meanings in the experience. I now feel empowered to directly look at my thoughts as I meditate and examine what is behind the thoughts.

Both Nena and I recently read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. For those who don’t know about the book it is the story of how Greg, who was attempting to climb K2, the second highest mountain in the world, ending up building dozens of school in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The book is on the best sellers list and we have been telling everyone we can to read it.

His story is so compelling for two reasons. The first is the old theme of a person’s struggle to overcome adversity. In Greg’s case the adversity takes many forms; personal, physical, and cultural. The second reason is it tells the story of the people living in tribal areas of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greg give these people a humanity that balances the demonization of them that has happened in this country since 9/11.

His book is compelling because it show how the efforts of one man can change the lives of thousands of people. He has not only changed the lives of the people in Pakistan and Afghanistan, but the lives of anyone who reads the book. By bringing some understanding and humanity to people half-a-world away, maybe we can find ways to solve problem without using violence.

Greg started the Central Asia Institute to build school using local resources and labor. Many of the schools are for girls. The girls are more likely to stay in remote villages as the young men leave. By training the girls in basic hygiene, the death rate of children can be cut significantly.

As a teacher I was struck by the story of the children gathering in a open field to do their lesson; they were writing in the dirt because they did not have any writing materials. The village was so poor they had to split the $1.00 a-day fee for the teacher with another village.

As Nena and I were watching the new Harry Potter movie last night (the best one so far), Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry started to look very familiar. Mr. Fudge is the school committee, who is more interested in holding on to his power than seeing the problems (Voldemort). The administrator who is out for a power grab is played by Dolores Umbridge. Once she becomes headmistress school becomes “by the book”, and she uses intimidation and pain as teaching tools. As a students asks in the Dark Arts class, “When can we learn real magic we will need in the real world”. Because the students are not learning the real skills they will need, they turn to Harry to teach them.

Are the leaders at the national, state, and local level more interested in power and getting reelected than looking at the real problems in education? Are school leaders more interested in looking good for their peers or solving real problems. The students are telling us they want to learn real skills for the real world. Maybe if we listen to the students we will learn together.

Seen so far this summer in our yard.

• black bear - twice - we have to make sure we bring in the bird feeders at night
• moose - twice - I saw the moose when I was getting something out of my car, I heard a noise, looked up and standing 6 feet a way was a moose.
• wild turkey - we call her Henny Penny, she comes to feed under the bird feeders 3 or 4 times a week.
• fox - had its eye on our big yellow cat Nellie

Seen around Knights Pond

• otter
• bobcat