Phil version 2.0

“The secret of health for both mind and body, is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”   Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai - The Teaching of Buddha (1934) This is a picture of  Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk who died this week, at the age of 95.   He was Vietnamese, but was exiled from that country in the 1960s, because of his opposition to the war.   Thereafter, he lived in France. I think you will agree that this is something of a life-altering experience, which might have necessitated a degree of  rebuilding (or building from scratch).   As you know, I have also experienced a life-changing event, and I am myself,  trying  to  rebuild and build from scratch .   Thich Nhat Hanh though, made a much better job of it than I!   While  in France, he went on to establish monasteries and meditation centres around the world.     He wrote more than 100 books that were translated into more than 40 languages.    And, if that isn’t eno

“Routine keeps me in line Helps me pass the time Helps me to sleep”   (Steven Wilson 2015)   These lyrics are perfectly suited to me - watch this space!    As is often the case, I’ll start with the motivation behind this post, and I’m afraid that it’s not very positive (in fact - quite the opposite!)   In a nutshell:  for a lot of the time over the last week or so, I’ve been really struggling, emotionally, and have been tearful on quite a few occasions.   For the last couple of days though, I am pleased to report that my mood has seen some significant improvement; and  the clearing away of much negativity, has left space for reflection on what might have caused it, and future steps that can be taken, to minimise its recurrence.   I believe that an emotional change, is often (usually?) driven by a tangible occurrence (or an absence of one). It therefore made sense for me to consider what it is, that has happened (or not happened), which has had such a negative effect on my mood...   One