On a balmy Melbourne night this week I sat with a tinge of horrified anxiety watching Facebook friend requests from around the world spill into my laptop.
Its like you’ve arrived for the big event and I am still in my pyjamas.
I just don’t understand how the Buddhas in my Pocket pilgrimage started without me!
A few days beforehand a friend had helped set up the Buddhas in my pocket blog, fundraising and Facebook pages for me.
I imagined I had to push a big red button or something on the 17th March – the official launch date.
On March 17th, the plan still , is to go to the Melbourne Buddhist Centre and ritually have my kesa placed around my neck where it will stay for 14 months……that’s also the date to place in my pocket some of the 39 little buddhas already donated to give away as needed.
But no… this is not my pilgrimage , this is not my journey alone.
I can make plans and itineraries, imagine how it will look..but then I have to give it all up, put it all down. It will unfold in its own unique way.
Certainly there is no Ryokan quietude outlining this path.
Already this pilgrimage demands that I be proficient in the 3rd stage of metta bhavana.
( if you don’t know what this is then consider going to your nearest Triratna Buddhist Centre to learn a meditation practice that will change your life )
Unconditional love and acceptance of all sentient beings…whether I know them or not….whether I know how they know me or even why they want to go on pilgrimage with me…this is the task.
This profound teaching of interconnectedness and insubstantiality is not a web to be tangled up in but a stunning jewelled net where beauty is reflected and reflected again.
I was drawn to the richness and truth of Indra’s Net in my early days as a Buddhist.
In this virtual space it will be a treasure… to remind me to hold a wider gaze than the screen of my laptop at all times!
Maitripala x
To finish : a timely endorsement from the President
January 20, 2016 at 12:09 pm
Lovely first post. And,yes, I wondered if you had seen the Obama post 🙂 Parami
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January 20, 2016 at 12:14 pm
Thanks Parami. Don’t really know this world at all…but baby steps 🙂
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January 21, 2016 at 6:02 am
I love this already, so incredibly you Maitripala! Looking forward to following your footsteps and hearing your stories. You are one amazing, beautiful soul my dear friend, time to share you with the world! With so much love and hugs always, Al xxx
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January 31, 2016 at 8:09 pm
Thank you Al. It’s always been so wonderful having a few friends in my teaching at school,world who I was able to be so open with about my spiritual life…..special 💜
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January 31, 2016 at 8:02 pm
Wonderful, it has started. You were so inspirational to me at Tiratanaloka and still are. Will be following closely what unfolds……. it is the teaching of Indras Net that first caught my imagination a long time ago when I had my first dharma study with Vaddhaka. Then you introduced me to the Flower Ornament sutra and I was inspired again ! Shine on xxx
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January 31, 2016 at 8:13 pm
Yes it has started Sarah even though I don’t officially get my kesa around my neck until March! I still remember your delight as you opened up into that amazing world in the Flower Ornament sutra.
Thank for your lovely support as I take these tentative steps of sharing into the blog world 👍
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