San Salvadore Market, Monferrato

 

MARRAKECH SUNRISE 1977, a poem by Alun Buffry

MARRAKECH SUNRISE 1977
by
Alun Buffry

Many times we've sat,
And watched a good sunset,
But the beauty of the skies,
Of the Marrakech sunrise!
Behind the Atlas Mountains,
There's a desert full of fountains,
Lakes of pale blue ice,
And golden coloured spice
And yellow sparkling sand,
Suspended from God's hand.
Today a brand new life,
Completely free from strife.

God's Game - a poem by Alun Buffry, Morocco 1977

GOD'S GAME by Alun Buffry

                                                                            Morocco 1977

Left Marrakesh today, to Fez, but on the way,

Felt a lacking of some sort - forgotten my passport!

Got off the bus again, cursing my damned brain,

Went back to where we'd stayed. God's little game was played.

Amidst all this goddam fuss, in little Hotel 'Mus',

I got the passport back! But my head's about to crack!

It's started now to rain. I think I'll catch the train.

'Cos lover must be there and I wish I was with her!

Not possible this time, to use the railway line.

So I sit in sorrow, waiting for tomorrow,

When I hope that I can go, if rain don't turn to snow.

Well the money goes so quick, I'm gonna have a fit,

I want to smoke some stuff and call the devil's bluff.

Illusions all around, and my head aches from the sound

Of rains and cars and mules and stupid tourist fools.

But writing down these lines has made me feel quite fine.

It's just that I couldn't half do with a long hot bath,

And get rid of the dirt, and wash my only shirt,

And jeans and socks and all, and go and have a ball,

In Fez.

Just one of the benefits of practicing the techniques of self-knowledge from Prem Rawat

 Just one of the benefits of practicing the techniques of self-knowledge that Prem Rawat shows is the realisation that I am not my mind! That I am separate from my mind, able to watch it and use it as the tool it's meant to be (sometimes) and not always let it distract me and run my life. I can see how often it misled me into bad decisions and problems. If it were a true servant or someone promising to always help,, well I would doubt their sincerity. The "heart" on the contrary, which I also feel through those techniques, always genuine - feeling not just computing and thinking. I feel so grateful for that and want to pass on the message that real peace and joy and love is within each person and not in the head or in the world outside of us,and that it is a practical experience not a philosophy, belief or religion. That is why I post about Prem Rawat, In case anyone was wondering . Ha!

 

As the Mind flies so the Bird walks to the mountain, OR Zen and the Art of Being Lazy

 

As the Mind flies so the Bird walks to the mountain, 

OR 

Zen and the Art of Being Lazy

(a postcard from Pokhara)

by Alun Buffry

Today, outside, the weather is hazy.

Stayed in all day, feeling quite lazy.

Where to go now, we often talk,

Then decide it's too far to walk.

Two hours there and two hours back,

"Let's stay here, and have a snack".

Just fifteen minutes up to Baba's.

and we know that there, food's better by far,

but here we eat, for our stomachs sake,

whatever's available as it's no effort to make.

"Well", I say, "I guess that's what

a holiday's for on a day that's hot."

"We're free, we don't have to do anything.

We can fly like a bird with a broken wing."

"How can that be, such a bird can't fly?"

"We can't do much either and here is why-

Cos - cor it's hot outside today,

and wherever we go we have to pay",

or "My leg's aching, stiff and weak,

and there's nothing in the bazaar we seek."

"Stomach queasy, or head aching?

Let's be another chillum a-making."

Then, "Let's go in a boat!"

"No, don't want to row!"

Or, "Let's climb that mountain, look at the snow!"

Oh, if only we could get up there and back,

Without having to walk on that mountain track.

If you close your eyes and lay on your bed,

you can go anywhere inside your head.

If you know how to master the Traveller's Trick,

You'll be there in an instant and come back so quick.

Many teachers, one Master - many signposts, one Way

Thinking today about teachers and the Master: I see that there are many teachers and many that have taught me many subjects - maths teachers, language teachers. Science teachers, religious teachers and so on, and many teachers with more than one subject. Even lifestyle teachers and teachers of good or even bad manners or skills.

But even if each teacher had 8000 students it would need a million to teach the world and even with classes of 100 a year it would take 80 years! And how many adults even have a teacher? And how many teachers would remember all their student' s names or students remember their teachers, if that is important?

And how many teachers could actually teach?

It surely takes a student to recognise and appreciate a good teacher.

In many schools we have a head teacher. If the maths teacher teaches maths, what does the head teacher teach?

So what is a Master? Can a person have more than one master at a time?

Ram Dass and others have said that a teacher points the way but The Master is the way

We can surely follow many teachers at a time but maybe best to follow one way at a time to avoid confusion and make progress.

And for me a teacher may instruct through repetition but a Master by example. The student needs practice and effort. For the Master it is natural

So I come to recognise so many can teach me so much but I have only one Master (way).

 

 

Petition Negotiate with EU to end the 90 day limit on staying in Schengen area countries

 

Negotiate with EU to end the 90 day limit on staying in Schengen area countries

We want the government to negotiate with EU to end the 90 day limit on staying in Schengen area countries without a visa. We think this rule detrimentally affects many people as well as and the relationship between UK and EU

.https://petition.parliamen no not.uk/petitions/702491

Seasonal greetings,as said

 

Genova Aquarium

 

ASUS laptop

 I will never buy another ASUS laptop, it is annoying