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Well life is going on at quite a pace really. Since my retirement from Tetbury at the Bishop's suggestion because of my health problems I have been able to put more attention to my work as a Zen teacher and leader of the Wild Goose Sangha. As a result we are spreading our wings and hopefully not going on a Wild Goose Chase! We are planning a series of Zen sesshins for 2012 where 2 will be on the west side of the counrty at locations close to the M5 motorway and two will be over on the east side going up the M1 and down as far as Canterbury. Canterbury with Marcus and Jennie Averback are really a satelite of the WGS. Also as part of the changes for the WGS I have made Jeremy Woodcock and Marcus Averback as Dharma Holders so they will be associate teachers with me. We are also in the process and getting ourselves registered as a charity for tax purposes. One futher point is that we have moved our Thursday meetings to St. Lawrence church in Cirencester whcih is better premises for us and more convenient for parking etc.

With regard to my pain in the hip and the back - its certainly no better yet and still quite severe at times. I see the specialist at the hospital tomorrow and hopefully after all the tests and MRI's that I've had they will be able to tell me what can be done for me to without the constant pain.

Maureen and I have had the joy of going to a couple of concerts in Cirencester for the Cotswold Early English Music festival. One was of a group of musicians using the old traditional instruments for maily 15th & 16th cnetury music - the group was clalled The York Waits - Waits were nighwatchmen who used to come together to pass the time playing music. It was excellant and great fun as well. Not a great number of people there though and all were "people with bus passes!" Last night wewent to "Midsummer Mozart" in the same series this time with the Correlli Orchestra

Here are some Zen thoughts:


The Zen Sesshins held by the Wild Goose Sangha are in no way an attempt to combine Christianity or any other faith with Zen which, in itself, is not a religion but simply a meditation practice that can be helpfully used by those of any faith. Their aim is to purely engage in Zen practice in its own right. As Thomas Merton points out: It is perfectly possible to be capable of playing tennis at one time or doing mathematics at some other time; they are not incompatible. Patrick Sensei, as a Catholic priest and a Zen teacher will therefore exercise his Christian priesthood in a Christian context but, when in a Zen context, he will teach Zen as a member of the White Plum Asangha.
Each Zen sesshin is designed to present an intensive opportunity for deepening our Zen practice. This practice is based on an awareness of our own true nature and the true nature of all reality. The tools we employ or “the gates” we use are first and foremost the practice of Zazen (silent sitting), Kin Hin (walking meditation), a Teisho from the teacher, Daisan (which is a private and personal meeting with the teacher), chanting and silence. So chanting is an essential and integral element of the whole practice of Zen.
In the chant service we chant the three central sutras. First we chant the Heart Sutra which, in somewhat poetic terms, endeavours to express the true nature of all reality of which we are a part. So it is, if you like an attempt to express the inexpressible. The second chant is about the identity of the Relative and the Absolute demonstrating the relationship between the absolute oneness of all creation in its essence and the division and differences in the phenomenological world. The third and final sutra calls us to exercise compassion in every aspect of our life. It teaches us the nature of this compassion which can only spring from the wisdom or experiential knowledge of the first two sutras chanted.
The dedication after each sutra chanted is unlike any Christian or other faith prayer in as much as they are not prayers to a Supreme Being or God to help us in our difficulties. They serve as a dedication of ourselves to put into practice the wisdom of the sutras and the resulting compassion. In other words in the chant service together we actualise our true nature both in wisdom and in compassion.