A new year, a new bunch of experiments!
The Creative Buddhist Sunday Supplement
Hello you,
I’ve had a lovely break, me and my wife both had flu which meant a lot of resting. I feel better for it. Hope you too got to rest over the holidays.
I don’t make big New Year’s resolutions, but I have been thinking about my habits. I’m always trying the latest ‘life hack’. Karin will roll her eyes as I explain what we will be doing next (yes, sometimes I try to rope her in). Of course, I won’t stick with everything new. For her it’s a case of if you won’t commit to something, why do it? For me, it’s all about the fun of experimentation. If the experiment works, I’ll usually keep at it. She is actually much better at sticking to things, which is why, sensibly, she starts fewer things than I do.
So the usual scenario goes something like this; using the example of my KonMari phase (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) I explain how we should start folding our socks. Karin is initially sceptical but gives it a go. Now, 8 years later, she is still using the folding method for everything, while I can’t really be bothered any more but am now doing it out of a sense of guilt.
Here are some things that have not stuck: eating a high carb diet after listening to podcasts that said it would increase my metabolism (I started turning into a barrel); using an infrared light that I bought in the period between finding a lump in my breast and finding out it was a harmless cyst; knitting, I made a wonky tank-top, pulled it out and started again, pulled it out again and gave the wool to Karin.
But some things have stuck. Here’s a few that I’ll be taking into 2024: fasting, I do at least 16 hours most days; writing morning pages with my coffee; keeping my phone in the hallway.
What successful experiments are you taking into 2024?
A couple of things from the last two weeks:
The Creative Buddhist Newsletter: You will have received my Friday post, ‘Think outside the box’. Usually Friday posts are for paid subscribers, but I sent this one to all of you, it was also unusually nerdy!
Online day retreat: I did an online retreat over New Year and it rekindled my enthusiasm for weaving retreats into my everyday life. I thought I would run one for us! It’s a day retreat on Saturday 3rd February called, Being Undone, The Path of The 10 Fetters.
Creative Monday Club: I’ve been loving the Creative Monday Club, seeing everyone working away in their little Zoom windows. I’ve already made some cushion covers and framed a couple of pictures and we’re only 2 weeks into the year. It’s free for all paid subscribers. Why not join us?
On my radar this week
Documentary: The Centre Will Not Hold - Joan Didion: Thinking about it now, as I write, I find myself wincing, as if bruised. Joan Didion was in her eighties when she made this and she’s so frail that you can see all the bones and veins through her skin. But it’s not that. Somehow you also feel the visceral tenderness that comes with grief as she tells her story. You can find The Centre Will Not Hold on Netflix.
Dharma Website - Buddha’s Cabin: I had the pleasure of making a website for my good friend Vaddhaka. He’s called it ‘Buddha’s Cabin’ and you can see on the home page an image of his cabin in the snowy forest of Estonia. Though English, he’s lived and taught there for many years. It really is a treasure trove of Dharma teachings, whole series of talks on very contemporary themes. Check out this series Building a Treasure House in the Mind.
Book - English Pastoral, An Inheritance: I’ve been wanting to read this for ages. It starts with James Rebanks as a small boy on his grandfather’s farm in the Lake District and follows what happens when his family are encouraged to abandon the ancient traditions of a farming life, and industrialise the farm for maximum profit (that’s profit for big agriculture, not the farmers themselves). When James inherits the farm, he starts the long process of restoring it to its past glory, an English Pastoral.
Conversation - Margaret Atwood & Laurie Anderson: This is like my fantasy dinner party, getting to hangout with Margaret Atwood & Laurie Anderson. I like the interviewer taking a back seat and allows them to riff off of one another. If this is what old age looks like, bring it on!
TV - The Bear: The Bear just won best TV series in the Golden Globes and I still haven’t seen it. I wouldn’t normally recommend something I’ve not seen, but so many of my friends have told me to watch this and I don’t think they can all be wrong. I’m going to splash out for a month of ‘Disney’ where it’s streaming and try to remember that good work is worth paying for.
A quote I’m thinking about:
‘You see this goblet? For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, 'Of course.' When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.’
― Achaan Chah, from Thoughts Without a Thinker by Mark Epstein.
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Sending some love your way,
Vajradarshini
P.S. You can hit reply and say hello, occasionally people do and it’s always a treat!
This Week’s Tip - Make your own Tortillas:
Tortillas are a favourite in our house. The kids love them. But when I look at the ingredients in the shop, I’m really reluctant to buy them. Then I got a tortilla press for Christmas and found out how easy it is to make your own. Flour, butter (or other fat), baking powder, salt and water, just mix and press, no proving. Cook in a hot dry pan. You don’t need a press, you could roll them out, but pressing is fun and super fast.
I am still folding my pants years after reading marie k! Fasting is sticking with me too. After reading “highly processed people “ i want to cook from scratch more. I will adopt the phone in the hall method.. make it more difficult to reach for. “The Bear” is excellent and worth watching. A friend recommended‘anatomy of a fall’ film, have you seen it?
Meant to say. New habit is getting up from my desk, chair every hour and walking at least 250 steps, just back and forth in the house if necessary. No it's not a big house. My FitBit reminds me, with ten minutes to spare, if I haven't moved. My back seized up just before Christmas. And this has evolved from helping it ease off.