Autumn Newsletter 2020
Dear Friends
I trust and hope this this message finds you well and mindfully managing, navigating and negotiating the challenges and choices life has imposed on us at this time.
We now find our selves in the middle of Autumn, the first whole session of 2020, since Summer is shared with 2019 at the beginning of the year and with 2021 at the end of the year.
Autumn is a particularly pleasant season and time of the year with regards to weather and the calming and quietening mood it can bring as a reprieve from the busy outgoing months of Summer.
However for us all as a human collective this particular time of year no matter where we are in the world at what season it is, is creating a mood of concern and unease due to the Corona Virus Pandemic.
When we did begin this year of 2020, my message was one of making this year a year of clarity, clear seeing, Right View (2020 vision) enabling Insight – Vipassana. No one could have know what was to eventuate when this Corona Virus left its initial birth place – travelling around the world as it has! However this year certainly can be a year of great Clarity of Vision – Insight and Understanding if we make it so.
There may be many lessons and learnings, knowledge, insight and wisdom that can be gleaned and gained from our life situation both individually and collectively.
I find that this year appears to be about the great practice of ‘Letting – Go’.Certainly letting go of expectations as things have and continue to change. Also letting go of many things as we find we need to live simpler even practicing some degree of renunciation.This year is about accommodating uncertainty, living with change and making mindful and wise choices in how we live and engage with others.
This year is about being Calm and Patient, Caring and Compassionate as we reach out to help others without the ability to physically touch them, but to connect in a heart-felt way.This year is about the ‘Four Spiritual Messengers’ – significant in the life of the Buddha and his inspiration to initially take up the Practice Path towards Enlightenment and Full and Final Freedom.
These ‘Messengers’ that come to remind us of what is really important – through Aging, Illness, Death and the ‘Messenger’ of the Spiritual Practitioner, reminding us to practice well so that we do not fear aging, illness and death.This year is so far offering us the opportunity of Retreat, to live quietly without so much activity and out going that we might otherwise be involved with. A time to be more Meditative and Contemplative, to have a quiet season both externally and internally.
Certainly this year may be the year that Nature recovers and replenishes from the challenges of Climate Change that the world was so concerned about in 2019.Lets make this year significant for many good reasons and for the many good things that we can make from this most challenging pandemic that has afflicted our humanity.
May we not forget all those that have died, and will die from this virus. May we not forget all those Health Care Workers that are doing so much to help. May we not forget ourselves through this (see my verse below ‘Let us not Forget’).
May we realise the Wisdom Teachings of the Buddha, particularly where he has said:
‘A healthy Mind is the greatest gain;
Contentment is the greatest wealth;
A trustworthy friend is the best of kin;
Unconditional Freedom is the greatest bliss.
Here at WELL-AWARE-NESS, I continue to see clients in person observing the proper health protocols. I am also seeing clients through Skype and Phone sessions, helping with the psychological challenge of stress and fear at this time. To book a Skpe or Telephone appointment with me please call 0400 022 048.
Whilst our weekly Monday Night Meditation Group has been suspended, I encourage all those that were attending to maintain your Mindfulness and Meditation practice.
There are many resources available on the web for continuing to listen to Wisdom Teachings:
YouTube Link: Venerable Mettaji offers his wisdom during this challenging time; Stay At Home With Compassion
Our planned Half and Full Day Meditation Retreats have also been cancelled including the upcoming one on Sunday 17th May. I will let you know when we may be able to meet both for the Monday Group and the Half Day Retreats.
I was able to arrange a Food Hamper Delivery to Venerable Pannyavaro at Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery near Lismore. Venerable Pannyavaro was short on food supplies so a number of our Monday Meditation Group people dropped off food to me which I transported down to him; I thank you for your generosity and support. Venerable Pannyavaro has made an appeal for support where the easiest way is to make a monastery donation through his website into the monastery account. Support for Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery.
