NEW YEAR NEWSLETTER 2022
Dear Friends
Welcome to our New Year 2022 and the middle of Summer. Summer is the season for us that transcends and connects the old year with the New Year. My last Newsletter to you with my verse for Summer notes this interesting point.
In December last year a number of us spent a wonderful day in Nature at Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery. The occasion was a Wellbeing In Nature Day with Reflections offered by Venerable Pannyavaro and also myself on the Psychology and Therapeutic value of spending time in Nature (Nature Day Photos). The Next Wellbeing in Nature Day at Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery will be in March 2022 (check the Bodhi Tree Website for updates).
We were planning to reconvene our Meditation Group in January together with the Meditation Day Retreats, however due to the upsurge in Covid-19 (Omicron) and the NSW Government requirements space restrictions and gatherings we have again had to postpone our group sessions. Thank you for your ongoing patience, hopefully within the next few months we will be able to reconvene. In the meantime I encourage you all to maintain your Meditation and ongoing Mindfulness with renewed vigour as we engage this New Year.
Here are a couple of links to wonderful teachings from Ajahn Munindo based in the UK:
Including the sense of self
In any given moment
The explanation video by Phra Yuttadhammo may be helpful regarding the importance of mental noting, or labelling.
What makes a year New, Fresh and Alive, may be more about our Approach or Attitude to it than what actually happens within it.
We may face and engage many things this year that we have done countless times in previous years; yet if we see, view and approach them with a helpful attitude they can feel and be a new experience for us.
The Buddhist Path Factor of ‘Right View’; the first of the Eight Practices on the Buddhist Path; is particularly about seeing and appreciating – where Stress and Suffering occur for us; why Stress and Suffering occur for us; how Stress and Suffering can be caused not to occur and the way of practice to bring about the end of Stress and Suffering.
However a general wholesome ‘Right View’ approach to our Life can include the quality or Attitude of Gratitude. Indeed how we perceive our experience will determine our reality!
Here our thinking – Conceiving, affects our Perceiving, that then affects our Receiving of experience.
Concept – Percept – Recept!
Certainly as we begin this year 2022, lets approach this year in every month, week, day, hour, minute and moment with the wonderful conception, perception and reception of Gratitude.
There is never not something to be Grateful for – with a Great Fullness of Heart.
My verse below expresses this appreciation of the quality and experience of Gratitude.
Wishing you all a Wonderful New Year 2022 and completion of Summer.
With Metta – Kind Regards
John B.
AN ATTITUDE OF GREAT GRATITUDE
Buddhist ‘Right View’ is an Approach;
Perspective or Mindful Attitude;
Which can include the appreciation;
And expression of Great Gratitude.
This helps the mind to approach Life;
With a wide Psychological Latitude;
That helps us deal with all
The varieties of Life’s Vicissitudes.
This enables a Perfect-Presence;
And relational engagement with much Magnitude;
Being and emotional expression of
Appreciative-Joy with great Amplitude.
This raises and uplifts the Mind;
To a Psycho-Spiritual Altitude;
Beyond mental distraction, distortion;
Laziness, lethargy and Lassitude.
To see and view Life in such a way that we express;
The quality, approach and attitude of Gratitude;
Empowers our Mind-Heart with a wonderful;
Rectitude and Fortitude.
BUDDHIST WISDOM POSTERS BY JOHN BARTER
These teachings are a philosophy or ‘way of life’, a valuable resource of knowledge condensed by John Barter after years of learning and practicing the ways of the Buddha.
Buy them as individual posters or as a set of 12.
