Student Writings

A Source of Joy

Contribution by Anja
Thich Nhat Hanh’s smile gives us choices about how we engage with each moment. Sometimes, the simple act of lifting up our head, relaxing the shoulders back and smiling can help us to feel better, to be more hopeful. … More A Source of Joy

Household Practice

Contribution by Richard
Our last intensive Sesshin retreat brought the Sangha together online over four days, in between mindful walking and work practice at home. An unexpected outcome of this, was the emphasis on holding intensive practice within a household setting amongst the noise of family, rather than the usual simplified and quiet structure of Sesshin. … More Household Practice

Life Lessons from the Japanese Tea Ceremony

Contribution by Penny
This is a reflection inspired by a book I have read called: The Wisdom of Tea: Life Lessons from the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It was written by Noriko Morishita who studied Tea Ceremony for 25 years and she describes her gradual discovery of deep insights into life within the very rules that once seemed so constricting. It becomes a celebration of perseverance with spiritual practices even though we feel as though we are making no progress…..practice is all there is … More Life Lessons from the Japanese Tea Ceremony

The Hummingbird Story

Contribution by Adrien

I wanted to share a story that I read to my son quite often. It was written by a group of people in France whose focus is on educating and building a more sustainable society – the hummingbird movement. … More The Hummingbird Story

Crafting Moments of Tranquility

Contribution by Anja
The Japanese expression wakei-seijyaku is made up of four characters – wa means harmony, kei is respect, sei stands for purity, and jyaku for serenity and appreciation. It means taking the time to deliberately ‘craft’ an experience of inner tranquility, to rest in the present noticing a moment of beauty. … More Crafting Moments of Tranquility

Resilient/ Fragile

Contribution by Richard

After hiding dormant through seasons of hot dry weather, from harsh and rocky ground this fragile plant emerged, flowering for two weeks before disappearing. … More Resilient/ Fragile

Wise Hope

Contribution by Anja

Zen teacher and writer Joan Halifax talks about ‘wise hope’, by which she means finding value in our efforts to make the world a better place, even as we understand there is no guarantee what we’re working towards will succeed. … More Wise Hope

Extraordinary Mind

Contribution by Richard

This is a photo of the galactic core. It is the centre of our Milky Way galaxy in which we live. The Milky Way is of a scale that cannot be comprehended by the ordinary human mind. … More Extraordinary Mind

Alone on My Zafu

Contribution by Adrien

I attended my first Sesshin last year and that was a very important experience. The first word that comes to my mind is “intense”. … More Alone on My Zafu