Happy Easter to All
Gentle Readers,
This brings you every good wish for the spring, for a Holy Eastertide, for joy, whatever your belief or nonbelief.
I returned from my long retreat in Scotland at the Buddhist retreat on March 20. The shock of re-entry cannot be described, and I went into hibernation for a week, sorting through emails and trying to get used to the city noise. Then I went to Devon for Easter and unfortunately took an NHS bug with me that affected both my hostess and myself—I am still coughing and feeling rather rough.
But take heart: this Blog will resume as promised. Also, as promised, I kept a journal while on Holy Isle and will be sharing some of that with you.
Just to tantalise: there was a woman on retreat there who teaches English at the Karmapa's monastery in India. The Karmapa is the head of the Kagyu sect, which is the group that owns Holy Isle. She made an interesting remark (among many) that most of the Buddhist texts that are translated with the word 'merit' should rather be translated as 'grace'—this in response to my observation about the mis-use of the word 'experience' in Buddhist as well as Christian texts—the more it changes, the more it stays the same.
In the meantime, forgive me if this post is short shrift: I just walked in the door, as it were, and am having to adjust all over again!
A thousand blessings on you.
This brings you every good wish for the spring, for a Holy Eastertide, for joy, whatever your belief or nonbelief.
I returned from my long retreat in Scotland at the Buddhist retreat on March 20. The shock of re-entry cannot be described, and I went into hibernation for a week, sorting through emails and trying to get used to the city noise. Then I went to Devon for Easter and unfortunately took an NHS bug with me that affected both my hostess and myself—I am still coughing and feeling rather rough.
But take heart: this Blog will resume as promised. Also, as promised, I kept a journal while on Holy Isle and will be sharing some of that with you.
Just to tantalise: there was a woman on retreat there who teaches English at the Karmapa's monastery in India. The Karmapa is the head of the Kagyu sect, which is the group that owns Holy Isle. She made an interesting remark (among many) that most of the Buddhist texts that are translated with the word 'merit' should rather be translated as 'grace'—this in response to my observation about the mis-use of the word 'experience' in Buddhist as well as Christian texts—the more it changes, the more it stays the same.
In the meantime, forgive me if this post is short shrift: I just walked in the door, as it were, and am having to adjust all over again!
A thousand blessings on you.
posted by Maggie Ross at 4:12 pm
9 Comments:
Welcome home! I emphasize with the re-entry syndrome . . . I encounter a mini-version after each necessary trip for groceries, cousin-care, etc.
Hope the bug beats a swift retreat.
like the returning of the cranes:
of course they will
return like always
like spring
like they did
yesterday
but still
they fill your heart with joy
every single time
they pass by
high up in the sky.
welcome!
I am so pleased to discover your return to Voice in the Wilderness. Somehow I missed your warning that you were leaving on a long retreat, and I had been puzzled by the Voice's silence. Easter blessings be yours.
Welcome back Maggie! Looking forward to reading about the fruits of your retreat after so much blessed silence. Get well soon!
Regards Matt
you were gentle on my mind and in my heart these last weeks.
Welcome back.
Dear Maggie, since reading your profile in the Church Times I have been engrossed in your books. Is it possible to write to you privately about an ongoing issue they have highlighted for me? No worries if not, I am content to continue trusting God with it. Very best wishes, Di
Dear Di,
Just send a comment to this blog with DO NOT PUBLISH at the top of your letter and include your email.
Dear Di,
Your communication came through safely.
Martha/Maggie
Welcome back, Maggie. I can only begin to imagine what it's like returning to the busy world from extrapolating from my own times of being away for 6 or so days in a hermitage: even car numberplates seem intrusive, and I struggle with the massive amount of text that bombards our vision. Quite what that must be like after months away from that environment it almost too much to bear thinking about.
Alison
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