(if you're new here, welcome...)
At the moment I'm reading The Other Buddhism by Caroline Brazier, which speaks about Pureland Buddhism - the biggest school of Buddhism in Japan, but still relatively little known here in the West.
Pureland encourages us to connect with what is 'other' - to reach out to that 'mysterious something' - what whispers to us when we encounter an awe-inspiring landscape, or a small unexpected comfort.
What does this have to do with small stones?
Writing small stones is another way of reaching out beyond our small selves to what is 'other'.
After encouraging us to investigate a small piece of ground, which will contain an infinite variety of objects (only some of which we can see), Brazier says:
"...even on a material level, the other is a great mystery. When we struggle to relate to it, we fall back into personalised approximations. Keeping our sense of wonder and our willingness to encounter the other requires a special kind of reaching out."
Whatever your spiritual leanings, we will need 'a special kind of reaching out' to find our small stones.
And what else might we find?
An interesting question, and one which I look forward to finding out the answer to.
ReplyDeleteI have been blogging for awhile now, and perhaps "small stones" is what I have been all about! I take photos and accompany each with a haiku!
ReplyDeleteI will be joining you in January!
Namaste!
Thanks Denyse.
ReplyDeleteGreyscale Territory - if you'd like me to add you to the blogroll do let me know where you'll be posting... welcome!
That reaching towards the other is daily, hourly taught to me by my little daughter. Sometimes I am a very poor student, so hoping writing small stones will keep me more in touch with the world of small wonders which delights her so much.
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