Death Letter Blues - Son House

This song is heartbreaking...

I got a letter this mornin, how do you reckon it read?
It said, "Hurry, hurry, the girl you love is dead."
I got a letter this mornin, I say how do you reckon it read?
You know, it said, "Hurry, hurry, 'cause the girl you love is dead?"

So, I grabbed up my suitcase, and took off down the road.
But When I got there she was layin on a coolin board.
I grabbed up my suitcase, and I said and I took off down the road.
I said, but when I got there she was already layin on a coolin board.

Well, I walked up right close, looked down in her face.
Said, the good old girl got to lay here til the Judgement Day.
I walked up right close, and I said I looked down in her face.
I said the good old girl, she got to lay here til the Judgement Day.

Looked like there was 10,000 people standing round the burying ground.
I didn't know I loved her til they let her down.
Looked like 10,000 were standing round the burying ground.
You know I didn't know I loved her, til they began to let her down.

Well, I folded up my arms and I slowly walked away.
I said, "Farewell honey, I'll see you Judgement Day."
Yeah, oh yes, I walked away.
I said, "Farewell, farewell, I'll see you Judgement Day."

You know I didn't feel so bad, til the good old sun went down.
I didn't have a soul to throw my arms around,
I didn't feel so bad, til the good old sun went down.

You know its so hard to love, someone don't love you
Ain't no satisfaction, you don't care what you do
Yes, its so hard to love someone don't love you
You know you can't get no satisfaction, you don't care what you do

Well I woke up this morning, the break of day,
Just hugging the pillows, where she used to lay,
So this morning, the break of day
You know I was hugging the pillows, where my good girl used to lay

I got up this morning, feeling round for my shoes,
you know I must have had the walking blues
So this morning, feeling round for my shoes,
you know I must have had the walking blues

Oh hush... I thought I heard her call my name,
It weren't so loud, so nice and plain.

When I was a boy scout...

Hmm, is that something to admit to?

Anyway, I did a badge (this is getting worse!) in forestry. We did it in Busche park which is in a different universe known only to scout leaders. In the forestry hut there, they have the actual axe that was used to cut off Ann Bolin's head. Its had twelves different heads and the handle has been replaced five times, but its the same axe...

Word of the day

from dictionary.com

renascent: rising again into being; showing renewed vigor.

Dorje Shugden Part II

So, it has begun…

The Dalai Lama will face protests from the Western Shugden Society at all of his talking events in the UK. The reason is for the perceived persecution and ostracization of Dorje Shugden practitioners in the Tibetan communities in exile and in the Buddhist community at large. I have researched extensivly into this, there is much propaganda and noise from all sides in the debate, but the voices that we must pay attention to are those of HH Dalai Lama, HH Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche and Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

The conclusion I have reached is the following: the Dalai Lama cannot enter into debate with the people holding opposing views about this matter. The reason as I see it is that either view of Dorje Shugden is difficult to prove conclusively, and students need to rely upon their teachers – it is fundamentally a matter of faith. Therefore, there is no valid reason to impose a ban on this practice. Its very difficult to deny that there is not persecution of Dorje Shugden practitioners happening, one only needs to check the videos on youtube.com to see what is happening. Furthermore, it seems that all letters and petitions to the government in exile have been completely ignored, if ever there were a time for open dialogue, this is it, I have read my full quota of negative comments written by people trying to discredit Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and the Dalai Lama. The way I see it, the ball is very much in the Dalai Lama's court, and its up to him to make some changes. My fear is that he is simply going to wait for Geshe Kelsang to pass away…

Dorje Shugden

There is going to be a lot of noise regarding this issue in the next few months. My question: if the Dalai Lama's is a Buddha, how can he be harmed by a worldly spirit? If he is a Bodhisattva, how can he be harmed by a worldly spirit? Both propositions contradict Buddha's teachings that Bodhichitta protects a practitioner from harm. If he is neither a Buddha nor Bodhisattva, why should I listen to his opinion about Dorje Shugden? Moreover, even if he feels that he doesn't want to do the practice, what reason is that for people to be kicked out of monasteries?

I hope that this can be resolved soon.

A choice right now, between fear and love...

Impermanence

“It’s absurd really. It’s only now that I have cancer that, for the first time ever, I really want to live,” Roswitha told me on one of my visits, a few weeks after she had been admitted to the hospice. “They’re really good people here,” she said. “I enjoy every day that I’m still here. Before this my life wasn’t a happy one”

Life before death at the welcome collection - guardian.co.uk

Hmm, might try and make it to this