Powerless

I haven't been able to blog for a week because we have had a problem with our electricity. The engineer came last Wednesday to do a routine annual service on our water heater, and while checking its electrical connection, found a fault on the fusebox. He could not safely switch everything back on – having discovered the fault. So Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday we had no electricity at all. Of course, by Sod's Law, Thursday was the coldest day of the winter as yet. Fortunately we have a log fire in our lounge and had an ample supply of candles. Also—having been keen on camping in the past—we have a little gas stove and several LED lanterns and wind-up torches. So we managed well enough.

By Thursday evening we had the cooker and one socket, so we were able to plug in a few things to make life a bit easier. By Friday we had, in addition, the shower, hot water (bliss!), and the kitchen sockets. By the end of Saturday we had all the sockets throughout the house, but still no lights. This wasn't too much of a problem as we could plug lights in, so we insisted our plumber/electrician had Sunday off to spend with his family. We felt rather sorry for him – he turned up to do a one hour job and it has turned into a long-winded emergency. He has been having to cancel other jobs to give us priority. Today (Monday) he has got the lights in the lounge, dining room, office and hallway working, so we have assured him we can manage with things as they are now for as long as necessary—we can wash in hot water and keep warm, use all our usual appliances, and work in good light in the lounge. We have enjoyed 'camping' in our home, and snuggling up in front of the fire in a candlelit room.

It has been fun to have my life circumstances thrust me into the opportunity of experiencing that fresh, new feeling of appreciation, for something that I generally take for granted. I know that every moment-by-moment experience could always be this fresh and new, this appreciated, and have that 'for-the-first-time' feeling of wonder – if I was able to live in the moment and experience the Nature of Mind . . . if I could keep my sense fields open and avoid conceptual judgment immediately clicking in. Unfortunately I still continually slip back into my limited comfort zone, where everything is familiar, and understood within the terms of my own definitions and reference points. I find it strange that I cling to this blandness and actively miss the electricity of what is.

We succeeded in snapping another picture of Dee doing the flehmen response. This picture is actually from a video. I hadn't realised, but she wobbles her bottom lip around at the same time. I think she looks so funny. We weren't able to ride this weekend because everything was a bit chaotic, but hope that things will be a bit more normal next weekend.

Relaxation

I have been away on retreat for a week and so have been unavailable to write any posts. Thank you to everybody who has sent supportive comments about Dee. She has returned a second negative swab result so we are pretty much in the clear with her now. We have spent an enjoyable couple of hours with the horses this afternoon, and also met Jayne’s new mare. Her loan agreement expires in a week, so we shall be spending more time with Red again soon. Life is starting to return to normal at the yard after the strangles scare, except for the one horse that was infected who will have to remain in quarantine for a little longer.

Our retreat was wonderful. We have been learning practices connected with Ling Gésar – the legendary warrior king of Tibet; and also gar’cham – ritual dance. When we tell people that we shall be on retreat for a week they often go a little starry eyed and say how lucky we are to have such a relaxing spiritual experience. We are indeed lucky, but people don’t seem to realise that retreats are in fact quite demanding and not ‘relaxing’ in the usual sense of the word – it is not like being on holiday. We rise early and have two hours of meditation practice before breakfast; we spend many hours concentrating listening to teachings; we engage in physical yogic practices; and we also have to look after ourselves including cooking all our meals and cleaning up. Relaxation is certainly the ultimate result of such intensive spiritual practice – and interacting with one’s Lamas and spiritual brothers and sisters – but this is the relaxation of mastery gained through long-term commitment. It is the ease and comfort in the saddle after years of riding experience … or the apparently magical communication between horse and handler through a deep understanding of natural horsemanship. Years of experience of meditation practice and recognition of the nature of mind produces the capacity to relax totally into the natural state – but arriving at this point requires concentrated effort.

Dee seemed glad to see us, and was a little mischievous as we took her out to her field. She has not been ridden for a month now, so I think she needs to work a little. I am looking forward to working with her again next week.

Sky photography 4

This image reminds me of the sky as an analogy for the nature of mind. The nature of the sky is clear, blue and unobstructed. Clouds ornament the sky but do not affect its capacity to be clear and blue. The nature of the mind is to be clear and empty. It is ornamented by our thoughts and distractions, but these do not obscure the capacity of the mind for clarity and expansiveness.

In this photograph the sky is mostly grey and its vast blueness is obscured by the grey cloud. Yet shafts of bright light do shine through - just as rays of clarity can spontaneously arise in the mind even when we are at our most distracted and confused.

Ahh - I am so grateful for the opportunities to remember teachings that arise through visiting my horse. My blogging friend Victoria named her blog well: Teachings of the Horse.