Rice
Six years ago I started buying wholegrain rice from Tesco. This was to be a part of a healthy lifestyle regime for me. The design of the packaging emphasized its wholesome public image. The packaging was made of thin clear plastic, revealing the brown, heavy, earthy rice inside and a simple title written in white specifying the contents. "Wholemeal Brown Rice" it said. It made me feel wholesome just to look at the packet.
That year, John Peel died, in south America. I remember I was shocked at the time. I remember feeling like a living legend and friend had died. I meditated for him, as I had no other austerity to take action from. This was probably inspired by the film Kundun after seeing monks chant after the death of a Lama.
I remember seeing John Peel climbing a set of stairs into what looked like an attic.
When I started chanting a year later, I began including him in my prayers for deceased friends and family at the end of Gongyo. This was mainly because the list of people close to me who had died was not that long, but also because John Peel had so greatly influenced me. I would listen to his radio show during long night time drives, wondering about the oddness of the music and wishing I could contribute to this culture in some significant way.
Five years on, my prayer list has become a little longer. Which is not a bad thing. However, the evolution of my Buddhist practice is such now that I question adding John Peel in my prayers. I don't seem to feel him as such a great influence to me anymore. I have a memory of him being an influence, as if I am analyzing the dreams of a younger man. But that is all it is, a memory. The visceral influence is no more. The culture that I felt so valuable is either different, non existent or irrelevant to my now reality. While my now reality is clearly ignited by my relationship with the past, the solidity of today is one different to six years ago. Sometimes this is to the point where I wonder who that young man was.
I still add John Peel to my prayers, although now I do it at the end of prayers as I reel off respect to names, as the rhythm of the bell increases. It can never harm to think fondly of anybody.
...I still buy Tesco Wholemeal Brown Rice, and the packaging is still the same.
That year, John Peel died, in south America. I remember I was shocked at the time. I remember feeling like a living legend and friend had died. I meditated for him, as I had no other austerity to take action from. This was probably inspired by the film Kundun after seeing monks chant after the death of a Lama.
I remember seeing John Peel climbing a set of stairs into what looked like an attic.
When I started chanting a year later, I began including him in my prayers for deceased friends and family at the end of Gongyo. This was mainly because the list of people close to me who had died was not that long, but also because John Peel had so greatly influenced me. I would listen to his radio show during long night time drives, wondering about the oddness of the music and wishing I could contribute to this culture in some significant way.
Five years on, my prayer list has become a little longer. Which is not a bad thing. However, the evolution of my Buddhist practice is such now that I question adding John Peel in my prayers. I don't seem to feel him as such a great influence to me anymore. I have a memory of him being an influence, as if I am analyzing the dreams of a younger man. But that is all it is, a memory. The visceral influence is no more. The culture that I felt so valuable is either different, non existent or irrelevant to my now reality. While my now reality is clearly ignited by my relationship with the past, the solidity of today is one different to six years ago. Sometimes this is to the point where I wonder who that young man was.
I still add John Peel to my prayers, although now I do it at the end of prayers as I reel off respect to names, as the rhythm of the bell increases. It can never harm to think fondly of anybody.
...I still buy Tesco Wholemeal Brown Rice, and the packaging is still the same.