John, a meditator from New Zealand, spends extended periods in Ingyinbin each year, the home of the revered Webu Sayadaw and with his friend Ashin Mandala. This winter, he has decided to keep a journal, which he has kindly offered to share with us. His journal alternates between observation and poetry, between meditation practice and commentary about Burmese Buddhist society, from his learnings and his questions. The full collection of his musings can be found here.
9 January: Uposata
On the way to the hut I notice several pairs of children’s sandals discarded at the monastery gate. Some of the children are playing with their spinning tops in the school yard. One sits in the area in front of the classroom and is using a broken brick to hammer a finger-length rusted nail deeper into the nut or berry that serves as his top. A string is wound round the nail and top and pulled until the top is released. It flips onto its nail end and the young monk regathers it before it slows and tumbles onto the ground by looping his thread round the nail and flipping the top to catchable height.
Morning sadness.
The pigeons on the high pagoda ledges are muted.
The breeze through Webu’s hut door is chilly.
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