Sally Tisdale is a palliative care nurse and a Zen Buddhist practitioner. Sally’s book is about preparing for one’s own death and the deaths of people close to you. This book is full of deep insight not only into preparing for our own deaths but also into how we can support those we love at the end of their lives.
Our last intensive Sesshin retreat brought the Sangha together online over four days, in between mindful walking and work practice at home. An unexpected outcome of this, was the emphasis on holding intensive practice within a household setting amongst the noise of family, rather than the usual simplified and quiet structure of Sesshin.
This is a reflection inspired by a book I have read called: The Wisdom of Tea: Life Lessons from the Japanese Tea Ceremony. It was written by Noriko Morishita who studied Tea Ceremony for 25 years and she describes her gradual discovery of deep insights into life within the very rules that once seemed so constricting. It becomes a celebration of perseverance with spiritual practices even though we feel as though we are making no progress…..practice is all there is