Sailing and Meditating

What is the difference between 8 year old kids sailing and a group of adults meditating at the local temple.  The kids were having much more fun.

When I arrived home on Friday afternoon I grabbed my cell phone and took pictures of a group of school kids learning to sail for PE class.  It was wonderful.  They had beached the small boats and were laughing as they tried to get them back onto the water and sailing pleasantly.  New Zealanders pride themselves as sailors and they certainly have the wind and water to enjoy it easily.  They also pride themselves in raising children who value the sport.

Now for the meditation.  We were quite excited to go to the free community meditation group this morning.  I took some cash, assuming the Monks would like a donation, and was justly rewarded.  As we arrived there were about 20 people seated in the waiting area adjacent to a small temple to Buddha.  The female monk, called a nun, took us in, had us sign a ledger and said our donation was $5. each; so much for donations.  I was going to donate anyway, but was fully aware that the young man working with the nun was ‘mindful’ of my placing the $10. note in the donation box.  We then were presented with small candles and told to place them in front of the Buddha and were ushered outside for some morning tai chi.  After this we returned to the chamber adjacent to the small temple and we were then instructed in the art of mindful meditation while walking.  It was good to learn about the technique.  Then the nun lead us around the grounds and into the parking lot, with arms swinging and legs synchronized to her left/right pattern like small ducks following in a neat line.  We were warned not to look around but to keep our thoughts and eyes on the task of walking while meditating.  As I am usually wont to do, I broke with the rules and stepped out of line to strike a bell just to hear it’s sound, and I fully expected the long arm of the religious to strike me as well. (Didn't happen.)  Then we returned to the antechamber and meditated for about 30 minutes in silence.  It was very relaxing.  But the finale was our Buddhist Nun sermonizing for 45 minutes, about 40 minutes too long.  She verbally meandered on about the good of discipline and perils of being a typically greedy current day society member.  Oh my!  I could feel my husband recoiling at the typical ‘Sister Mary Righteous’  lecture as I recoiled at the ‘Monsignor Kiss My Ring’ tirade.  I wonder what the Buddha would have done!

But the grounds are lovely and we’ll go back just to find our own peace.

Sailing is its own meditation!

All good here on a sunny day, J