The founder of the Buddhist order to which I belong (Sangharakshita, who is now 91 years old) has provided so much gold to me over the years but one of the most rich nuggets has been his take on integration.
Primarily through meditation but also through such things as friendship, the practice of ethics and reflection we get to see all the different bits of ourselves and their quest for ascendancy. To integrate oneself is to get to know and truly love all these selves and gradually bring them into one harmonious flow so that one’s energies and being can live happily and positively together.
No easy quest but the rewards are exquisitely sweet!
Meditation this week:
Thursday 7 - 8.30 pm
Sunday 8 - 8.50 am
And an invitation for this coming Tuesday night at the Coogee Croquet Clubrooms …..
Dear friends,
I’d like to invite you to the launch of my new book and CD. Cultown is the story of Thomas Swan who creates a cult called the Milinish. With an odd mix of religious and scientific beliefs, the Milinish begins in Sydney, then moves overseas to become the fastest growing cult in America. Yet Swan’s mad reign spirals out of control until disaster looms.
The book won an APA award at UNSW. Reviews say it is ‘highly unusual and most entertaining,’ and ‘the best novel about science and religion.’ It also comes with a musical soundtrack album.
As meditators, we’re all interested in the mind and spirit in the modern world. I think you’ll get a kick out of Cultown – it’s a pretty wild read with lots of humour and an unusual spin on these sort of topics. And from my point of view, I’d really appreciate your metta in showing up to help me a little way along the path to author success!
The launch will run from 7.30 to 8.30pm, at Coogee Croquet Club (where we meditate), on Tuesday, 6th of December. I’ll be talking about the book, and playing some classical guitar and songs from the new album.
Please drop me an email if you’d like to come or want to know more. I’m at jetty27 [at] ozemail.com.au. For some more about Cultown, go to http://vortexwinder.com
Thanks
Duncan Smith
