Monks

In sharing my experiences in Thailand with Buddhists monks (my reason for going there was the massacre of monks in Burma in September 2007) I learned that the monks are more involved in the community than generally thought. Each morning they walk out in the streets and are given their daily food by the people. They preside over funerals and counsel those with marital and other problems. They are very much a part of the community which is why the Burmese monks marched in protest, because they knew the extent to which the people were suffering.

The rigors of being a monk are beyond me, but I do think that 'attachment' is useful to designate those cravings one feels for objects or a person or sex or a cigarette--a storm of desire that if you can allow yourself to calmly breath through for few moments--often disappears. An ebay object of desire that if held off for a few days seems so much less important.

My meditation practice is spotty at best. But each time I do it I feel better. Even 10 minutes of breathing, listening, sitting and I feel more 'gathered' about myself.