THE CREATIVE BUDDHIST NEWSLETTER

Dear Subscriber First Name,

The big project, since I last wrote, has been setting up the little summer house on the allotment. In November it got packed up for the winter and has spent months covered in snow and bone cold. Yet within hours, it was habitable again.

What continues to amaze me about this country is the absence of damp! I remember when I first came here and saw packets of biscuits or crackers in an open box. What?! They won’t be crunchy! But they were. It’s like living on a different planet, ‘planet dry’. Down in the little house we could give the mattress and duvet a quick airing and it was all ready to go.

The house comes with our allotment, it was built in 1914. We rent the allotment from the city for a nominal fee but bought the house, only we didn’t buy it at market value. Can you imagine the market value of a small house in the middle of Stockholm? No, there’s some kind of quirky valuing system depending on the condition of the house, how many paths you have or fruit trees. Ours cost £5000.

This may be one of our last seasons here, we are planning to buy somewhere in the countryside, so it’s especially poignant. We’re endlessly asking, ‘are we really going to let this go?’

To make the most of this year, I’m using it as a little work studio, an escape during the summer holidays. I’ve been recording some of the Dharma Bundle videos down there and enjoying being in such a low-tech space. If you’d like a tour, you can see the before and after pictures on Instagram.

The Dharma Bundle

This being, that becomes

Recent week’s theme, ‘You and Your World’.

Why is it so hard to believe you will die? One reason is that we can’t imagine our world going on without us in it. That’s because it won’t. Find out more in the latest Dharma Bundle Video.

The Dharma Bundle is a ‘bundle’ of dharma resources, thoughtfully made and beautifully packaged. Short, illustrated Dharma videos and audio talks. Audio meditations and reflections. Creative assignments.

On my radar this week

Shoes: Earth Runners - Summer means more outdoor living and less culture for this ‘on my radar’ section of the newsletter. So I thought I’d expand its scope to other recommendations such as these sandals! Earth runners are ‘grounding shoes’, super minimalist and with a little copper disc which threads up through copper infused straps and means when I’m wearing them I’m ‘earthed’ quite literally, or so the theory goes. The nearest thing to being barefoot in the garden.

Recipe: Gazpacho - It’s gazpacho time here in Stockholm, which means there’s a heatwave. What a genius dish. It’s basically bread and salad liquidised! I usually make mine up, some combination of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion and garlic. Stick it all in the blender with olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and old bread that you’ve soaked in water. Whizz. Pop it in the fridge and serve with a garnish of hard-boiled egg, feta, toasted almonds, croutons.

Swimming: Building a natural pool - The latest obsession in this household is the fantasy of building a natural swimming pool. I was inspired by Richard Perkins who has one on his family farm in Sweden. It’s a cross between a pond and a swimming pool.

Book: Copy Machine Manifestos - Libraries are such a blessing, I find it amazing that you can order all these obscure books and then borrow them for nothing. When I lived in Norwich, the library burned down, people were so emotional about it. I can see why. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, so make sure you use yours! I’ve just borrowed Copy Machine Manifestos , subtitled ‘artist’s who make zines’. I am dreaming of a Dharma Bundle Zine!

Your tips on the theme of Buddhism meets Christianity - So many people got in touch to share their own thoughts on Christianity and Buddhism after my last newsletter. I’ve yet to get around to replying to you all, but I thought I’d share a few of your tips here.

The film Mission Joy on the BBC about the friendship between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. Buddhist teacher Adyashanti’s book Resurrecting Jesus. Another book, Without Buddha I could not be a Christian by Paul Knitter. And finally Neil Douglas-Klotz on the Aramaic Jesus, a brilliant podcast by Buddha at the Gas Pump (find out what the Lord’s Prayer really says!) These were just a few of the recommendations I received, I’ll share more when I get around to exploring them.

A quote I’m thinking about:

“When people come to speak to me, whatever they say, I am struck by a kind of incandescence in them, the 'I' whose predicate can be 'love' or 'fear' or 'want', and whose object can be 'someone' or 'nothing' and it won't really matter, because the loveliness is just in that presence, shaped around 'I' like a flame on a wick, emanating itself in grief and guilt and joy and whatever else. But quick, and avid, and resourceful. To see this aspect of life is a privilege of the ministry which is seldom mentioned.”

― The Priest in Gilead by Marilynne Robinson