"Simple Living" - Chapters 9 and 10

[Ryumon]

Kirk

Have to agree with you as I always found that an odd greeting. I'd rather they say "Can I help you with anything ?" would better but a simple hello would also suffice. As for England and my first 55 years there, I found the friendliness and greetings diminished over time. Before heading over here we lived on a "nice" estate on the outskirts of Wakefield for 18 years, as now I would always greet people and try and engage them but so many so called neighbours, even a few doors either side of us, remained aloof and cold. I know thats not true of all the UK having moved around the country over the years but going back last year, it seemed to have got worse. Kinda head down stare at the sidewalk and say nothing, so refreshing to get back home and embrace the engagement of my fellow "country men and women". A smile and a Hello cost nothing and returns huge dividends, so simple.

I live on the edge of a small village, and people do say hello. Next to my house are some holiday cottages, run by my landlord, and the guests generally say hello as well. But once I go into the bigger town nearby, everything changes. (To be fair, it's Stratford-upon-Avon, quite a touristy town.)

But it generally ends with hello, how's the weather. There's not much interaction beyond that. The British are a bit skittish about making friends.

To be fair, it's not that easy to make friends anywhere. In France, when raising a child, I made a number of friends among other parents of kids at my son's schools, but never really among neighbors.

Gassho,

Kirk

[Mp]

I live on the edge of a small village, and people do say hello. Next to my house are some holiday cottages, run by my landlord, and the guests generally say hello as well. But once I go into the bigger town nearby, everything changes. (To be fair, it's Stratford-upon-Avon, quite a touristy town.)

But it generally ends with hello, how's the weather. There's not much interaction beyond that. The British are a bit skittish about making friends.

To be fair, it's not that easy to make friends anywhere. In France, when raising a child, I made a number of friends among other parents of kids at my son's schools, but never really among neighbors.

Gassho,

Kirk

Kirk

Have to agree with you as I always found that an odd greeting. I'd rather they say "Can I help you with anything ?" would better but a simple hello would also suffice. As for England and my first 55 years there, I found the friendliness and greetings diminished over time. Before heading over here we lived on a "nice" estate on the outskirts of Wakefield for 18 years, as now I would always greet people and try and engage them but so many so called neighbours, even a few doors either side of us, remained aloof and cold. I know thats not true of all the UK having moved around the country over the years but going back last year, it seemed to have got worse. Kinda head down stare at the sidewalk and say nothing, so refreshing to get back home and embrace the engagement of my fellow "country men and women". A smile and a Hello cost nothing and returns huge dividends, so simple.

Hey there folks,

Thank you for your views on this topic, but can you please remember the "Sat today" and "LAH" rule ...

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Seishin]

Hey there folks,

Thank you for your views on this topic, but can you please remember the "Sat today" and "LAH" rule ...

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

Sorry Shingen

Just dropped them from my signature and getting into the habit of typing it for each post.

Sat / lah

[Mp]

Sorry Shingen

Just dropped them from my signature and getting into the habit of typing it for each post.

Sat / lah

All good Seishin, thank you. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH

[Tairin]

I am in the habit of saying good morning but this week I’ve tried to put a little bit more presence behind it rather than just being routine.

I like the exercise of sitting to a meal without distractions. This is generally on of my yearly Ango commitments to sit and eat at least one meal this way. Focusing on the meal and reflecting on all the sentient and non-sentient beings past and present that contributed so that I can be nourished is humbling. I find it really connects me with the Meal Gatha (which I recite regularly) and brings into focus how truly interconnected we are with that around us.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Tai Do]

Started greeting my wife and pets with loud voice in the morning.
Commuted to one meal fully present per day this week. Kind of zazen while eating; constantly having to return to eating when my mind go elsewhere.
Gassho,
Mateus
Sat today/LAH

[Seibu]

When I woke up two days ago I greeted my wife with a deep good morning from the tanden area. She laughed and asked me what that was about. I told her it was Buddhist practice from Treeleaf . I've been applying chapter nine to each dinner. Yesterday I remembered when I was already halfway. Will continue tomorrow.

Gassho,
Jack
Sattoday/lah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

GOOD MORNING, TREELEAF!

gassho
doyu sat and lah today

[Jundo]

GOOD MORNING, TREELEAF!

gassho
doyu sat and lah today

[Meitou]

GOOD MORNING, TREELEAF!

gassho
doyu sat and lah today

Love!

Here in small town Italy, it's absolutely the norm to say Hello to everyone when you enter a shop, and to say Hello/Goodbye to everyone else who enters and leaves. People often say Hello in the street once they've seen you a couple of times, as well as this being a small town, the area in which you live tends to be like a small village, thanks to lots of small shops and services, so all very friendly - all this despite the fact that I'm an immigrant and would never be taken for an Italian, no matter how long I live here So I'll just amp it up a bit now! I do sometimes chant at a normal volume, I'll do that more often too.

I very rarely eat alone, so complying with the second practice could be difficult - I do try to keep up my oryoki practice once a week, so that counts for the good.
Gassho
Meitou
satwithyoualltoday