Return from Japan December 14, 2007
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Diary , 1 comment so farJust got back from a two week visit to Japan. Wow!
Highlights?
Plunging into the ambience of an Onsen (steaming hot volcanic sulphur baths) and experiencing the Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) with Jaime, JB and Mari. Nightfall. Psychedelic Mist. Extreme heat. Penetrating cold. Snow flakes. Healing. Meal over the hearth. Sake. Sleep like no other.
Discovering the spirit of a waterfall in the depths of the forest with Pete. The mountain. The walk. Pure water at a pit stop.
Chowing down with Mari’s mother who cooks a feast for us to eat – and finding out about our mutual interest in Takemitsu. Hijiki. Kiriboshi daikon. Mountain potato. Nabe.
The Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo. New York on acid. Cocktails on the 52nd floor of the Hyatt and we also get delightfully lost in translation.
Nanzenji and the living spirit of rejuvenation. Vermillion, red ochre, yellow and green trees. Futons and Shochu. The nightlife of Gion and the hunt for a geisha in the floating world.
SOS:
9 hours of video film supporting the above references that I can’t download because the HDC SD5 camcorder that I buy in Fukushima is fuelled by Japanese software that apparently (so I am told in Australia) does not have an English counterpart. In other words, I can’t read the disc and some of the file extensions are unknown. If anyone who reads this knows of a solution I would be grateful to hear it.
Holistic Beginnings and Endings October 30, 2007
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Diary , add a commentUmmon said to his monks:
“Medicine and sickness are mutually dependent.
Look!
The entire universe is nothing but medicine.
Now tell me, what is your self?”
‘Take This Pebble From My Hand’ was actually the name of one of my earlier publications. It comes from the television series “Kung Fu’ – about the adventures of a Shaolin monk in America. One day my own teacher informed me that when I could take the metaphorical pebble from his hand it would be time to leave.
The day finally arrived and after training as a barefoot doctor in the traditional oriental healing arts for several years in various environments conducive to developing the necessary skills, I was told that it was time for me to leave and go solo.
I joined a unique agency whose function was to provide suitably qualified practitioners capable of providing specialist health care services – specifically in my case, for the terminally ill. My job was to serve those families in health crisis and prepare family members for the death of their loved ones – incorporating my skills as an oriental medicine practitioner in the arts of acupuncture, Chinese herbs, food cures, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, meditation and so on.
My vision was for them to clean up as much of their mess as possible in order to pave the way for them to let go – and in the process invite and attract more love and acceptance.
Once, I stayed with a family for 3 months assisting the mother and members of the family to prepare for her death. She suffered from terminal lung cancer. She was very sick – had had several courses of chemotherapy and found that her strength was seriously on the decline. Despite the efforts of a loving husband and two sons, I determined early on that they were all in denial and that the way forward was to embrace the actual situation rather than run away from it.
I gave her acupuncture every day. It eased the pain and helped to clear her head. We also cultivated an approach to meditation that worked for her – a variation on the theme of vipassana – and she found that it supported the acupuncture rather well. She had more energy and recovered some of her enthusiasm for life.
I cooked for them all, introduced them to more nourishing kinds of foods, and got the kids involved. We played games together and learned to accept the difficulties of the challenge with inceasingly less resistance. I sat down with him to talk now and then. It was obvious that he felt isolated and alone and bottled up his emotions as some tend to do when faced with unsavoury predicaments the outcome of which cannot be changed.
After she died, he seemed relieved that the ordeal was finally over and that he could get on with his life. I took on my next mission moved by an experience that had strengthened my connection to the heart spirit and to the reality behind discovering some of the more important things in life.
Living and dying go together. They are not separate. In other words, they are part of the same process.
Behind The Scenes: Audio Books, Audios for Courses, & Screenplay October 20, 2007
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Diary , 2 commentsPrologue
I’m treating this diary entry, more or less as a journal folks – replete with the good, the bad, the ugly, and the informative. So, here goes.
Audio Book with Simon Chilvers
The great Australian theatre and film actor Simon Chilvers has agreed to narrate my novella ‘The Redemption of Mila’ for the purpose of producing an audio book. His command of the English language is exemplary and spending time with him is always so interesting and stimulating.
We are taking things slowly as Simon recovers from a serious ear infection and the general loss of mobility that accompanies the MS he suffers from. However, we anticipate that the project will be completed within 6 months as we record the book, chapter by chapter, in the studio.
For those who don’t know the story, Milarepa became a Buddhist icon over a thousand years ago – but not before he had spent the better part of his youth in slavery, taken up an apprenticeship in the black arts, wreaked havoc on those who had wronged he and his mother and sister, felt remorse, atoned for his misdeeds, and discovered enlightenment. In a nutshell, it’s a tremendous story with enough twists and turns to keep you crying out for more.
Audio Interviews with James Brown
Once a week, James Brown and I set aside a couple of hours to record an interview based on a topic we feel is stimulating and interesting – within the field of oriental philosophy and medicine. We’ve accumulated quite a number of them now, and will be releasing them one by one, through the blog, in the next couple of weeks. Watch out for discussions covering topics such as the workings of spiritual alchemy, the nature of meditation, the five psycho-emotional aspects of spirit, and tips on how to get in touch with your vision and purpose.
We have already put together audio recordings of topics related to the distance learning courses – oriental psychology and oriental nutritional medicine – such as an exploration of the application of spiritual alchemy in daily life. It is expected that these recordings will act as the perfect accompaniment to the learning activities.
Screenplay – Translation
Has weathered the storm of 6 drafts, this one is also awaiting Simon’s editorial greenlight. He is a busy man – and that’s before he gets to his painting and the audio book!
What’s it About?
It’s the story of Milarepa. The screenplay is adapted from my novella. I reckon it will look awesome on the big screen. And I reckon it might be able to be shot in Australia if we can find some terrain that resembles the rocky clifftop landscape of Tibet. I also think we can make it on quite a small budget.
So that’s it for now folks. I will keep you posted on any new developments as they come to hand.
All the best with your endeavours,
G
Stay True To Your Vision October 8, 2007
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Diary , add a commentWhen you stay true to your vision and your spiritual plan, your heart energy aligns with your higher soul purpose. Amazing things happen as a result. And when we live creatively, fear is removed as a response to the challenges we face – and in its place, we discover that the vision is everything. When you live in your vision, your heart automatically governs proceedings – in other words, your thoughts and feelings are elevated to perform a more spiritually aligned function in keeping with a higher purpose. When this purpose is shared, we discover that we are not alone!
Tuesday October 2, 2007 October 1, 2007
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Diary , 1 comment so farI have no doubt that the day unfolds more smoothly when preceeded by meditation. The thinking is clearer and sharper. Engagement in activity is more responsive. Productivity is enhanced. The process becomes more interesting.
Seasoned practitioners tend to swear by their techniques. It seems to me though that regardless of technical persuasion, the purpose of the exercise is to clarify and refine observation so that ‘What Is’ is observed as it is, and not as ‘What It Should Be’. In other words, one learns to dissolve reactions and embrace responsiveness.
So, having said that, the day unfolds.
Developments September 28, 2007
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Diary , add a commentKeep an eye out for audio interviews coming this way soon.