Heroes Not Zombies

Just because

May 3, 2011 by bobleckridge

I went to see the paeonies in Ueno Park in Tokyo yesterday. I’ve been before but I was as delighted this time as I was last time.

(by the way, look how the light just seems to shine out of this flower – like a halo or something)

I recently read these words I noted down from Iain McGilchrist’s superb “The Master and His Emissary”

Smiling, laughter and dance are – gloriously – useless; how many of us really beleive that when we dance, laugh or smile we do so ultimately because of some dreary utility to the group to which we belong?

Perhaps, indeed the fact that so many of our distinguishing features are so ‘useless’ might make one think. Instead of looking, according to the manner of the left hemisphere, for utility, we should consider, according to the manner of the right hemisphere that finally, through intersubjective imitation and experience, humankind has escaped from something worse even than Kant’s “cheerless gloom of chance”: the cheerless gloom of necessity.

I smile a lot – I think I’m known for it. I kinda hope that if there’s ever a little statue left in my name it’ll be smiling…..a bit like this little bohdisattva I saw in Otagi Nenbustu-ji.

And then, this morning I stumbled across this quote from Poincare, the mathematician –

The scientist doesn’t study Nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it and he delights in it because it is beautiful

We live in such a utilitarian society these days. I don’t like it. I like to live for the fun of it, for the curiosity, the passion, the love and the sheer pleasure.

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at this very moment….

May 2, 2011 by bobleckridge

…when you push the shutter button, your camera captures this very moment…

….which you couldn’t have predicted was about to occur.

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Telomeres, meditation, and aging

May 2, 2011 by bobleckridge

I came across an interesting article in the Japan Times on Saturday. The heading was “Relax…it might mean you live longer”. Most of the article was about the emerging research work from the Samatha project about the health benefits of meditation.

It seems almost every week there’s a new story about the health benefits of meditation, but the work this article focused on was the effects on “telomeres”. Telomeres shorten every time a cell divides, and, ultimately the cell dies, so it’s thought that protecting the telomeres from this effect can reduce, or slow, the aging process. The key enzyme responsible for telomere health is called “telomerase”.

It appears that people participating in meditation retreats have significantly higher amounts of telomerase than other people (in control groups). However, the headline of the article is slightly misleading – meditation is an active process. It’s not a form of “relaxation”.

You might like to know that it’s not only meditation which can improve the health of the telomeres – exercise, stress management and writing journals can all do the same. In fact –

in increased sense of control and purpose in life are more important than the meditation itself. Doing something we love, whether meditating or gardening, may protect us from stress and maybe help us to live longer. “The news from this paper is the profound impact of having the opportunity to live your life in a way that you find meaningful.”

I particularly liked the concluding paragraph of the article –

But researchers warn that in our modern, work-obsessed society we are increasingly living on autopilot, reacting blindly to tweets and emails instead of taking the time to think about what really matters. If we don’t give our minds a break from that treadmill, the physical effects can be scarily real.

Aha! Moving from zombies to heroes, huh?!

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April showers

May 1, 2011 by bobleckridge

Ever heard “March winds, April showers, bring forth May flowers”?
Well, we’ve certainly been getting the April showers – the temple next door to the hotel was well prepared though!

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May, the month of beginnings, budding and new growth

May 1, 2011 by bobleckridge

In my “months with meaning“, May, is the month of new beginnings (think of the Darling Buds of May). It’s a time for new growth, of the unfurling and unleashing of potential.

So, what are you going to begin NOW?

How would you like to grow, NOW?

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Green

April 30, 2011 by bobleckridge

Taking tea in a green room……guess what colour the tea was?

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Welcoming strangers

April 30, 2011 by bobleckridge

This morning, close to Kyoto station, an elderly Japanese man approached us, held out his hand to shake mine, and said “Thank you for coming to Japan”.

He asked us where we came from and when we said “Scotland” told us about the times he’d had in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness. He then asked if we’d mind helping him with his English a little and produced a crumpled set of notes with Japanese and English sentences written in his own handwriting (at least I think it was his own). He wanted to check his translations and understand the nuances of meaning. One of the phrases which provoked a fair exchange was “I was born in the year of the tiger”. Would an English speaking person say that, he wanted to know. We explained that in the UK at least there was no general tradition of allocating an animal to a year in the way it is done in other countries.

Ah, he said, you don’t have the same twelve animals? Which animals do you have?

We pointed out we didn’t have any. He thought that was very strange, how we would just say we were born in the year “xxxx” and quote a four figure number. Suddenly, I felt we’d missed out on something!

We discussed maybe half a dozen other phrases with him, and then he thanked us profusely and zipped away. Goodness, he could move fast!

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to me in Japan. It’s never happened in any other country, and, sadly, in many countries, when someone approaches in such a fashion, you can’t help but be suspicious, and suspect they’re going to get round to asking for money. That’s never, ever happened to me in Japan.

On the train from Kyoto to Tokyo I reflected on the exchange and thought lots of things. How do we treat visitors to Scotland? Are we as welcoming? How wonderful that elderly people continue to have such enthusiasm to learn. How awful that my meagre attempts to learn Japanese have stalled so badly! Time to get that learn Japanese book out again! And how wonderful when learning a language, to have the courage to approach strangers and politely request conversation to improve your understanding and your skills.

This little exchange made me feel it’s a privilege and an honour to be visiting this country.

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Love

April 30, 2011 by bobleckridge

On the day a third of the world watched a single wedding (you know who I mean!), I spotted this couple walking in the grounds of a temple in Kyoto.

Here’s my theme for today – LOVE – let’s spread more of it…..

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The rain

April 29, 2011 by bobleckridge

One great thing about the rain….

….is that it makes plants shine and sparkle….

……and turns the world green….

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Holistic photography

April 28, 2011 by bobleckridge

When I look through my camera lens, I don’t just notice what the lens is pointing at. I notice what lies around, in front of, or behind that object. It’s the whole image which I find satisfying. Not just a photo of a leaf, or a flower, or a whatever, but a photo of it in it’s context….the emergent object within its environment…..a holistic photograph?
Take a look at these photos of acer leaves and see what I mean?