I'm really enjoying my sitting Zen these days. I keep to my morning and night routine and often sit a little during the day with my incense and Hakuin's Song of Meditation. The line that usually sticks in my mind the most is "Sit sincerely in meditation just once..." Even though I've been sitting a while, every time I do I feel it's a battle to stay on the cushion and just enjoy being there. But during most sittings, after I've been drifting in and then out of daydreams for a few minutes, my mind will inevitably clear and I'm there sitting like a Devon mountain. It's a nice feeling and if that's all Zen can offer me, I'm happy with that - an hour or so a day when I feel like a mountain.
And speaking of mountains, I bought 'Into the Wild', by Jon Krakauer. I wasn't in the mood for the film when I watched it a while back, but now being on my own little adventure, it's a fascinating read. And by little, I mean, tiny - it's incredible what some people do! Christopher MaCandless was 24, I think, when he left on his adventure into the wilderness of Alaska and he took with him a rifle and machete. I brought a MacBook and guitar! No, I'm joking and obviously the only similarity in our adventures is that we are both human.
The author speaks of several vagabonds from recent American history who have forgone the modern world and retreated to the wilds of North America in search of a more 'real' reality, free from status, careers, responsibilities, and distractions. These searchers want to experience the rawness of living...and usually they ended up dying. Along his travels, Christopher meets lots of people and there's one scene in the book where an old man he had met spends 9 months just waiting for him to return from his fateful retreat into the wilderness...
It's a thoroughly moving read. A lot of what these 'searchers' write about, I agree with and I found myself nodding a lot while reading. But in the end, I'm not entirely convinced that stuffing my life with peak experiences and suffering the elements is going to be that valuable. Besides, I'd miss my MacBook too much. But it does hold a fascination.
And I bought Point Break for £2.
Today I've driven down to Exeter to get my MacBook battery looked at - it doesn't seem to charge. They only had a Monday afternoon appointment at the Genius Bar so I'm staying at a recommended wild camping spot down south for a couple of days in a way that only a campervan man can - unfortunately, though, there's no river nearby and it's not that wild!
But it's safe...
(Edit - my MacBook battery now charges. Maybe it was the constant bit-charging that had made it a bit temperamental. But now it works! I'm going to stay one night though at my Teignmouth wild camping spot and then head back up to the surf.)
(Day 2, Week 5)