Our first online Shakyo 写経 practice event saw us come together from Scotland, and elsewhere such as the rest of the UK and Canada, forming a lovely group of sutra tracing and copying practitioners. This was a joint event I led for the D+P Studio and Glasgow Zen Group. Beginning with an introduction about the […]
Tag archives: Glasgow Zen Group
Working on Tenzo Zen Cooking Notes…
In the last couple of weeks, with the kitchen work still fresh in my mind since being up at Ardfern with the Zen Group, I started getting some notes jotted down to help others on the practice of Tenzo, and particularly in terms of the preparation, timing, various kitchen duties and roles, that sort of […]
Into the Atlantic Ocean to Oban and Colonsay on the Waverley
At the end of last week I sailed on the famous Waverley for the first time, the last ocean going paddle steamer, with my pal Bruce Peter, writer and maritime expert, who showed me the ropes and the etiquette – namely enjoy! Was a great trip, starting early and slowly with a few cuppas as […]
Drawing and walking through the cityscape
In the last week I’ve been wondering around the urbanscape continuing and trying to develop my recent series of more free drawings. The Sketchbook Monster is on the loose. The semi forgotten and overlooked, overgrown spots with the combination of the tattered British infrastructure dynamics, weeds, foliage and graffiti provide an excellent outdoor workspace. Quite […]
Depth of Reflection – notes on David Lynch and Dogen
I made this small visual note after running along the Firth and Forth Canal, the reflections can be so deep, somehow reality is deepened. The space is literally deeper, becoming set further away, almost elusively in another time… …colour and shape so dense, tinged with toned down silvers, greens – the poignant reality untouchable yet […]
A thought on Zazen and painting
Zazen Silent movement Passing through the stillness And empty form. This wee haiku is a thought on zazen and experience. After my recent studio shift, zazen and considering the looser paintings I’ve been doing, I think it’s good not to bring too much, or any at all although this can be impossible, of the bias, […]
New Year Zen Retreat
Over the new year weekend I went to the inaugural Glasgow Zen Group retreat, or sesshin, at Kagyu Samye Dzong in Glasgow’s west end. Every morning up at half past five to start the day with one and a half hours zazen meditation before breakfast during the holiday may not be many people’s idea of […]