Don’t hold on to your stories reminds you to let go of your ideas about reality and yourself. It’s also about not taking these slogans too seriously. They’re just ideas or thoughts in your mind. They may be useful tools, but it’s important not to get too attached to them. The original lojong slogan is:… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: Don’t Hold on to Your Stories
Our story continues: the deal has been made and three years have passed… At last, the dreadful day arrived when the devil would come to claim his payment: the maiden. That morning, the girl washed and drew a circle around herself with chalk. The devil appeared, but couldn’t come near her. Furious, he demanded she… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 2: Dismemberment
Examine the nature of awareness asks you to turn your attention inwards and notice who is aware of your experience. If you want to train your mind you first need to understand how it works and who is doing all this thinking. The original lojong slogan is: Examine the nature of unborn awareness. When you… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: Examine the Nature of Awareness
Once there was a miller who had fallen into poverty. His mill was broken so he had to go to the forest to chop wood. One day, when he was hacking at a tree stump, an old man appeared and said, “I’ll make you rich if you give me what stands behind your mill.” The… Continue reading The Handless Maiden part 1: Deal with the Devil
See everything as a dream is about letting go and not trying to control reality. After facing up to the facts of life and death in Slogan 1, you can see how everything is always changing and impermanent, so the best thing to do is to go with the flow. The original lojong slogan is:… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: See Everything as a Dream
There are many versions of The Handless Maiden from around the world. It’s a fairy tale that was collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, but its roots are much older. This telling is my adaptation of the tale with gratitude to Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Read the introduction to this series here or follow the… Continue reading The Handless Maiden (complete story)
The Handless Maiden is a myth that speaks powerfully to our dark and confusing times. It’s a fairy tale that was collected by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, but its roots are much older. The story is about a maiden whose father sells her to the devil in exchange for wealth and convenience. Her hands… Continue reading The Handless Maiden: Healing a Dark Night of the Soul
First, remember the basics is about the intention behind starting something new. Your intentions lay the foundation for everything you do, so your reasons for doing something are important and will determine how things turn out. The original lojong slogan is: First, train in the preliminaries. This refers to the four basic facts of life… Continue reading Buddhist Writing Prompt: First, Remember the Basics
This week I’m reading Mysticism: A Study of the Nature and Development of Man’s Spiritual Consciousness by Evelyn Underhill. This is the classic text on mysticism. It explores the subject in depth, and although Underhill focuses mostly on mystical Christianity, she also looks at Sufism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and others too. Part 1 explains how mysticism… Continue reading Review: Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill
Good news! My latest book is now available as a shiny new paperback! Discover the secret to mastering your thoughts and get your mind to behave itself so you can get some writing done. Here’s the inevitable blurb: Free Your Pen: Mind Training for Writers 59 Slogans to Cure Writer’s Block & Free Your Voice… Continue reading Free Your Pen now available in paperback!
In part 1 we looked at how Prometheus can be interpreted as a gnostic creation myth and met some of the characters. In this post we’ll look at some of the other symbolism in the film, including the secret of immortality and the alchemy of creation. As always, EXPECT SPOILERS! Elizabeth Shaw is our moral… Continue reading Prometheus: the Alchemy of Space Aliens – Part 2
As part of my occasional series on mystical and gnostic themes in film, I thought it would be a good time to tackle Prometheus, what with Alien: Covenant in cinemas as I write this. Prometheus is part of the franchise that began in 1979 with Alien, the classic horror film directed by Ridley Scott, and… Continue reading Prometheus: the Alchemy of Space Aliens – Part 1
Jessica Davidson 