The ultimate reality test has arrived. The hot air and bluster of 2017 is about to be punctured by the Lord of Karma. As I said at the start of the year, any bubbles inflated by the Jupiter Uranus opposition will burst now – if they haven’t already. Saturn is here to make sure you… Continue reading Saturn in Capricorn: Responsibility and Self-Mastery
Right Effort is the first practice in Mental Discipline on the Eightfold Path and is also known as Right Diligence. This practice supports all the others because it gives you the energy to keep practising, even through difficulties. It involves cultivating a positive attitude and cheerful determination on your quest for freedom from suffering. Right… Continue reading The Eightfold Path: Right Effort
A Buddhist monk approached his teacher and asked the Zen Master, “If I meditate very diligently, how long will it take for me to become enlightened?” The Master thought for a moment, and then replied, “Ten years.” The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn… Continue reading How long does it take to become enlightened?
Congratulations on surviving the holidays! Now it’s time to kid yourself that you’ll make spectacular changes to your life for the New Year. Lose weight! Get fit! Learn Chinese! Write a novel! Yeah, right… In this post we’ll have a look at where we go wrong and how we can choose resolutions that’ll stick. It’s… Continue reading How to make your New Year Resolutions Stick
I never wanted to be a writer. I didn’t fantasise about seeing my words in print or imagine adoring fans hanging on my every word. I believed I was an inarticulate musician and sound engineer. Writing anything would simply confirm my deepest fears: that I was stupid. So it was quite a surprise to find… Continue reading A History of Addled: from idea to publication
He must hold the nose-rope tight and not allow the Ox to roam, lest off to muddy haunts it should stray. Properly tended, it becomes clean and gentle. Untethered, it willingly follows its master. You have successfully caught the ox of your Buddha nature, but there’s still work to be done. Discipline is still needed:… Continue reading Ox Herding Pictures: Taming the Ox
He must tightly grasp the rope and not let it go, for the Ox still has unhealthy tendencies. Now it charges up to the highlands Now it loiters in a misty ravine. This stage of the path is all about discipline. You’ve finally discovered the truth about your Buddha Nature. It’s been hidden inside you… Continue reading Ox Herding Pictures: Catching the Ox
Every writer gets stuck once in a while, but suffering from writer’s block takes stuckness to a whole new level. It’s said that the difference between writers and would-be writers is that writers write. They actually put the words down and keep putting the words down – regardless. So what happens when you’re a writer… Continue reading The Real Cause of Writer’s Block and How to Overcome It
Writing is fun, but it’s also work. Without focus you go round in circles and end up with a mess of words and no story. Be disciplined. >Writer’s Manifesto (pdf)
Sometimes it seems everybody wants to be a writer. Mention to your friends that you’re writing a book and you’ll be greeted by a chorus of: oh, I wish I could do that, if only I had the time, I’ve got loads of great ideas. Either that or they want to know if you’re writing… Continue reading Characteristics of a Writer
Jessica Davidson 