Living on the Edge

Greetings from Cuncumen Chile.  Yes Boys and Girls you’re going to have to zoom in on your Google maps to find this place. Above is a picture of my home for the previous week and the next two. There are rooms here. I could have stayed in one. Figured I had best be getting used to this kind of living though since this surprisingly roomy shoe box of a tent is going to be my primary abode for most of the next 7 months. It does offer the benefit of an unrestricted view of the Milky Way to lull me into slumber every night. Hard to beat that.

I’m here for a meditation retreat of sorts. As many of you know for the past five years I’ve been meditating, studying, and practicing quite rigorously with Buddhist organization known as Shambhala. Shambhala is a modern manifestation of traditional Tibetan Buddhism, and I can honestly say it has absolutely changed my life. Personally I connect with Buddhism less as religion and more as a scientific tradition of investigating reality.  A tradition of investigating my mind.  Of learning how to be gentle with myself and others and learning how to be a more useful human person in this occasionally confused and incredibly beautiful world. This program is known as Sacred World and once completed will mark my entry into Vajrayana Buddhism. The very same Vajra that this blog borrows it’s name from.

For now though my sleeping bag beckons.  Morning meditation begins quite early in these parts. Just wanted to say hi and let you know that I’m still chugging away on this peculiar pilgrimage of mine. As always I’ll leave you with a few photos…