Arrived in France

Now back in Amida France. It never ceases to amaze me how this place affects me. The pace of life, the quality of impressions - the wonderful constant presence of the natural world draw me immediately into relationship with dimensions of life which are usually buried beneath the details of everyday tasks. Last night we sat in the woods around a small fire, clearing the remains of the thorn bushes and bramble which had been cleared from the paths across the champs d'avoine. Earlier we had swum in the lake under blue skies. This morning our meditation was accompanied by the soft patter of rain on the roof of our open meditation space as through the open doorway we glimpsed the green folliage of the garden and beyond soaking up the welcome water. Birds sang from the roof tiles, insistently caling to one another despite the damp. And on the pond outside the water lilly has put up more flowers than ever before.