Dear Readers

It’s Christmas day in NZ. A gentle rain is thwap, thwap, thwapping on the palm leaves and a vast chorus of birdsong is celebrating the moment. Wherever you are and however you find yourselves, Mary and I send warmest good wishes along with a few links and announcements.

“Ten Love Letters to The Earth” This is a beautiful meditation composed by Thich Hhat Hanh who has been a central inspiration and teacher for me. You can either read the essay or you will also see the option of listening to it being read by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. My thanks to Emergence Magazine for posting this. Click here

On a much more somber note, yet equally inspiring in different ways, here is a link to a talk given by an extraordinary medical bodhisattva who has recently been working in Gaza. It’s called Wounds of War: The Gaza Experience Through the eyes of Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta. My thanks go to Kelvin Falconner for pointing this out for me. Click here

Closer to home I have uploaded the latest version of “Gifts of Wonderment” Section 1. The text has been further edited and refined, especially in the last two chapters. Some people have kindly enquired as to how section 2 is coming. I’m pleased to say that although the process is slow, it is happening and we might have it ready for posting in the coming year.

Green Dharma Treasury Youtube channel continues to have classes added. There is also a collection of audio and video teachings available from the treasury itself under Audio/Video.

Here at Orgyen, May and I are both well. Miraculously, on the cancer front, I seem to be in remission. We now have two self-contained retreat facilities, Kowhai Cabin and Forest Hut. As our travel days seem to be drawing to an end, we invite people who would like retreat with us to come and enjoy the beauty here at our little hermitage. If you’d like more information on this, contact Mary