Daisies & buttercups Part 1

Namaste, welcome everyone, especially some faces I haven't seen for a while. And a face I haven't seen for a little while is Dave, who's joining us from his room downstairs.

He's got COVID.

I can see Ellie and Claire as well. So this evening we will begin with a Dharma glimpse by Alex. A Dharma glimpse is a short piece of writing which is just like a little story really that shows us something of the Dharma. If it's an insight or seeing something in a new way.

And we're always open to receiving Dharma glimpses. If anyone hasn't had a go at writing one yet, then do feel free to have a go. Not— doesn't need to be written beautifully, it just needs to be an honest experience, a bit like we did in the listening circle on Saturday. So without further ado, I will pass over to Nine. Thank you.

A Dharma Glimpse by Alex Murray. I've been recently having some medical tests which have revealed I may have a hopefully treatable cancer. I'm still awaiting some more tests, a biopsy to tell me the truth about where I am. I've been trying to keep calm and positive and think I've been doing a pretty good job of that on the whole. I'm a warrior by nature and an emotional person, so I've been surprised by how well I'm getting through these days. Fear of fear. Some seem more damaging than any medical condition in terms of my mental health. I'm not doing this well. I returned to work last week after a while, after a while away from work. I've been smiling and chatting and generally been hiding the way I felt inside with all the uncertainty and worry washing around as It naturally will do. I worked for the National Trust at a castle. Some visitors came, two parents and a little girl. I chatted a little with the little girl and teased her gently, and then we moved on and I was chatting with the parents. After a while, we parted and they wandered off into the gardens. About 20 minutes later, the family were walking back from the gardens when the little girl broke away from her mum and dad and ran towards me. She handed me a little bunch of daisies and buttercups she had found in the gardens growing wild, saying, 'These are for you,' and gave me a huge hug. From such a small person, I struggled to hold back the tears. I don't know what the learning is, but I know in that moment the little girl must have sensed that I was troubled and sought to help and show love, even though she didn't know what was really happening and there was nothing to gain from her. There's something in all that about just doing something lovely for someone else and helping to brighten someone's day, even when you don't know or understand. Maybe sometimes that's all that matters. That day it mattered to me, and I will never forget.

Namaste. We will do some meditation together now. And as we sit in the silence, you might just want to notice your breath as it goes in and out of your body. Usually, I don't know about you, but when I sit still and become quiet, my brain starts whirring, or I notice how much my brain is whirring. So meditation isn't about stopping the whirring, because that's usually impossible. Meditation is just sitting there and allowing the whirring to happen. Very slowly it will slow down a little bit if we keep quiet and still. And various things can help with that, and one of the things that can help is just noticing your breath as it goes in and out of your body. So don't change the length of your breath, don't, don't, um, don't do anything to it, just notice it. And then when you get distracted, notice that you can just come back to focusing on the breath. And then after a while, we'll chant together, and this evening we'll chant