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Ocean Spirits

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Wednesday, 6 Sep 2023, 17:03


Scan of an abstract painting


Painted in acrylic. Prints available from here.

and also from
here.

© Asoka Richie 2023 (all rights reserved)

...


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Asoka

Water

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Wednesday, 23 Aug 2023, 21:14

A photo of a barrel jellyfish


Rain drops fall like a tranquil melody. 
As I walk to take a break 
from a mountain of studying.
So much revision to do
for an upcoming exam.
And my heart is just not in it.

The green of plant life
is luminous in the rain.
Green shades of every kind.

I stop to watch a
huge jellyfish in the water
Pulsating rhythmically
as it swims back and forth.
A barrel jellyfish I think.
Beautiful being. 
Blind as a bat though
As it bumps into the sea wall.

I get back home.
Shake off my umbrella
Sit at the computer.
Log in.

Then the tears start...

It comes in waves.

...

A photo of a barrel jellyfish




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Asoka

The Natural Elements in Meditation

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Wednesday, 5 Apr 2023, 14:44


Have been listening to these talks given by the venerable Ajahn Sona today. He is a great teacher, and the one who gave me the dhamma name Asoka, which means sorrowless. Asoka is a succinct teaching for me, as someone who has experienced much sorrow in life and struggled with depression, this name inspires me to become the opposite (-:

These five talks go into detail about how to practise meditation on the four elements: Earth, water, fire, air  and also how to practise the four colour kasinas: red, blue, yellow, white.

I took part in this retreat last spring, and it is good to go over it again to refresh the memory. It is interesting how when one listens to a talk again one picks up something that they missed the first time they listened to it. I think it is because the mind takes what it needs at different times. The mind changes, and as one develops on the path, the mind looks out for new pieces of information to help with its current understanding, and perhaps that's why different things stand out on subsequent listenings to dhamma talks.

Anyway, I wanted to post these talks for anyone else out there who might find this topic interesting.


Here is the link to the talks on YouTube: 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCXN1GlAupG1RoN3z1NN7jzwapA6OKbF5


May this practise be as much a blessing for you, as it has been for me.

Peace and metta


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Asoka

Rainy days

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Thursday, 5 Jan 2023, 17:43

scan of a painting

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Asoka

Soap dragon

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What appeared to look like a water dragon made out of bubbles.

abstract painting of a soap dragon that links to a webpage featuring this painting.

Free download of scan available here

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Asoka

Plankton

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Edited by Richie Cuthbertson, Wednesday, 23 Feb 2022, 19:53

Plankton are a diverse range of organisms which include the larvae of different creatures who are carried by water currents and are food for a great many organisms that live in the water, including species as large as basking sharks and the blue whale. Because the sea and freshwater is getting warmer, more polluted and over-fished, plankton are finding themselves under increasing pressure to survive.

Painting about plankton

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