Introduction to Buddhism, part two

I was, once more, seated on that, very cold, stainless steel bus-stop seat, on my way to class.

I had somewhat meditatively sauntered from 'home', remembering to smile and to be in the now, which was then when I was doing it. I looked at trees and flowers, the Roman Wall, and sundry leaves damp with this morning's mist. I felt the cold on my hands, seeing actually very little, because of the mist, and smelled mostly car exhaust fumes. I heard the whoosh of traffic passing.

10.12
It was time to go into The Buddhist Centre.

The part two of an introduction to Buddhism began with an update. The Four Noble Truths were re-visited (for those of us on the first course) and provided a significant lead in to the Eightfold Path for us all.

The course was much better attended than the first, and that could be for many reasons, but it was nice to see a familiar face amongst the new crowd.

Of course, if I am honest, one of the reasons that I attend these classes, that is over and above the quest for knowledge and guidance, is to socialise with people of like mind. I'm not ready to commit to attending every week outside of courses, but maybe that will come.

It was nice to be in familiar surroundings, albeit masked in accordance to recent legislation. Nice also to have to spend a longer period meditating which is, naturally, at the core of Buddhist teaching. I have to say that, at my present abode, longer periods of meditation have not as yet happened, for various reasons.

I bought Maitreyabandhu's book 'Life with Full Attention' at the Colchester Buddhist Centre, which compliments a course of Youtube videos available from the London Buddhist Centre, which I recently watched and fell a little under the spell of Maitreyabandhu.

The day got colder. Exiting the Colchester Buddhist Centre I wandered into town to buy fresh vegetables from the market's stall. It wasn't there (again). I ended up buying from Marks
and Spencer, cooking the remaining sardines for lunch, and baked trout for dinner. Reflecting, still reflecting.