Worlds apart

Japanese Zen Buddhism has a different aesthetic from Cambodian Buddhism. The rituals, the decor, the approach to teaching: all are profoundly different. On Friday when Dara went with me to the Zen temple to meet with the teacher who will lead our multi-cultural meditation at the Cambodian temple in mid-May, Dara eagerly accepted a lesson in Zen incense-lighting. We will be bringing together Cambodian folks who were born into Buddhism and "western" folks who learned Buddhism as adults, and who regard it more as a basis for ethics and personal growth than as a religion. We all have much to learn, many ways to grow.  

A few hours after our meeting, I was gripped by a migraine that is still with me as I post this on Sunday night. I wasn't able to make photos or be online when I was in the pit of it. I think/hope it's easing off now.