It's been a full and interesting week. Three evenings I gave talks to different groups within the sangha here on the topic "Que es Tomar Refugio en el Buda?" Each talk I spoke initially in Spanish and in the Wednesday talk I managed the whole thing in Espanol with help with an occasional word from my translator. Of course, when we got to the question and answer part at the end the translator came more fully into the picture. Nonetheless it felt very good to have managed a whole three quarter hour talk in Spanish - a first!
Then this Saturday morning Franca, Sumaya and I participated in the Zazenkai meeting which included a lengthy talk by Zen Master Celso Navarro. This time I managed to understand the whole talk apart from the jokes. When people break into more colloquial language one loses it. His talk was concerned with the universal nature of the Path of Awakening and I was very happy with the ecumenical flavour of his remarks. It is very nice to practice with this quite numerous and certainly very good hearted sangha.
In the afternoon we went to "lunch" (a meal that takes place in the late afternoon) with two other members of the sangha. Actually the woman of the couple was the first person from Gran Canaria who communicated with me about four years ago and initially got me involved in this adventure.
Also this week we have had trips to the town, to the shore and to the beautiful Agaete Valley as well as spending a lot of time dealing the the flood of correspondence from UK about the evolving situation in the transition arrangements within Amida Trust. I have not managed to get as much writing done as I hoped, but revisions of documents that will form part of a new small book of Dharma teachings are gradually going forward.
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