Dharmavidya

Art and exercise

Bilbao is a handsome city. Although basically an industrial town it has many fine buildings in both the old and new parts, a pleasant park and river front and, most interesting, the Guggenheim Gallery which I visited yesterday. I saw the David Hockney exhibition and a collection of modern art called El Espejo Invertido (The reversed mirror). Most impressive, however, was the building itself, designed by Frank Ghery, with its metalic scales, curved surfaces, and irregular vast spaces.

Later I went for another walk with my hosts into the old town for tapas and exercise. Both are keen on fitness. He is planning to climb Mt Blanc in July and goes to the gym regularly. She prefers roller skating. For my part, a walk along the river or through the old plazas is fine.

Gaxtelugatxe Bay pictures

I've added an album of pictures of Gaxtelugatxe Bay - remarkable spot on the Basque coast.

Las Palmas pics

 

One week, three countries four cities

Blogwise I'm having a job keeping up with myself. After a few days in Las Palmas with friends, including a lovely visit to the Maestro Eckhart Society gathering, I flew to Belgium. However, landing in Charleroi I discovered that my luggage was in Madrid! Many phone calls later they sent it on to Stanstead, which had been the starting point of my round trip. Meanwhile, I had a very pleasant 24 hours in our little community - for so it feels already - in Oud-Turnhout, including dealing with quite a bit of ITZI business. Then Jnanamati and I travelled by car to Sukhavati, the Amida Trust house in London. On Friday I drove out to Stanstead an rescued my bag and then went on to Narborough in the midlands to sort out some personal stuff to bring back to London (eventually I'll get it to Belgium) where I then led seminars on Saturday (Entering the Silence) and Sunday (Simplifying Life), these being part of the IZT programme. Then on Tuesday I flew to Bilbao in northern Spain where I am the guest of my delightful Zen friends here. Arriving yesterday lunchtime I availed myself of the local siesta habit and then we went to visit a spectacular cove... pictures to follow.

21 May: am now in Las Palmas

We had an easy flight ouit to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The weather here is pleasantly warm. Now I have some time to relax after the rather full and business-like time in Seville. I know that many of my sangha friends here are tied up this week in important internal meetings of their organisation - I wish them well - but for me this should be a quieter interlude.

19 May: a few days in Seville has brought some results for ITZI

The Interntional Zen Therapy Institute (ITZI) took a step forward this week with a variety of legal and financial formalities completed during my stay here in Seville in the south of Spain. There is still quite a bit of paperwork to do and approvals to be obtained but we are getting somewhere. In addition this has been a very pleasant week in good company and warm sunshine. It seems very simple to feel at ease here for all that it has been a week of "business". 

and now I'm back in Seville where it is much hotter

The heat - mid-thirties - felt very welcome as I stepped off the plane yesterday early evening after a day of travel across Belgium by train and then some time waiting at the airport. I got quite a bit of reading done. Now I'm happily installed in what Angel calls "my Spanish home". We get on extremely well and it is a delight to be here. This few days will be dominated by official business, then on Sunday we fly out to the island.

Ghent is a work of art

13th May: We spent the weekend in Ghent in order to hold the third meeting in this series on "Love and Its Disappointment". The three meetings have each been unique differing in both style and content. It has been a satisfying sequence, like an on-going conversation. Themes emerging in the groups have fueled conversations in the interim times and things that happened in these interims have fed into the discussions. As these are the first ITZI events in Belgium it is good that they have gone well and been a satisfying experience all round.

   

Leuven

12th May: We were in Leuven for the second of three talks on the theme "Love and Its Disappointment" and took the opportunity to have a look at this ancient university town.

     

Den Haag

9th May:  Walking the dunes, Maitrisimha, Jnanamati and I discuss the Dharma, relationships, aging, organisations, art, love, philosophy, coastal protection, food, the search for meaning.... all the usual. Namo Amida Bu