Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain
With the rain in Shambala
Wash away my sorrow, wash away my shame
With the rain in Shambala
Ah, ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Everyone is loved, everyone is kind
On the road to Shambala
Everyone is happy, everybody is so fine
On the road to Shambala
How does your light shine, in the halls of Shambala
How does your light shine, in the halls of Shambala
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2mW5...eature=related )
I'm still walking around in a trance... Last night was one of the most intensely beautiful, peaceful, serene, experiences of my life. I've been to several tea ceremonies in Japan over the years, but none... NONE... have come close to what we experienced last night. It was mystical. When performed by a Grand Master, it really does get taken to a whole different place. Same motions. Same tools. Very different experience.
Good morning, everyone. I'm sitting with a cup of Ahmad's "English Breakfast" tea (which I actually prefer to the tea that the Master served us last night,) drinking it out of my $5.95 mug instead of the priceless tea bowl that the Master served us with. Frankly, it's easier to hold the $5.95 mug... I guess it's a case of 'pearls before swine' but to me, even the $200,000 tea bowls look like something my son made in arts and crafts at Summer Camp when he was 8 years old. We went to a Tea Bowl Museum in Nara prefecture a few years ago, with hundreds of priceless tea bowls on display. Very interesting, but... I guess I'm just to Western to understand.
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Originally Posted by CRussel
@Stitchawl: Nice pic of you ringing the bell. I've always wanted to do that, but my last chance to go to Japan got hosed 15 years ago.
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These bells do make a wonderful sound. There are many to be found in smaller temples that anyone can ring when ever they wish to. (I wonder what it's like to live next door to one of those temples...) Charlie, you can still come to Japan... It's no further away than your airport. You get on the plane where you are and get off in Japan. No different than getting off in Houston or Chicago except you can't read the signs. Very few North Americans come to Asia (as compared with Europeans.) Americans go to Europe or the Caribbean. Europeans, Brits, Aussies, and New Zealanders come to Asia. Percentage-wise, I'd guess there to be less than 10-20% North American, although even for North Americans, the Canadians far out number the USAans.
Quote:
Half my team got sent to Japan for training, while the other half got to go to Cleveland, in January, for discussions with Allen-Bradley, the contractor. Guess which I got. 
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Could have been worse. It could have been Toledo...
Stitchawl