Dear All,

 

How easy to sit back and take a 'holier-than-thou' stance!! Doesn't it just make you feel all smug and warm inside when something like this happens and you are a life-long veggie? Well, it did me. When this was mentioned at BBG, I thought 'phew! nothing for me to do then'.

I've been thinking a lot about the precepts lately and how easy it is to be happy to focus on the things you don't do and conveniently forget the others! And doesn't it just irritate when you consider giving up something you are still clinging to?

 

I wondered, although it seemed rather like prying, what other people tried to follow. I know many of the group are not vegetarian, but may well be old soaks and players :-)

 

I received one of Shenpen's emails recently (I've just looked for it but guess I deleted it cos I didn't like it!!) with a question about partying and enjoying oneself. The jist of her response was that these things are OK if continually mindful. It made me feel very inadaquate and sinful! Is it so bad to do things JUST because they are enjoyable and not manage to  be mindful 100% of the time?

 

I don't drink alcohol much these days but have no intention of setting myself up to fail by saying that I'm going to give it up. Yes, there have been times when, in retrospect, I have used it unwisely, but I don't intend to go back there.

 

Maybe I will be stuck in samsara for a while yet.............never mind!

 

Love to you all

Sarah