Impermanence

Impermanence

Yesterday I had what can only be described as a very artistic day and yet one packed full of thoughts and meaning. 

I walked what turned out to be a very peaceful and quiet path, track, around Coniston Water. This walk, unlike the day before, was not nearly so taxing. So I enjoyed time to think. 

At one point I found a beached bone from some long dead animal. A sure sign of the truth that nothing ever lasts forever. I thought I would build a little impermanent statue using it as the topmost part. I called it impermanence. The picture attached is the drawing I did of it.

It may be left standing for a day or two maybe longer, but most surely the first strong wind and the water will rush in and push it over.

As I sat a drew I was very conscious of the mountains around me  and how they have stood there for years. Even those are changing, much more slowly but nevertheless changing all the time. 

There is the tale of the sage who while out on a teaching journey entered the palace of the king.  Being well known nobody stopped or questioned him until he arrived before the king. 

The king asked him what he wanted?  The sage replied I want to stay for the night in this inn. The king rather angrily replied, "This is not an inn this is my palace."

The sage asked the king who had lived here before him and was told his father had. And before that, he was told his grandfather and so on. The sage then told the king that it seems that people came here stayed a while and then departed. He thought that sounded just like an inn.

There are things in life that we hold onto not realising they too will not last forever. Such building of possessions and holding on to things often stop us from just enjoying to the full the moments of the day. 

Have a wonderful day. This is the last day of my time away I will be heading home tomorrow. Today I am walking with friends who live down here in the Lakes we will end my stay sharing a meal and looking forward to our next meeting in France.  Everything comes to an end but also everything brings new beginnings.