We are not children, somewhere behind our thinking and rationalising, we know the reality of life.
We know that animals do not gives their liberty or their lives to us freely, and yet we cage and torture them, and eat their dead bodies.
We know that millions of people do not have enough food every day, and yet we support various human activities to ignore the fact or exploit the situation.
We know that that the planet suffers because of human greed and blind ignorance and yet we ignore the reality.
We know that love is the solution to all difficulties and yet we persist in war, exploitation and the killing of others.
We know that words without integrity are empty and yet we fill the air with excuses, reasons and justifications for our bad and unkind behaviour.
We are not children. The choices of our life are right before us in every moment. We are the architects of our life. This is the true understanding is Dhamma. Not politics, not religion, only the reality of the moment.
There are only two ways to live, the right way and the wrong way: what are you choosing today?

There is no concept of forgiveness in Dhamma, only loving acceptacnce.
Forgiveness must always come from a position of moral superiority (I forgive you) whereas loving acceptance comes from the realisation that as as long as beings are unenlightened they can do and say anything, from an almost insignficant simple moment of bad judgement, to the most awful unkind or cruel speech and actions. With wise understanding we will see that there is nothing to forgive, only the reality of unenlightened behaviour in the world which we, as disciples of Dhamma must accept and then respond to.
It is said that Dhamma stands on the two great pillars of love and wisdom, however when we understand fully we will see that there is only one pillar; for the one who is wise is loving and the one who is loving is wise. With our wise loving heart we will be able to accept the reality of beings as they are and always respond with love and wisdom.

The Buddha is my great hero and has been for all of the forty years I have considered myself to be a true disciple of Dhamma. So many of the stories about his life are beautiful and inspiriing, but in reality, what is it that we really remember about great people, about great spiritual masters?
Simply put I will say that it is their kindness. Magical and mystical powers mean nothing against the magnificence of love manifesting as concern and kindness for others.
To offer love and kindness to all beings, beginning with ourself (always the most difficult) and then radiating out to all beings in the universe is the greatest spiritual practice of all. Not to make divisions about our kindness, but to apply it to all.
As the true masters say: I am kind to those who are kind to me. I am kind to those who are not kind to me. I am kind. This is a practice worthy of following.

The Buddha shared the Dhamma speaking his own language (Magadh: commonly called Pali) to his own countrymen and women, using terms and references that were familiar and relevant to their ordinary, everyday lives. This then was the Pure Dhamma.
Now, two thousand six undred years later, it is no longer like that. Today, when people come to Dhamma training they not only take Dhamma, but also another cultural perspective as part of that particular package. Tibetan, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Burmese etc, etc, the list goes on.
Of course it's fascinating to take on different aspects of another culture as part of our spiritual life, but is it neccessary or even helpful?
In the end it just becomes one more thing to carry. One more thing that forms another apparent indentity that we must protect and defend. We cannot say anymore that we are Buddhist, now we are Tibetan Buddhist, or Zen Buddhist, or Theravada Buddhist, and even that is not enough! Now we must ask 'what school of Tibetan Buddhism, or Zen or Theravada do you belong to?'
Whatever your culture, gender and nationality may be, that is sufficient for enlightenment. Picking up something else to carry might be entertaining, but in the end it only corrupts the purity of the Buddha's Dhamma.

Dhamma is everywhere and the teachers of Dhamma are gifts in our life. If you are a cat owner you have one of the greatest teachers in the world in front of you.
Look at your relationship with your cat. Look what it can do without you becomming upset or even annoyed. Our relationship with our cat is based in an unconditional acceptance of everything they do. If our cat takes the best seat in the house we don't mind. If our cat wants to go out it will sit by the door until we get up and open it. If our cat wants a carress or food, we give that.
Our relationship to our cat is one of almost perfect loving kindness.
So here is the teaching: Reflect upon this relationship and try to emmulate the same unconditional acceptance for all beings. When you can radiate these same feeling for everyone and everything in the world, you will not suffer. Not only that, your presence in the world will bring benefit to all the different beings you come into contact with.

A man went to for a medical examination and when it was finished the doctor said, 'the best thing for you is to give up smoking, give up drinking and give up going with women.' The man thought for a moment and asked, 'O.K. What's the next best thing?'
The Dhamma is always simple.
The Buddha tells us to 'let go of greed, let go of hatred and let go of delusion,' this is the best thing for us. However, in most cases, the unenlightened mind cannot accept this simplicity and will spend it's time trying to negociate with life, compromising, rationalising and in the end, meeting unhappiness.
No matter how intelligent we are or how hard we try, we cannot avoid the Dhammic truth that is waiting for us, that whatever we carry is a burden, and it is this burden that we must protect, defend and fight for. The way to freedom is to let go of the things that ultimately cause us pain. This is the best thing for us.

According to our stories, the Buddha sat under various trees in India two thousand six hundred years ago, and shared the Dhamma with whoever made the effort to listen. This included men and women, rich and poor, and bhikkhus and bhikkhunis alike. No difference of class, caste or gender. The Buddha showed his heart and his Dhamma in every moment.
Now, in our twenty first century, Dhamma is available to millions of people throughout the world because of education, technology and money, and because of that it is true also that Dhamma can be a bussiness!
A quick fix into happiness, where truth is often ignored and the ego of the student is simply carressed to pay the bills and support the lifestyle of the teachers.
All the teachers have to live of course, but once Dhamma becomes a business, integrity is the first thing to leave the meditation hall and without that integrity the Dhamma is no more.
A student asked me in India one time, 'how can we know a good teacher?'
My answer was simple, 'watch them when they are not teaching.'
In this way we will know if they live the life they propose or simply make a performance in front of others. Even the greatest actors are only pretending to be someone that they are not. Dhamma must always be pure and established in integrity. The effortless manifestaion of the heart. In this way the lineage of the Buddha and the integrity of pure Dhamma continues.

This is only a timely reminder of choice.
In every moment we are free to choose our response to any and every situation. If we use the common expression and say 'I had no choice,' not only is this not true, it is also the voice of the victim. The one who forgets their own personal power.
We can always choose - always, it's the consequence of that choice that we are afraid of.
In every circumstance the Dhamma tells us to be brave, keep our integrity and accept the consequence of what we decide.
Remember, if you have done something awful, you didn't have to do it.
But also you can smile for yourself if you have done something to help another, because in that case too, you didn't have to do it.

May all beings be happy.

Anyone can destroy – look at children, it takes no real ability. To take something material, spiritual or emotional and destroy it is something everyone can do.
To humiliate and kill others, or to break what we have and use all our resources so there is nothing left that has quality for those coming behind us, shows no skill in living.
Global warming may or may not be true, depending on which sources you research, but that doesn't mean that we should not take care of our home. If we could see this planet as our house, we would take care of it. We would repair that which is damaged before it became dangerous. So why don't we do it with our world? Disconnection for most people is a fact of life!
People shop in enormous supermarkets, unconnected to the produce that they buy. Millions of animals every day are killed behind closed doors. Other animals and crops are genetically engineered away from the public eye to be bigger, better and cheaper. There is no real or direct relationship to life for many people. One young boy was asked the question, 'where does milk come from?' he replied, 'the supermarket.'
Sad.
When we reconnect with ourselves we will reconnect with life. When we reconnect with life we will reconnect with the world in which we live and all the beauty it contains.

We live in a the centre of a beautiful forest in France.
In the morning and evening the wild deer come to drink from our Buddha pool in the garden and eat our grass. I reflect always as to how blessed I am to be here and to feel a part of this. This is not our forest and at best we share it with the animals that live here naturally.
However, it is here also that people hunt.
Men and women armed with guns, alchohol and dogs drive at high speed into the forest in their four wheel dive cars with the sole intention of killing something.
We hear the sounds of the rifles and each shot is like a knife cutting into my heart.
Killing; the lowest activity of man.
As human beings we have the potential in each moment to be Buddhas or demons, to live with love and compassion and feel connected to the world that we live in, or outside, separate and controling.
There is no sport in taking the life of others and there is no skill in destroying.
When we understand that 'all is one' we feel connected to everyone and everything, and then, and only then, will we be able to realise our true potential.

There is a Japanese Zen koan which says, 'the Buddha always resides at Vulture Peak'.
Understanding this koan changed my relationship with life and death, but what does it mean?
Vulture Peak is an outcrop of rock, just outside the town of Ragh Ghir, where some two housand six hundred years ago, the Buddha would spend the rains retreats with his attendant Ananda. This he did for many years.
It is now possible to visit this place, to walk up Bimbisaras road to the outcrop of rock. Here many devoted Buddhists place garlands to honour the Buddha himself.
During my first visit to India I went eagerly to vulture peak to place my garland and to pay my respects. The place is in the hills, and the view across the plain is quite magnificent.
However, as much as I looked around Vulture Peak I did not see the Buddha there. He was not hiding behind any rocks, he was not trying to avoid being seen. He was simply not there.
And yet, there was a certain feeling. A certain sense of awe, of peacefulness, of calm. A certain connectedness with the Buddha himself.
Materially we can say that he certainly was not there, but emotionally and spiritually, the Buddha was everywhere, all in the same moment.
Five months before this moment my father had died. It was sudden, and there was no warning whatsoever. My father and I were close, and I although I peacefully accepted his death, I missed him no longer being in my life. However, like the Buddha at Vulture Peak, he didn't go anywhere. He always lives in my memory and my heart, and in any moment, I need only turn my attention to him to see us together, laughing and sharing our time.
Standing with my garland to offer to the Buddha, I understood this koan. The Buddha is not here, but he is always here. My father is not here, but he is always here. The dead do not leave us, they live with us forever in our hearts and in our memories. Physically, they could be living in another country and not able to visit us, but in our own personal reality, they don't go anywhere.
This is the understanding of the koan.

We live in an age of twenty four hour news reporting, and almost all of it is bad!
Why is it that when the world is also filled with love, compassion and kindness in every group and community, does the media report only the catastrophies and horror stories?
The answer is of course, because fear sells.
It's always in a controling groups interest to keep their subordinates anxious and nervous and so acquiring and buying things to placate themselves.
When we are content and at peace, what do we really need? Which government institutions are neccessary to take care of us and protect us from whatever new threat the media proposes when we are happy and self empowered?
When we are unfraid of life and what it can present, we are truly free.
The media does not tell the truth because the media cannot tell the truth. At best it can only report from it's own bias and adgenda, an aspect of a situation. It cannot be different from this.
And the media is not actually interested in the truth anyway, it is only interested in 'the story.'
It's the story that sells!
As the old lady said, 'don't bore me with the facts, just give me the rumour!'
The Buddha once again reminds us of the wisdom needed to be free in our life when he told his disciples; 'Only when you know something from your own direct experience to be true should you accept it.'
Until that time, keep an open mind about the content and always remember, just because it's on television doesn't mean it's true.

Question: Do I have to stop eating meat to be on the true spiritual path ?
Answer: The true spiritual path is one of self responsibility, this means that you have to know for yourself and then empower what you decide or understand.
However, in this case I will answer more fully than I usually do and say, 'yes, you must stop eating meat to be engaged on the true spiritual path.'
Eating meat involves the killing (and often the torture beforehand) of another living being, and this is truly contradictory to our life of love and awareness.
Even if you say that we don't actually kill the animal, we are still part of the process, and without our consent and end user involvement, perhaps one animal would live a full and happier life. Also, this argument is futile. It is like saying, 'I don't beat my children, but I pay someone to do it for me.'
We cannot extrapolate ouselves from this situation no matter how we are able to rationalise our personal involvement in these low forms of human behaviour – the meeting out of pain humiliation, torture and killing.

All beings fear pain and death.
Remembering that we are one of them,
we will neither hurt nor kill.

Dhammapada Verse: 129

When the Dhamma heart is truly open, we are, and feel ourselves to be intertwined and interconnected to the lives of all the beings that we share the planet with, from humans, and all mamals, to fish, birds and insects.
This realisation of 'Oneness' is the highest goal on our path.
Therefore the true disciple of Dhamma lives their life with love and awareness and serves the world to ease the suffering of others.

I can say honestly that my greatest joy is to share the Dhamma with disciples and students who have the pure intention to train in the way of Love and Awareness.
I endeavour always to present the 'Pure Dhamma,' not tainted by religion or personal views and opinions, but encourage all my students to 'look only within' for the truth.
However, I trained with a master who, when encouraged, would also share his personal ideas and views of the world. This was always a pleasure and a privilage for me, and added another dimension to our relationship. To know the man as well as the Master.
I cherish those moments of his life's journey.
Now, encouraged by my own students and disciples, I have been pursuaded to make an effort in this direction also, but in a twenty first century fashion, through a blog.
This allows me to share my personal feelings about certain issues, and can perhaps reveal where the Dhamma Train has taken me during more than forty years of devoted practice.
What will be contained here are my personal views and opinions about life as I meet it, and will offer the opportunity to see Michael Kewley as the man, not only the teacher.