Beyond the Clouds

the leaves have started to change colour, a magnificent array of golden yellow, bronze, rust, iron, copper, red, orange, and brown lay scattered on the roads in this silent corner of the world. Why is it that when the air temperature cools the colours in nature are warm and when the colours in nature are cool the air temperature warms.

The sky is bright and blue - a very crisp blue, sharp and clear. Everything against this backdrop is defined - no blurring, no haziness, no fudging. The breath is seen and the freshness of the fall is inspired. The sunflowers are brown and their heads hang heavy with dark black seeds.

Change is in the air. There is more to life than economics and politics.

Foxes, pheasants, grouse, hares, deer and birds are busy doing their animal thing.

the core of everything is impermanent, the core of all things is not self, and the dharma is the core of all things.

The sounds of birdsong fills the air from dawn til dusk; the sparrows, warblers, larks, finches, tits, you name it, one can hear:

cha-cha-cha-cha
chirruc-chirruc
jag-jag-jag
karra-karra, krik-krik
cheweeoo
chuff-chuff
lu-lu-lu-lu
zip . . . dzeep . . . zip

Whether it's a high pitched 'weest' or a husky 'tsssp' the loose trill on the same note, or the accelerated dry trill, the discordant jumble of notes go on repeatedly all day long. And every now and again a little bird stops by close enough for the secret admirer to get a glimpse.


The house sparrow has always lived close to humans but is not good at cross species companionship. A relationship with a sparrow will thus always be one way - take heed. A friend of mine told me that the number of sparrows is on the decline in The Netherlands and probably also true in other parts of Europe. The reason for this, if I can say so in very broad terms, is probably similar to reasons for many other species found on the ever growing endangered species list: increasing toxicity levels in the food chain and reduction in potential nesting grounds for breeding.

'When will we ever learn?' asked the little bird to the doting human.

It's been raining here for the past couple of days, even the snails are finding it too moist and damp and are trying to find respite from the rain.



Who's inside and who's outside. I find this notion of inside out, outside in fascinating.

Is the snails shell protecting the inside from what is outside or is the outside protected by what is REALLY going on inside the shell.

Before Buddhism was I on the outside, and now, am I on the inside? Or was I inside a prison before I found Buddhism and am now free from my cell and on the outside?

To me, it feels like I've been set free from my prison but I need a shell to protect others on the outside from what is really going on inside. How's that for complicating and confusing this matter of in and out.