Home alone ...

Into the last week in sunny Spain, exploring practical and theoretical aspects of mutuality ... much discussed in Stanhope as a way forward as the state withdraws from provision of social care and isolation amongst the elders increases along with their numbers ... Brit and other expats not immune to these trends ...

So, in Life School, these weeks in Torreguadiaro have been a great opportunity ... today the practical lesson for your blogger: to free the retired home  owner and carer for six rescue dogs to have an outing to Marbella ... and whilst the dogs are quite self-sufficient, with access to their own well fenced run, this is fire season and extra vigilance is required ... especially since the house is surrounded by scrubland ...

Whilst social media has the potential to broker these opportunities, more targeted platforms are required ... maybe built on DAPPs from Blockchain to escape the corporate capture of current peer to peer products ....

Meanwhile, being home alone (albeit with six four-legged friends) means some exploration of morphic resonance and the habits of Nature ... Rupert Sheldrake develops the theory tentatively but persuasively. .. resonating with an insight some years ago, which went thus: If a Thought is Something and not Nothing; if Energy cannot be created nor destroyed; maybe each thought throughout time is out there, in a non-local field, ready to be re-assembled in  contemporary forms as a New Idea ...

Sharing such ideas on FB reaches a wider and more responsive audience, which is also offered the mutuality holiday opportunity in Spain ... with some interest already .... and, after FB posting fast, validates the illusion of a self known as Steve, who mostly holds it lightly, though still grateful for friends and family responses ...

And since it is commonly observed that pictures of cute dogs and cats attract more attention in this virtual world than philosophical speculation .... here are some pics of today's companions ...

Surprise at Sotogrande ...

Having finished Alan James' brilliant book on Buddhism (one of the more resonant isms if one has to choose) an hour's  stroll through the shallow housing estate in the sun, an alternative route to escape the car dominated local infrastructure, is rewarded in the shady Centro Comercial with Rupert Sheldrake's "The Presence of the Past" nestling innocently amongst the €4 potboilers ... maybe the second reading will reveal more understanding ... the first felt right, but, like Bohm, the scientists, albeit radical ones, can be challenging for an untrained brain ...

Anyway, the cool, quiet, courtyard cafe inspires a little writing along with the Sheldrake gift ... and slipping the tablet into the rucksack enables it ...

The rhythm of these days in Torreguadiaro varies little in the warm sunshine that is the norm for July ... well, hot sun as it rises, but cooling breezes make it pleasant and seeking shade from time to time helps too ... the holidaying slaves, starved of Sun and determined to maximise exposure in the short time available, have a different rhythm, slathering sunblock on pale skin and laying out to toast themselves ... rather risky from both the chemical and direct sun, perhaps?

Early walk along the beach to Laila's 8 am opening cafe, for caffeine boost ( the lack of which at the Barn Retreat was accepted but not continued) ... to the house for conversation, then longer walk ... some shopping ... maybe a call to Russ in his bus along at San Enrique ... more conversation, a dip in the pool, a short stroll to keep the legs happy ... and reading, of course, generally abandoned on the pilgrimages, whether for the sake of weight and volume reduction or to leave the mind free to wander, who knows?

These optimistic "urbanizations" around coastlines worldwide appear unconcerned about inundations, maybe short-term thinking, maybe seeing rising sea levels as gradual and sometime in the distant future ... certainly not anticipating the tsunamis anyway ...

As far as the local urban encroachments are concerned, it seems the illegal developments are in the firing line from the regional government ... one rather drastic way to reduce the over supply of housing hereabouts ... and another worry for ageing expats, already suffering from declining health, drooping pound and Spanish officialdom not always willing to learn English ... not to mention rumours of DUK breaking away from the EU sometime soon ...

Deeper Guadiaro ...

Regular reader prompts tardy writer to update events in Spain ... so here we go ...

The two English and atypical expats offer more insights into local life, life in general, the meaning of it and so on ... both eschew publicity, so no pics or further biographical detail available ... suffice it to say the plans for the few weeks in Torreguadiaro have changed several times ... the dog sitting requirement has fallen away, fortunately for the six assorted and very friendly mutts ... living the good life downstairs, whilst the visitor has an apartment upstairs and a pool in the yard to use ... and maybe recommend to suitable friends ... get in touch if you are interested ... the issue here, as with so many expats hereabouts, is isolation and somehow hooking up with like-minded folks to share the facilities ... fly via Gibraltar, a short bus ride away!

Yanis Varoufakis provides an enthralling explanation of the skulduggery of the powerful entities of the EU, who, having drawn the southern European countries into a common currency and vast loans, are covering their irresponsible lending by pretending that extending further loans to pay off the previous unpayable debts will somehow work, whilst imposing drastic punishment on the common people through austerity measures ... the effect of which are to shrink those economies along with the tax base required to repay the ever increasing debts ...

Looking like a world leader, with his intellectuality in harmony with his humanity and a good measure of erudition and wit to boot, it comes as a surprise, having been shafted by the EU and IMF establishment, allied with Greece's own plutocrats, that he defends the EU, albeit a seriously reformed version ...

Leisurely walk along the coast to Sabinillas unearths plenty of further reading material, including the wonderful Alan James' "The Unfolding of Wisdom" ... and a link to the Buddhist Retreat House he set up in Bradford on Avon, The House of Inner Tranquillity. .. maybe worth a visit one day ...

In a minor modern drama, the main window on the world, Facebook, appears to have suffered identity theft issues ... just when the very concept of a separate self has been seen, the illusory image on social media has a double, this one presumably with dishonest intent ... anyway, a friend sounds the alarm and if you receive a second request to link up on FB, that will be my dodgy alter-ego ...

As for the interesting filter on the photo of the small piece of Britain visible from the apartment window, that's the mosquito screen ... though they have been few and far between up to now, just the odd one on nocturnal missions ...

Sunny Spain Again ...

... where the weather is much like North East England just now ... good to return to Torreguidiaro ... a contrast to last week's retreat, though peaceful enough after a swift flight from Bristol to Malaga, a night in the airport and a few hours sleep on a hard floor, train early this morning to Fuengirola, bus to here and a good catch-up with Susie and her six dogs, remarkably well behaved ...

Being Sunday, the village is full of Gibraltar folks seeking beach delights ... tomorrow quieter!

And with the dreadful news from London and associated social media commentary the question arising in all this atomisation is this: Who are They? "They" are referred to without specific reference ... sometimes suggesting the 1% of very wealthy folks, sometimes just people not "Us", whoever that may be ...

And, if we live in  a Unity, where everything connects to everything else ... if we are the world and the world is us, as suggested by K ... then maybe "They" are only aspects of ourselves we are not acknowledging ... itself seemingly confused by the fact that there is no substantive separate self to be found anyway ...

Perhaps it will be clearer after a full night's sleep ...

To The Barn at Sharpham ...

Sunday dawns dry after yesterday's drenching ... an early walk round the Dartington Estate to stretch the legs ... some philosophy with Lisa, then into Totnes for a wander ...last here some years ago for the Reconomy event with Transition Durham ... quiet on a Sunday morning, but still showing signs of a progressive place ... even the rather toxic row at the cafe table by the river, between a young female couple, was conducted with discretion and psychological references, though these seemed as much weapons as helpful tools to resolve the issues ... onward along the well signed cycle path, the river Dart below ... through woods, to a viewpoint and a warm and deep exchange with Angela and Mark on the nature of reality, Krishnamurti, Camino de Santiagoing and so on ... onwards and upwards to The Barn Retreat Centre ... an hour before check-in and time to enjoy the sun and write these words for you ...

Saturday afternoon in Bristol after a week free from internet ... the Barn at Sharpham highly recommended ... location stunning high on a hill overlooking the River Dart wending its way to the sea and tidal to Totnes ... terraced, abundant organic gardens, rich red Devon soil ... lots to harvest and to plant in June ... food for the table straight from the beds and polytunnels ...  the structure holding the ten retreatants gently ... 6.20 bell for rising ... 6.50 mindful movement and meditation ... 7.30 house tasks ... 8 am breakfast ... 9 am sharing meeting and silence lifted ... 10 am gardening ... 12.20  silent meditation ... 1 pm lunch prepared by retreatants in turn ... afternoon free for personal practice ... 5pm teaching ... 6pm DIY supper ... 8.20 silent meditation ... silence until next morning at 9   ... the exceptions being Wednesday for a full  day of silence ... and this morning, where silence lifts at the final breakfast ..

A pop-up sangha. .. ten diverse folks plus two facilitators, blending into a group of friends over the week .. . a beautiful process ... and lessons learned for Stanhope Retreat House ... still simmering and stepping closer on Wednesday, when silence was broken to deal with practical financial questions ... perhaps not the best time to go incommunicado. ..

Tonight the flight to Malaga, tomorrow back to Torreguadiaro for a few weeks ...

Stanhope to Totnes ...

Flaming June and early steady rain for the start of the trip ... rucksack packed, more stuff than wanted for serious walking, but that's not planned for a while ... and whilst the cottage is cleared and my stuff is mostly on my back, Richard and Maggi have taken in the library, where it may be shared and Gillian has kindly stashed a small bag with a laptop and walking boots ... perhaps for August return ... let's see, Sharpham, Spain and Brockwood booked before then ...

Two buses required for Totnes train and mild anxiety observed, with connections critical ... it all works fine of course and good to review equanimity ... having given up on Couchsurfing, AirBnB offered tonight's bed ... then yesterday a CS offer arrived ... never mind, all good experience in new economic forms and holding of nerve and trusting in perfect timing ...

Headlines at station suggest the outcome of the General Election panto in DUK has some way to go ... May's unsavoury coalition partners causing concern within Tory ranks and plutocratic paper proprietors too ... the young folks' vote appears to have demanded a kinder, more progressive country, mostly fuelled by Facebook rather than the establishment controlled mainstream media ... ironic then that they end up with the opposite forces propping up an unstable May and doubtless there will be a price to pay ... hey ho, on we go ... participation rates of nearly 70% serve to validate the charade ... maybe Facebook citizen journalists will point out the jiggery pokery of the old decaying order ... maybe saner establishment forces will prevail ...

Train companions come and go ... an early retired police officer, Karen, who imparts fascinating information about her arachnophobia ... a plan to try hypnotherapy ... a retired English lecturer, sharing love of Yeats and Keats ... a retired farm-worker who did National Service in Korea ... an Italian student, doing Philosphy, Politics and Economics at Exeter University, perfect recipient of Krishnamurti book ... a gift for her and less weight, more space in the pack ...

Raining in Totnes, but AirBnB place found easily enough, ten minutes from the station ... tea and conversation with hostess, Lisa, Parisienne relocated to DUK, and Theravadan Buddhist ... of course ...

All is not as it seems ...

Into the last week in Stanhope before the third flight to freedom .... though, as before, without any sense of escaping from or moving towards anything in particular ... indeed, poor old neglected rational mind wonders why ....  whilst irresponsible intuition accepts with equanimity whatever turns up ... trusting the universe ... the frame this time includes a week of mindfulness retreat in Devon, maybe four in Spain with Susie and six dogs, a week at Brockwood, then .... who knows?

All feels light ... and right ...

Reincarnation has been a topic, what with the 17th Karmapa turning up in London and much excitement from Samye Ling friends ... though all this reincarnation stuff is rather alien in the DUK culture ... nevertheless it is a thing, with a worked out system and the 14th Dalai Lama, himself a recognised reincarnation, explains how it works ... well the Tibetan Buddhist version anyway ... leading to an investigation of various schools of Buddhism ... from personal experience Samye Ling Tibetan school, Harnham Theravadans, Throssell Hole Soto Zen folks and the Plum Village Interbeing Order all resonate more or less ... hierarchy and robes being rather a block, along with rather ornate rituals and symbols ... seeing the Dalai Lama close up was convincing too and his writing and video clips appear authentic ... last week's goddess had experience with the New Kadampa cult before finding solace with the local Oak Sangha of the Order of Interbeing ...

This other lives business is a tricky one, especially as the non-duality teachers speak of Now, the eternal Present Moment, whilst flirting with Past Lives and Future ones too ... perhaps the concepts just don't submit to rational discourse and we just have to allow it all ... maybe it is to do with the infinite parallel universe story .... anyway Edgar Cayce is good value and full of interesting information, filtered through the culture of Christ ...whilst a medium's biography, somehow appearing in the Library, has its own compelling narratives ... with eternal consciousness a theme more or less shared across the traditions ...

The DUK General Election builds to a climax, with a further atrocity, called out as a false flag operation in some sections of social media but anyway altering the narrative, as the new saviour, JC, positions himself pragmatically as the proponent of more armed police, more prison officers and accepting Trident after years of principled opposition to the US nuclear submarine, paid for by DUK taxes, sitting in Scottish waters ...

Meanwhile the crafty Tories commit more gaffes, as if they really do want to pass the poison chalice ... Yanis Varoufakis offering the nearest to clear analysis on the political game, told quite lightly as Greek and Shakespeare dramas  ... and he is clear enough, from bitter experience, on the challenging task of exiting the EU, whoever gets the job next Thursday ...

Rain returns after a rather dry Spring ... Saturday saw the last summer day for a while ... and a wonderful walk with elder daughter and her faithful collie ... whilst younger one, wandering around Asia, mostly from beach to beach, has discovered the monsoon in Myanmar ... and some elaborate Buddhist temples to explore ...

Anyway, we are all co-creating our realities one way or another ... and if the mainstream story from the television and newspapers is becoming increasingly unreal, surreal ... then other narratives are itching to be told ....