Well not exactly, and it’s pretty close. The BOOKS are back! The ‘One Dharma Happiness Bookstore’ is back in business – realised a few days ago, after my absence of about 2 months, that I am letting go of the desire to spread the dharma. The desire is leaving me. And as it does I feel lighter, freer. My feeling this passing, this change was one of the myriad of factors contributing to my withdrawal. My self-imposed exile. My time of review; of all that I am and all that I be.

Anyway it would seem that the bitch is back. The mojo, spirit, energy, light, brightness – whatever we call it, it is back, and as a manifestation of this, so too are the books. The bookstore is open once again- welcome – and there’s a good variety of stuff to be got and given as well.

There’s some classical philosophy – I was just reading this morning about Plato and the four elements. The art of alchemy. Transmogrification. Becoming gold. Why gold? Perhaps because it is the metal that is least able to be tarnished and/or corroded.

And some classic noir. I love this stuff – I’ve recently finished ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and ‘Double Indemnity’. Just simple tight-as-a-noose reading.  Some sightly more modern noir and neo-noir, including Philip Dick’s ‘… Electric Sheep’, the great book upon which the fantastic movie ‘Bladerunner’ is based (LOVE that movie! Close to perfection!)

And I got some DVDs (bit of a variety there) to share around. Just received ‘Donny Darko’, and I haven’t seen it yet, so am well looking forward to that!

And of course there’s the odd beautiful and calmly abiding Buddhist text slipped in there somewhere.

So I am back, books are back – bigger and bolder and brighter than ever before. My carrying capacity is renewed. I have re-viewed and re-chosen this stance of mine. I love this turangawaewae – I love where my feet are planted. I love the view from here – all around there is beauty and fascination and discovery. I love the company and the adventure that entails.

x bhavatu sabbe mangalum x

I was, and still am, in awe of that moment. It moved me, reminded me. It was, for me, a sign standing out amongst a mass of signs. It was a ‘mac truck’ of a sign – that is one that figuratively runs us over – one I could not miss.

And it came at a time of doubt as they often do. Once again I had been doubting my purpose, doubting my ability to be all I want to be. Doubting that I was reaching people, touching people, connecting with people. Doubting that I was spreading the dharma in any meaningful way.

And the universe reminded me.  Reassured me – look, look what can happen when you DARE to open your mouth!! In that moment the universe/GOD reminded me to SPEAK UP, reminded me of what I had said I wanted to do – to WALK and TALK.  The whole moment was a glaring reminder of the truly amazing human and spiritual connection that CAN be made simply by commenting on the weather to the person sitting next to us on the Tube or the tram or the train.  It was a reminder to me to be courageous and open my mouth. To speak.

And later as I wandered the streets of Putney and Richmond in a semi-dazed state with this humungous smile on my dial, supposedly on a mission to get Max’s birthday present I found myself in bookshops browsing through books, reading snippets of randomly opened pages…..my writing is interrupted by a call from Tobe in Aotearoa, calling to tell me that there is a conditional offer on the Trust house – MAGIC TIME – I am again in the zone – magic is happening, movement, change, dance… the wonder and mystery reveals itself - and was revealed to me last Saturday in the words on the pages of these books…

‘what is my greatest temptation? Introversion… That is the great temptation for those who misinterpret the words going inward and inner silence…Introversion is not a spiritual state however. Behind it lie all kinds of negative assumptions about the value of external life. The introvert is hiding his light under a bushel basket, the very thing Jesus warns against’

 

speak out

 

‘Human beings the logic suggested, live in societies 150 strong. Although many towns and cities are bigger than this, the number is in fact about right…It is in short the number of people we each know well’

 

make friends

‘It was a revelation to me to read that the just man, the holy man, is also, according to Eckhart, a likeable man…To him the just man is warm and happy and he laughs with God. The just man is the happy man. If in order to find GOD we have to be miserable and afraid then it’s a queer kind of GOD we are looking for’

 

be happy

 

‘Every country has it’s own native myth cycles: they are what makes the inner reality of the land. Thus it is very important for us to be familiar with the mythology of our own place…Once every tree, stone and spring had a tutelary spirit which those who approached it could seek out, with which they could establish contact.’

 

be open to all things

 

‘Time does not flow, any more than space flows. It is we who are flowing, wanderers in a four-dimensional universe. In nature all is given: for her the past and the future do not exist; she is the eternal present; she has no limits, either of space or of time.’

 

be present

 

Enough already, well almost. There is one more thing, one more piece of magic to recount. I was blessed on the Saturday – reminded of who I am, reassured that all is ok, all is good.  Reassured of my purpose. And then on Wednesday I received this message….

Found your book on ebay. Taken by your ID. So I clicked
through some more, read your ebay page, then onto your website.
And a little ebay purchase has taken me on travels, raised a smile and
found myself taken by your writings. I have similar interests and feel
we have similar journeys in life albeit on different roads. So I would
be proud if you would call me your friend. Aren’t friends great! Heh.

And that, simply that, makes it ALL worth while. Thank you John, thank you GOD, thank you UNIVERSE, thank you, thank you one and all.

x bhavatu sabbe mangalum x

Thats right folks, I’ve opened a book shop in the UK and am thinking about opening one in Aotearoa as well – given my lifestyle, the shops are online of course – the UK shop is called ‘One Dharma Happiness Books’. Either follow this link or click the link in the menu (to your right) and check it out. Nothing too flash at present and that will change, perhaps with your help?

I’ve discovered I have a knack for seeking out dharma books – so I thought I’d just go with it - find them, buy them and put them out there for others who are also searching. So if you see a book you like, bid on it, you will be supporting the spread of the dharma (and me which is also a very good thing).

My dream is to have the shop as something communal -I would love it if lots of us, all over the world could find and post books in the shop (and similar ones – e.g. Trade Me in Aotearoa). That however is in the future, for now I just wanted to let you know – dharma books are available right here.

x bhavatu sabbe mangalum x