Date: 7th Febuary 2008

I'm actually in China for the year of the rat. I'm sitting in Jinghong, South West China, with firecrackers exploding outside, and everyone in festive mood.

I've decided to post some pictures from my notebook today. I often understand new information and order my ideas as diagrams, pictures and mindmaps. I've been carrying my current sketchbook for well over a year, and I've made a little headway in transfering these pictures to my website via the Gimp. These pictures will appear in the two books I'm currently working on.

I'm posting them as they are, some half finished, some only rough, as they're still useful.
Some of the pictures are based on my own experience of spirituality, experiences which were better shown as pictures rather than try and explain them. Others are based on own idea and speculations about magic, life and meaning, and many explain the fundementals of Buddhism in a graphical way (or at least try to).

Concerning this first one...

Much of Buddhism was explained in the form of lists. This probably had two benefits. One, because the teachings weren't written down until a long time after the Buddha's passing, it meant that the practice could be handed down as an oral practice.

But also there is some benefit in remembering the lists. For example, to have memorised the five hindrences to concentration means they're easily recognised when they arise, and aren't complicated by making them more than they are. Rather than getting caught up in, oh, I'm so tired, all my body is falling asleep, or, I can't meditate, what if I've left the oven on, what are my children up to etc etc etc, it can be simply labeled 'sloth' and 'restlessness' and then let go of an concentration returned to.

These lists are some of the lesser known ones rather than the core lists, but still helpful to know/reflect on.

I'm not wholly happy with the standard of artwork, but I'm just learning so it will do for now, just so I can archive it and throw away my notebook.







This picture appears at http://followyourstar.zxq.net/growing/zen-thoughtclassification.html.

Main site is: www.followyourstar.co.uk