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From Carcarés to Oliva Plasencia

The first stage after Carcarés was a short day and brought me to a pleasant little town with a long alley of palm trees in its center. I also stayed in a very nice new hotel where I could rest for the next long day of hiking. I got up at 4:30am in the morning and enjoyed the breakfast I bought the day before in a grocery store. It was dark when I walked through the alley where uncountable birds were sleeping. When I walked by, I woke them up and they lifted up into the sky with a loud rustle and lots of cheeping and twittering.

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A brilliant night sky with sparkling stars was expecting me after I left town and I decided not to turn on my head lamp. At one point, a  shooting star crossed the sky and I was just in awe about the beauty and grandeur of this scene. After the sun was rising above the horizon, grasses and leaves were covered with morning dew, glittering in the sun like the stars during the night. I was in awe again!

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The pilgrimage route followed the former Roman road and I saw a lot of Roman milestones just standing or laying beside the street.

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Not used anymore

the ancient Roman milestone

covered by thick moss

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I passed one of the largest dammed up lakes of Europe, the Embalse de Alcántara.

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This day I walked 37.8 km with 62.974 steps and arrived in Cañaveral after 12 hours of walking. I am slow walker

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The only snail I met during my entire pilgrimage. It carried a peculiar house with a ring on its top – it could have been a bird poop or a ring of straw. The snail was not disturbed by my presence. I felt a connection to this slow being.

The walk the next day was nearly as long, but was leading me through a gorgeous countryside full of green meadows, cork oaks, herds of goats and sheep and required continuous opening and closing of animal gates.

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One of many gates

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Each gate had a different device for opening and closing it.

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One of many gates

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Each gate had a different device for opening and closing it.

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One time, I passed a herd of sheep guarded by two huge dogs. When I arrived, they jumped over the wall and ran towards me. I did not know if they were aggressive or friendly and was quite worried. They pushed me from behind and from the side and I was fully aware of my vulnerability. Luckily, they were friendly.

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Every herd of sheep is guarded by at least one dog

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I arrived in Galisteo in the evening and was planning to stay in a simple Albergue, but nobody was there. I called and the hospitalero told me to get the key (it was in a box) and wait for him, which I did. There was only one room with beds and one bed was taken. A black sleeping bag was carelessly laying on it. I took a shower and was waiting and waiting, but nobody came. I had not a good feeling staying alone with a stranger and decided to book a place in the pilgrim hotel Parador. When I left, two pilgrims just came through the door, one of them was Paul from Canada. I had met him briefly on the day of my fall. He saw my purple eyelid and showed me with a big smile his new tooth gap. He had lost his two front teeth by biting into something hard and had to stay in the hospital for two days.

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Galisteo is surrounded by a city wall, Muralla Almohade, built in the 9th century by the Arabs. The tower you see in the distance was part of the Alcázar (castle). The town itself is not so romantic anymore. When I checked into the hotel Parador, I met a young woman called Laura. We immediately connected. She gave me a very helpful tip for the next couple of days of hiking. I was very concerned, as my guide book suggested a distance of over 40km a day. “Make a detour”, she said. “Walk about 30km to a village a bit off the route and return to the path the next day, walking “only” 30 km each day. I followed her advice.

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When I left the hotel the next morning for the village Oliva Plasencia, the countryside was covered by innumerable dew drops. The glittering and sparkling was magical.

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Puente Medieval crossing the Rio Jerte

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Looking back to Galisteo from the medieval bridge

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I passed many storage buildings for drying wheat. However, most of them were in ruins.

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Soon the landscape changed and for many hours I followed a path through an enchanted land. On spring green meadows in between oak tress and moss patched erratic boulders, cattle, sheep and goats were peacefully grazing. Birds were chirping in the trees and inner and outer silence was surrounding me. It could not have been better. However, this changed radically when I started to walk on a street leading to the village.

I had to walk about 7 km on a street with heavy traffic and felt so vulnerable. Cars were rushing by and with each car I thought – I could be like a fly on a window shield if the car hits me. In order to focus and not become too concerned about my safety, I constantly repeated the sentence of the day in my mind ” May I be filled with compassion for others and myself”.  When the sun had disappeared behind the horizon and it started to become dark, suddenly a car stopped in front of me. It was a couple who offered to take me to the next town. I was overjoyed and agreed. They brought me to the bed and breakfast place I had booked and even carried my backpack to the entrance door. There, I met Laura again who just came back from dinner. I was overjoyed and so grateful!

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The couple giving me a ride

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Beautiful Laura with her charming smile in the Albergue in Oliva Placencia

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My way to Cacarés

After leaving the village Alcucén for the next village, I walked through the gorgeous nature preserve “Cornalvo” with meadows, oaks, mosses and giant boulders. It is famous for its variety of birds.

Almost the entire day it was raining. Wild thyme, eucalyptus trees and the rock cistus with its sticky leaves were so generously distributing their fragrance, that I did not mind the “bad weather”. However, both of my feet were quite swollen and hurting.

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Rock cistus

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In love with the moss

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I wore two layers of rain protection – a rain coat and a rain cape, also protecting my backpack. The sentence I was walking with this day was “the fire boy is seeking fire” –  it was fascinating that the element of fire in my mental world balanced with the rain in the physical world.

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Casa de Acogida de los Esclavos de Maria y los Pobres

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I decided to stay in the monastery “Casa de Acogida de los Esclavos de Maria y los Pobres” (Slaves of Mary and the Poor). It was the first and only monastery I stayed in during this pilgrimage. When I arrived, I met the Italien cook Lorenzo again. His first words were “what happened to your eye?” His spontaneous reaction was refreshing! Nobody else had asked about my purple eyelid! He also told me about a phone call the hospitaliero got from the albergue in Mérida warning about a thief. I knew what he was talking about.

At 6:15pm there was a mass scheduled in the house nearby and I decided to attend. I met Lorenzo in the hallway speaking with three young monks. For the last several days, I carried the wishes for the wellbeing of my daughter-in-law and her unborn baby with me, “praying” for her health during delivery. I asked Lorenzo to ask the three monks to pray for her health during mass. Ten days later, my daughter-in-law had fully recovered from covid and delivered a healthy baby boy. I became a grandmother again.

At the church service, the room was full of old men, some in wheelchairs, some talking with themselves, some with a walker or cane, looking depressed. It was a retirement home for men who did not have anybody to care for them at home.  The priest, cold and detached, was doing his job and I thought – when one is a “slave” (Slave of Mary and the Poor), it does not leave room for warm, heartfelt connections. I felt compassion for these men.

Beside Lorenzo, also Anja and Trudi (two Dutch women) stayed in the monastery. I was assigned a single room and was very thankful for that. My feet were swollen and the bottoms burning like fire. I gave them a long massage, rest by holding them upwards to reduce the swelling and took a pain pill to be able to sleep.

After I had breakfast with Trudi and Anja the next morning, I continued my walk and heard, like so often during my pilgrimage, distant shooting; it was hunting season

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On the Camino

still hunters and gatherers

this Thursday morning

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Puente de Santiago, a Roman bridge modified during the middle ages

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A beautiful building with several stork nests on its top – Erimita de la Virgin del Pilar (15th century) at the end of the village “Casas de Don Antonio

For a long time, I followed the former Roman road with “milarios” at the side of the street. Milarios are Roman granite columns marking a Roman mile (1480m).

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The Roman milestone with a niche called Millario correo (milestone of the postman) was used more recently as a post office box. I put my sentence of the day, “to find your path within restrictions, this is the way of practice”, into the niche. This sentence resonated with me very much. Maybe it is also a sentence another pilgrim might find helpful.

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Several miles before the town of Carcarés, I heard a rustle and flapping of wings in the sky. When I looked up, I saw 10-12 vultures floating above me.

By entering the town Carcarés (based on the veneration of the Roman fertility goddess Ceres), I decided not to follow my navigator nor the yellow arrow, but to take a shortcut to to reach my accommodation close to the center of town – a big mistake. The streets in the outskirts of the town were confusing and very ugly and I needed much longer than I had expected. But I still had the afternoon and evening to look around and was intrigued by its beauty.

The old city, surrounded by a city wall and five gates (12th century), is a treasure of Medieval and Renaissance architecture.

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Arco del Cristo (3rd century), the gate where pilgrims enter the town 

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Arco de la Estrella with the city wall

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San Francisco Javier, a Jesuit church. On the lower plaza, there are two modern doors to the left, looking like garage doors. This is an entrance to a truly magical garden

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A “secret garden” I discovered just beside the church

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Medieval tower

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Plaza Major

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Saint Pedro de Alcántara, a mystic of the 16th century living in Extremadura

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.The glossiness of the toes is caused by kisses of Christian believers

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I also visited a small, private museum called Casa Museo Arabe Yusuf al Burch, showing the Islamic past. A young, charming lady explained to me in very good English that this house was the passion of her grandfather who collected all the artefacts.

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Being an UNESCO heritage site since 1986, the old town has kept its magical flair, especially during the nights. I loved to walk through the dimly lighted narrow streets when it got dark. I felt that I was entering a magical world.

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Jesuit church at night

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The bell tower of the cathedral “concatedral de Santa Maria (16th century)

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Looking down the staircase

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However, always when seeing a lot of gold and wealth in this area, I could not help thinking of the brutal killing, robbing and plundering that occurred in South America in order to get this gold wealth.

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Arena for bullfights I passed on my way out of town

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The next morning, I had breakfast in the Churreria Ruiz, a place where locals love to have their coffee and hot chocolate with fresh baked Churros. It was rainy outside and I loved sitting in the sipping my té negro with the delicious sweet Churros.

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Merida

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It was early afternoon when I walked  into the old town of Merida over Puente Romano, the longest bridge of the Roman Empire (800m and 60 arches). I still was limping and my left eyelid was purple looking like a ripe olive from the fall the day before. I now felt that I was initiated into my age group.

When I arrived at the Albergue, an old stone house beside the river, the house was closed.  I called the telephone number attached to the entrance door to let the hospitaliero know that I was there. Several minutes after he arrived, a man with a big suitcase came to the door too. He was not a pilgrim but ask for accommodation, which he was able to get.

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The house looked very charming from on the outside, but it was very uncomfortable inside. It was dirty, had only one room with about 8 bunkbeds and nowhere to really sit down. I was tempted to look for another accommodation. However, this would have taken away time from discovering the city and I decided to stay. After choosing my bed at the entrance (the man had chosen the bed in the center), he started to talk with me in Spanish and broken English. Several times, he asked me if I was going out tonight – which made me very suspicious! I decided to go shopping and come back before leaving for sightseeing and felt guilty that I did not trust him.

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In the far back, two pilgrims already had moved in, but where not present when I arrived. The bed I had chosen was the first to the right. I always had my own liner with me, a silk, very thin sleeping bag. I had to ask for a blanket, as the night was cool.

Merida was founded by the Romans as  “Augusta Emerita” in 25 BC  and was one of the most important and beautiful towns of the Roman Empire. After the Romans left, it was falling into hundreds of years of slumber. The rich Roman heritage, however, made it a tourist destination and in 1993, it was declared an UNESCO World heritage site. Unfortunately, due to my time constraints, I only could see a glimpse of the richness of the Roman past. One of my favourite buildings was the ” Templo Romano de Diana”, with its splendid elegant columns.

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At the start of my city walk, I wore sun glasses in order to hide my purple eyelid. I took them off when it got dark and decided not use them anymore to hide my injury.

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Temple during the night with the 23m high columns. During the 16th century, the temple was integrated into the walls of a palace, which saved the structure. For a long time, I was sitting in front of the temple with many other people, listening to a street musician playing a handpan – the atmosphere was magical.

I wanted to also visit the Teatro Romano and the amphitheatre, but arrived too late at the entrance door. They closed at 6pm. I only could peak through the fence to see what I missed.

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Roman ruins photographed through the fence

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Roman ruins photographed through the fence

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Roman ruins

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Several other pilgrims had checked in when I arrived in the Albergue. One of them was Pedro Pablo, a young man who was on the pilgrimage for 140 days and walked about 3000 km. The day we met was his last day. I asked him what he had learned. ” I became a different human being” he said. “The camino gives and takes away and  most importantly, stops the chatter in your mind”. I agreed with him. Only when the mind is empty from the usual chatter concerning the self, is it possible to get an intimate connection to nature, to oneself and other beings. i was so grateful that I could meet this wonderful human being.

It was rainy and dark when I left the Albergue in the early morning. I passed the Roman aqueduct “Acueducto de los Milagros” on the way out of the city and could not stop to be in awe. On nearly each of the 25m high pillars was sitting a stork clapping with its beak, chatting their songs into the morning. Other birds also had their nests high up there and were flying around the tops of the pillars. The architecture of this aqueduct was stunningly beautiful!

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Acueducto de los Milagros (once 830m long)

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After walking for about 6km, I reached the Lago Proserpina, a damned up lake built by the Romans to provide water for Merida. After 2000 years, it still functions today – a masterwork of engineering! The area is a favourite recreation area in spring and summer, but everything was closed when I was there. I was glad that I had some food that I had purchased before.

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The way continued through gorgeous meadows with cork oaks, granite boulders overgrown with moss and little creeks – a real paradise. After hours of walking alone, I heard two pilgrims chatting behind me. Both stayed in the same Albergue. We started to talk. I complained about the dirtiness of the place and a drunken man falling into the bed beside me, snoring and smelling. The woman responded “yes, in addition, my sleeping bag was stolen!” She slept beside the man I had not trusted. Later on, I met the two Dutch ladies sleeping at the far end of the dorm. One of them missed her towel, the other one her yoghurt. I remembered that I missed my towel bag and one of my earrings. My intuition about the man was right and was glad that I had safeguarded my important belongings beside me in my bed during the night.

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The woman who had her sleeping bag stolen was a biking pilgrim. When I met her again later on, she told me that she bought a much better sleeping bag and it was not a disaster. The pilgrim to the left carried his tent in a bag. He preferred to sleep outside in nature.

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On this Camino so far, most of the churches were closed and I only saw only a few crosses on the way.

Stone walls and boulders, a very typical landscape

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Sheep before the village of Aljucen

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Church of Aljucen during the night

Opposite this church was a bar where I had dinner and breakfast. It was a meeting place for locals. In the morning, at least 50 people came together for breakfast and it was so loud that I hardly could order my things. The entire room was full of chatting, shouting, ordering, and laughing guests. Some of them brought their guns. They prepared for a hunting day. Many of the villages still have a flourishing community life (but hunting is not my thing).

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I was eating breakfast with the two dutch ladies I have met earlier, Trudi and Anja.

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Again we are fortunate to travel with our member Garyo

through Vie de la Plata, the Silver Road:

ー－－－－

VIA DE LA PLATA

When I was looking for a possible pilgrimage starting in the middle of October 2022, I was immediately drawn to the Via de la Plata. Not only was the weather still okay for hiking in southern Spain, but the way from Seville to Santiago de Compostela seemed to have everything I loved – long stretches in nature and a richness of history and culture.

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Map from internet “camino ninjo app”

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Even before the Romans conquered the Iberian Peninsula in 206 BC, there existed a way from south to north used by hunters, shepherds and later by Phoenicians and Greeks in search for gold and zinc. The Romans fortified and enlarged the road, built bridges and camps which later became towns. This Roman road was used by the people of the great migration (Goths, Vandals…) and later by the berber tribes of Africa, who conquered the land in 711 AD. The berber tribes called the road Balath (meaning fortified street) which developed into Via de la Plata (silver road). The Islamic culture left a rich heritage, especially in the southern part of Spain

The “discovery” of the grave of apostle James in the field of stars (campus stellae) in the beginning of the 9th century started the “Reconquista”. Santiago de Compostela became, besides Rome and Jerusalem, the most important pilgrimage destination. Masses of people were motivated to fight against the “heathen” and liberate the Iberian Peninsula from Islamic rulers. By 1492, the last Islamic stronghold, Granada, was conquered and the “Reconquista” ended. During all this time, the Via de la Plata was used as the main connection between northern and southern Spain by millions of people over thousands of years.

It was intriguing to think that I could follow the footsteps of people walking this road since ancient times, that I was just a drop in the bucket joining millions with one step at a time, disappearing into the past like everybody before me. Due to time restrictions, I could not walk the entire path to Santiago de Compostela (1000 km), but I decided to end my pilgrimage in Salamanca. The distance from Seville to Salamanca is about 600 km.

I walked for 26 days with 2 days of rest. During this time, I hardly met any other pilgrims. Not only is the Via de la Plata a less frequented pilgrimage route due to extreme weather conditions and long distances to the next possible accommodation, but most of the pilgrims walk in spring when the weather is nice and everything is in bloom.

Walking a pilgrimage for me is always an opportunity to practice staying in the here and now, to be fully present in my body, to have my senses wide open and live every experience as fully as possible. I took koans, poems and words of wisdom with me in order to clear my mind. They were given to me by friends. I also packed light, but the decision to take only one pair of shoes with me became problematic.

Overall, this pilgrimage was a beautiful experience, but with challenges I did not expect. Every day, I wrote a diary about my experiences, my thoughts and feelings. Especially in the beginning, I composed haikus (most of them I wrote in German) in order to capture the moment  – beside making many photos. It is a pleasure for me to share my journey with you. Please walk with me the Via de la Plata, the silver road to Santiago de Compostela.

VIA DE LA PLATA

When I left the village Castillblanco de los Arroyos at 5:30 am, it was pitch dark. I had to leave so early because my next destination was more than 10 solid walking hours away.

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By stepping out into the night, a sweet smell like rose, jasmine or oranges filled the air. I could not figure out which plant emitted this wonderful fragrance. It was the start of a magical walk through the dark, mysterious night. Roosters announced the day in the distance, dogs communicated with each other far away, glowing eyes stared out of darkness from a curious cow, a flock of birds lifted off from the night’s rest and a wild animal rushed through dense vegetation beside the road. It did not bother me to walk on the asphalt street with hardly any traffic on it. However, with the daylight approaching around 8:30 am, it started to rain and the first part of my day’s trek was becoming more difficult.

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16 km long walk on asphalt street

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It was an incredible relief to reach the entrance to the nature preserve “Monte Publico Navas-Berrocal” a hilly landscape and home to cork oaks, pine trees and little creeks. It stopped raining and I had lunch in a rocky area beside a little creek,

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Still a bit wet from the rain

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Typical lunch I carried with me

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Floating in the sky

above the ancient oak trees

a group of six birds

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Treated oak trees after the bark was harvested.

I always felt uncomfortable to see the protective skin taken away from the tree.

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Looking back where I came from – an endless area of cork oaks and meadows without any houses.

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After 60,000 steps walking this day,  I arrived dead tired in Almaden de la Plata, a village known already by the Greeks and Romans for its blue marble. I had booked a bed in the charming house  “Casa Del Reloj”  and enjoyed being the only pilgrim.

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My room with a view to the main plaza of the village

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Church built in the 16th century

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The next day I could relax a bit – the distance to the next village was only about 16 km. I  walked through a hilly area with gorgeous vegetation – pastures with oak trees, bushes of thyme and anis and little ponds where the Iberian pigs were able to take a bath. I also met the two pilgrims I had seen before – the French cook Yannik and the Italian cook Lorenzo.

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On my pilgrimage, I saw many black Iberian pigs running around freely in search of acorns. They are treated in a way animal should be treated – with respect. These in the photo above have their own pond where they could swim.

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Whenever I went along a pasture of pigs, they came to the fence to figure me out. Very often, they accompanied me and were running beside the fence as long as possible.

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Lorenzo and Yannik, the first pilgrims I met. Yannik, a passionate meat eater and chain smoker, made fun of me when I admired the pigs in their natural beauty. He, as a cook, only saw in them a provider for food. However, he suggested harvesting the wild thyme, which I did. I used it to make thyme tea on my trek.

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On the lonely street

bushes of blue-green

speak of yellow spring

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The goal for the day was the village El Real de la Jara. It is on the border of the region Asturia and the vast area Extremadura. Extremadura is as large as Switzerland and very thinly populated. It consists of many natural areas and nature parks, where black storks and large colonies of vultures floating in the sky still can be seen. Entering Extremadura means for pilgrims many long stretches of walks with few possibility to stay overnight.

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Hiking through the region Extremadura

The name of the region reveals that Extremadura is an area of extremes, not only historically but also geographically. During Roman times, Merida in Extremadura was the most important Roman town on the Iberian peninsula. A network of Roman roads connected it to other cities. As the Via de la Plata follows the Roman road to the north (Calzada Romana), it leads to towns with a lot of Roman architecture. After the Romans left, the area lost its importance and was falling into poverty. For several centuries, Extremadura was the main region of emigration to S-America. Francisco Pizarro and Hernan Cortez came from this region.

Extremadura is known for the large Dehesas, which are huge pastures were cork oaks and holm oaks provide the “bellotas” (acorns) especially for the very high prized Iberian black pig.

Without much infrastructure, the long stretches of walks between settlements can be a challenge for pilgrims walking the Via de la Plata through Extremadura (nearly 400 km).

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Between the stone walls

not yet alone anymore

a little black bug

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This beautiful horse was checking me out.

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Castillas de las Torres (13th century) built by the knights of the order of Santiago. They provided safety for pilgrims and also for the drovers leading animals (mainly sheep) on the Via de la Plata. The Canadas Reales (walkways for animals protected by the king) followed the Via de la Plata.

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It had recently rained and some pastures looked like meadows in springtime

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My first destination in the region of Extremadura was a town called Monesterio (got its name from a monastery founded by the knights of the order of Templar), but the monastery is not there anymore. Instead, the town is the most famous center of the highly prized “Jamon Iberico de Pata Negra”. Just before entering the town, I walked through a forested area with a dead, rotting pig – an interesting introduction to the town.

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Rotting, dead pig beside my path

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It was rainy when I arrived in Monesterio and I followed the instructions of my navigator to lead me to the recommended Albergue municipal. It was closed! I could not believe it!

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I had a bad headache (maybe by not drinking enough water), needed urgently to use a bathroom and wanted to just have a place to rest. I called several places, but everything was closed.  Finally, somebody who could speak English recommended Hostal Extremedura. They had a room for me – what a treat! I had a private room, a bed with pure white cotton bedding, a bathtub and a wonderful, big towel! Being grateful for simple things is something I had learned on a pilgrimage.  The owner also recommended an actualised app for pilgrims looking for accommodations – very helpful!

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A loyal watchdog guarding a herd of sheep

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Although seemingly boring, I loved the walk on the wide open fields of the Dehesa for the next two days (about 50km).  On the High Plateau, endless fields of brown, warm earth stretched to the horizon and merged with the sky above. Sometimes, only broom bushes were growing beside the road, speaking of spring when everything is in bloom. Now they were resting.

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Every so often the dried blossoms of thistles merged with the dry, golden grass beside the road, enjoying the beauty of the fall season.

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Olive orchard in the distance

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A long time ago, a goat was caught in the fence, but even the skull was beautiful!

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However, not really visible by seeing but by hearing and smelling, was the industrial food production in this area. Pigs were kept in large halls and even from a far distance, I heard their heartbreaking cries. Sometimes, the smell of manure was unbearable. It was probably spread on the fields.

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The route of the pilgrimage is well marked, especially in Extremadura. It would be dangerous to get lost without any water source or settlements for miles and miles. These granite cubes show not only the direction of the way (yellow arrow and shell), but indicate also if the route follows the former Roman road (yellow-green square).

However, after walking so many miles on a flat surface with my barefoot shoes, I felt that my left foot was starting to hurt, but I was dedicated to make the pain my friend and walk with it.

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Pain in my left foot –

how about we are good friends

one step at a time

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When I arrived in the village of Calzadilla de los Barros, my friend, Mr. Pain, occupied my entire attention and did not stop bothering me. I had to do something and was lucky – I passed a pharmacy! I bought medicine suggested by the owners. They also recommended a hotel in the next town, Zafra.

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Despite the healing creme, the pain became nearly unbearable. I tried to put weight on different parts of my foot and not stiffen up. It helped a bit. My speed of walking was extremely slow. By the time I entered the town Zafra, I could not walk anymore. I booked a room in the Hotel Palmeras, a beautiful old hotel in the center of the city, and stayed there for two nights.

Zafra

My feet urgently needed a day of rest and the timing was perfect – Zafra is a town with the narrow, bent streets, radiant white houses with black wrought iron fences on the balconies, Plazas with restaurants and cafes and the birds living in the palm trees chirping all day. I immediately was falling in love with this town!

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Plaza Grande (used for bull fights in the 16th century) with the hotel Palmiras at the far end to the left

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My hotel room was so charming that I did not mind hours of resting. But I needed new shoes. The receptionist recommended a shoe store very close to the hotel and I bought two pairs of shoes. The owner of the store and his wife were very helpful, provided a box where I could ship my barefoot shoes and other things back to Austria. The owner, Frank, even went with me to the post office and carried the box – a very warm and gentle human being. I was very grateful for his help!

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Shoe store with husband and wife preparing my box for shipping

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In the afternoon, I went for a short walk through the city, trying my new shoes. They felt so much better to walk in.

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I could see this gothic entrance to a hospital from my hotel room

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One of many narrow streets

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View from the Alcazar (castle) built in the 16th century, now a luxury hotel

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Inner court of the luxury hotel Parador

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Defensive corridor of the former castle

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I was able to walk all around, but had troubles with the stairs – it was hurtful and I had to hold on to the wall.

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Every evening, I enjoyed cerveza chica ( a small beer) with the meal. Most of the time, I had troubles with the menu. I did not speak Spanish and it was impossible to use the google translator for food. For example, Revuelta de la casa was translated as “scrambled house” or 1/4 cabrito as “1/4 of a child”. This was not a country for vegetarian meals. Often, I ordered a hamburger.

Limping and still with a swollen foot, I left Zafra after a wonderful day of rest. The shoes provided a better cushion to the ground and the two walking sticks helped to ease off my weight a bit.

I hiked through a hilly countryside with olive trees. grapevines and meadows. The warm, red soil of some stretches of the path reminded me of Sedona in Arizona.

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Torre de San Francisco, the remains of a monastery

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.It seemed that this beautiful tower on the outskirts of Zafra was not valued much.

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Rows of vineyards with an old, covered well

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The uniqueness of each old olive tree always fascinated me

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Elegant beauty –

Not young anymore

the olive tree beside me

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The remnants of an olive press

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Endless red soil with grapevines

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Sometimes, I found grapes still on the vine

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After the rain

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Approaching the town Villafranca

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Two little boys using the church gate for climbing exercises in the town Villafranca de los Barros

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A community project of knitting circular pads hanging near the hotel I stayed overnight

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It was dark when I left Villafranca for the next town, Torremejia. I had to walk 30km with no houses in between, including a 16 km long former Roman road.  Endless vineyards and rows of olive trees stretched to the horizon. Most of the time, no other plants were allowed to grow in between the designated plants and I was reminded of the industrial exploitation of land in agriculture.  I used this toneless, unchanging landscape for my meditation practice and focused on breathing, on feeling the ground under my feet, listening to my steps and composing haikus.

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Two workers harvesting olives with a tool shaking the branches. The olives are collected in the black fabric on the ground. The smaller plants are grape vines.

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This is the former Roman road leading straight to the North (for 16 km)/

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There was almost no traffic and I walked in the middle of the gravel road for hours. At one point, I wanted to make a photo of my shadow on the street. I prepared my camera, leaned my walking sticks left and right on my hips and was ready to click, when I heard a car behind me. I stepped to the side without seeing the tiny slope, slipped and landed with my full body on the ground. The left side of my head hit the gravel and started immediately to bleed. The driver of the car stopped, said something in Spanish I did not understand and offered me a ride to the next town. I did not need it. The injury was only on the surface.

Walking the long road

with the shadow before me

breathing in and out

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 謹賀新年

 

 

 

西岡さん、魯参さん、みなさん

 

 

今年もよろしくお願いします。

 

ウクライナでの戦争はクリスマス休戦もなく、

新年になっても激しい戦闘が続いているようで

その生々しい映像を見せられると心が張り裂け

そうになります。

 

そんな中で西岡さんたちの毎年恒例の「元旦座り込み」

の様子を知って勇気付けられました。

中国ではデモで白紙を掲げていますが、この写真の

「平和」の紙がまばゆく感じました。

 

私からは花の写真しか送られません。

昨日撮った我が家の庭の花の写真を見てください。

 

上から、蝋梅、侘助、蝋梅、万両、薔薇、野牡丹、

マーガレットコスモス、薔薇、水仙、菜の花です。

寒風の中、よく咲いてくれています。

薔薇, bara, rose

水仙, suisen, daffodil

菜の花, na-no-hana, rape flowers

Amazing and unusual pictures of the total moon eclipse and Uranus 

taken by Mr. Noriyuki Otsuka, our regular contributor,

Shimoda, Shizuoka, Japan.

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Garyo, our member, is on the way in her pilgrimage and sent some pictures.

Her note and FB posting read:

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I am on the way already for six days and find it challenging and beautiful. Long stretches of solitude provide the opportunity to practice. Your sentence „ the body in the golden wind“ is alway present, I dedicated my pilgrimage to it. As you see in the photos, the landscape is beautiful in its simplicity and has its own magic. I love the ancient oak trees and the open meadows with pigs, cows, horses, sheep and goats- when I am out of the city, it feels that I returned back hundred of years.

It is the 6th day that I am walking on the Via de la Plata, a way of great solitude which has its own beauty. There are no towns or villages in between the sections and I have to plan for food and water. It was good that the first couple of days it was rainy. Some stretches are very long, several days ago I did 58141 steps and was totally exhausted. However, my barefoot shoes are great for this pilgrimage. Maybe my walking is supported by the Roman goddess Nemesis, whose footprints I found in the Roman arena of Italica. I decided to unite my footprints with hers….

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2. Some more pictures sent to us:

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3. Some more pictures from her FB:

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4.

Dear friends,

It is now 17 days I am walking on my pilgrimage, 12 days of that time in Extremadur, a very thinly populated area. Hardly any house or villages are on the way. Over time, the landscape changed and became more green. I still followed the ancient Roman road, crossing Roman bridges and passed milestones used as markers in Roman times.  The sky is open and wide. The last two days, vultures made their elegant circles above me- a beauty to watch. In the morning, sometimes the landscape is embraced by thick mist- very magical experience. Some towns, like Caceres, are medieval treasures.  Here are some impressions from my pilgrimage…

 

                                                                                                                                       (Nov. 3, 2022 C.E.)
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It is rare to see crosses in this area

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Morning sun

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Roman bridge

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A monastery with Storch nests on the tower.

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Roman milestone
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Feeling back in time

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Typical path with open sky

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Morning mist

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A vulture circling above

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Stairway of a church tower
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Town of Caceres

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Magical tiny garden in the town Caceres

 

Sent from my iPhone

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6. From her FB (Nov. 8, 2022 C.E.):

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6.  Yesterday was my most special day- my 4th grandchild was born! As if the heavens would announce his arrival on earth, the sky was magical with the sun breaking through thick mist!    (Nov. 12, 2022 C.E.)

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7.

 

Dear friends,

Yesterday, I finished my pilgrimage in Salamanca, a town considered as the most beautiful town In Spain. From my time in solitude,  I entered a town full bursting life. I mainly visited the cathedral and walked around  the old city, which is a pedestrian zone. From my walk, I send you my favorite photos.

Thank you so much for walking with me the many miles of beauty and solitude. It means a lot to me that I can share my experience.

Gassho,

Garyo

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The way to Salamanca

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Entering Salamanca through golden colored trees

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Crossing again a Roman bridge

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The Tormes River with the old and new Cathedral in the background

This day, I meditated on a sentence of being a fool- and seemed to turn into one…

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View to Plaza Mayor with the many outdoor Cafes

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The cupola and gothic ceiling of the “new Cathedral”

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A Romanesque lion in the “old Cathedral carrying a sarcophagus

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A favorite sculpture in the old Cathedral

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One of many churches

– Sent from my iPhone, Nov. 14, 2022 C.E. –

8.

 I am now back in Sevilla where I started and ready to fly back to Vienna. On the last section of photos, I forgot to include the pilgrim’s pass, called credential del peregrino-a pilgrim needs this pass to be allowed to stay in an Albergue. In each Albergue, the pilgrim gets a stamp.

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What is religion? Religion is from Latin religare, re-uniting. Reuniting with what? There are many definitions about religions. From the history and the common characteristic of religions, we can find holiness, as Rudolf Otto defined it. Religion evolved from clan, tribe, and nation to world community to reunite in each society. Even if religions spread worldwide, they have their prehistory characteristics.

Clan and tribal religions started from worshipping powers of great ancestors, familiar animals, awe-inspiring trees, mountains, etc.,  and natural forces like the sun, stars, thunder, etc. These became idealized as gods (deva / dyau, zeus, etc.: shining) and organized and ordered as God (Dyau-pitar, Zeus Pater / Ju-piter: God Father, et al.). Polytheism evolves into monotheism, then monism (like Brahman).

Different from Iranian (Aryan) and European (Judeo-Christian) theistic traditions, Native Indian and Asian religions tended to be more humanistic, stressing the Dharma (law / phenomena: truth / ethic), Dao (Way of heaven / earth), etc. Modern sciences and ecological findings are freeing from anthropomorphic and homo-centric theism and stressing the universal truth and ethic more.

Modern sciences and technologies have been criticized for their value-free, homo-centric ways, causing environmental problems, nukes, etc. We now need a more universal religion beyond tribal, nationalistic, or homo-centric religions to reunite the global life system with a global ethic, avoiding collusion with politics, human rights violations, environmental damage, wars, nukes, and global catastrophe.

October 8, 2022 C.E.

Note.

1. Religion (from Latin religare, reunion) means reunion with holiness (wholly wholesomeness) from sin (separated sickness). World religions say their ideal figure is Friend (Mitra, Mithra, Mazda, Maitreya, Massiah, Messiah, et al.).

2. The Parliament of the World’s Religions issued the Declaration toward a Global Ethic in 1993 in Chicago, which encouraged all people, religious or not, to observe the (originally Four, but now) Five Directives, which are an adaptation of the basic ethical rules of the Five Precepts (no killing, no stealing, no lying, no sexual misconduct, no intoxicants), and the Ten Precepts of Buddhism and the Ten Commandments:

A commitment to the culture of

1. Non-violence and Respect for Life
   II. Solidarity and a Just Economic Order
   III. Tolerance and a Life of Truthfulness
   IV. Equal Rights and Partnership Between Men and Women
   V. Sustainability and Care for the Earth

https://parliamentofreligions.org/globalethic/

3. Tribal and national (anthropomorphic) religions tend to become patriarchal (authoritative) and homo-centric, causing discriminations (gender, race, status, etc.) that are often used by political powers, and vice versa (religions using and even becoming political powers), leading to collusions and corruptions. Religions with their traditional bases mobilize their followers for their own selfish profits or political groups’ agenda. We must also be careful about the distinction between true (holy, i.e., wholly wholesome) religion and cultic ones.

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宗教とは何でしょうか？（その英語）Religionはラテン語 religare（再結合）に由来します。では、何と再結合するのでしょうか？宗教の定義は多くあります。諸宗教の歴史と共通の特色から、ルードルフ・オットーが定義したように、聖（全体健全）を見出すことができます。宗教は氏族、部族、民族から世界共同体へとそれぞれの社会で再結合し発展しました。諸宗教が世界的に広まっても、それぞれの前の歴史の特徴を持っています。

氏族、部族宗教は偉大な祖先、身近な動物、驚異的な樹、山等や太陽、星々、雷（神鳴）等の諸力を崇拝することから始まっています。これらは諸神（deva/ dyau, zeus等、輝くもの)と観念化され、「（主）神」 (Dyau-pitar, Zeus Pater/Ju-piter:父神等)と組織化され秩序付けられました。多神教は一神教に、更に（梵のような）唯一者（物）へと発展します。

イラン (アーリヤ人) や欧米 (ユダヤ・キリスト教) の有神論とは異なり土着インドやアジアの諸宗教はもっと人間的なものの傾向があり、法（規則/現象: 真理/倫理）や道（天/地道）などを強調します。現代科学や生態的発見は有神論や人間中心主義から自由になり、もっと普遍的な真理/倫理を強調します。

現代科学や技術は環境問題、核等について、その価値自由（善悪等の価値無視）と人間中心主義が批判されてきました。私達は部族的、民族的、人間中心的な諸宗教を超えて、政治との癒着、人権侵害、環境損害、戦争、核、地球的破局を避けて、さらに普遍的な宗教を必要としています。

2022共通年10月8日

註：

１．（ラテン語のreligare, 再結合に由来する）宗教（religion）は罪（分離病患）から聖（全体健全）に再結合することです。世界宗教はその理想像として「友（Mitra, Mithra, Mazda, Maitreya: 弥勒、Massiah, Messiah等）」を語っています。

2.  世界宗教会議は1993年シカゴで「地球倫理宣言」を発出しましたが、それは、宗教者もそうでない人も、皆が（元は四でしたが）五つの教令を守ることを奨励しています。それは仏教の五戒（不殺、不盗、不偽、不邪淫、不飲酒）や十戒や、（一神教の）十戒の基本的倫理規則の適用です：

1. 非暴力と生命
2. 連帯と公正な経済秩序

• 寛容と真実の生活

1. 男女の平等な権利と共同精神
2. 維持可能性と地球への配慮

の文化に対する献身

https://parliamentofreligions.org/globalethic/

3.  氏族、部族（有神論的）諸宗教は父権的（権威主義的）で人間中心主義になりやすく、（性別、人種、地位等の）差別を起こし、しばしば政治的権力に利用され、あるいば逆に（宗教が政治的力を利用し、自ら政治権力に）なったりし、癒着と腐敗に導きます。諸宗教はその伝統的基盤をもって、自らの利己的利益のためや政治的グループの政治目的の為に、その信者達を動員します。私達は真の（聖なる、即ち全体健全な）宗教とカルト的なものの違いについて注意しなければなりません。

4.  宗教の字義は（宗は白川静の神殿でお神酒を注ぐという解釈もありますが、加藤常賢の「高い家」などから）「崇高な教え」と考えられます。

5.  聖は（加藤常賢によれば漢字の字義は「耳の穴が良く開き常人には聞こえないものを聴く者」とし、白川静は口は祝祷を収める器とし「神の声を聴ける者」とし、孔子は「（仁）聖を最高理想像とした」として論語を引用）ギリシャ語hagia,梵語ārya,パーリ語ariyaはholy (wholly wholesome: 全体健全：共同体全体の健全)が宗教（生き方：風俗習慣から生きる道：あるべき生き方：個別：罪：sin = separationから聖への再結合）の共通の道でしょう。

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Putin escalated his war by annexing four Ukrainian states with a sham poll of the residents, further threatening the world with nukes (bombs and power plants). The UN security council became defunct due to the Russian denial to stop anything related to its invasion war, killing tens of thousands of people with torture and rape, at least 12 million refugees being displaced (according to the UN), and the destruction of homes, infrastructure, and lands to cause famines worldwide .

This is due mainly to Putin’s delusion of becoming a national hero by expanding Russian territory with wars, supported by his proteges and the manipulated populace. This is made possible by people’s delusion of nationalism supported by the Five Fictitious Bodies of nation, media, religion, corporation, and education, and the Five Fictions of self, society, status, species, and symbolism. The self is a bubble, and society (state) is foam on the ocean of the global life system.

The global life system has been evolving through four billion years of life (of the fifteen billion years of cosmic development) and complex communities of living beings in the Dharma (universal law of truth/ethic) of Dependent Co-origination. The human species has survived due to society, succeeding in science and technology, which are now creating global crises with the global problematique, even to the point of extinction of itself along with other species and systems.

To avoid this global catastrophe, we need a fundamental paradigm shift from ego to eco (bubble to ocean), karma to Dharma, nationalism to globalism, money to life, civilization to culture. Globalism is not global domination by fictitious bodies, but global community with a global ethic, and human rights with the reform of the present global institutions such as the UN, ICJ, ICC, the Five Fictitious Bodies, Intergovernmental organizations, NPOs, etc.

October 1, 2022 C.E.

1. The Dharma of Dependent Co-origination is essentially equivalent to the causal law modern natural sciences employ as the basic rule in study and application. The important difference between them is that the former stresses limitless conditions and their effects on the usually taken linear cause and effect, and applies it to subjects of change, normally applied only to objects in the latter. The Indra-net, whose crystal balls on all knots reflect all other crystal balls limitlessly, illustrates the Dharma of Dependent Co-origination. We must change in the changes we want, as Gandhi said. We must awaken and act in the shift from ego to eco, sin to holiness, etc., actively engaged with others. We can start ourselves, our local, regional, national, global communities, organizations, networks, SNSs, media, etc. to change, co-work, interconnect, decrease, and abolish nukes, wars, dictators, etc.

2. If we understand the Dharma of Dependent Co-origination well enough, we can understand the ultimate truth of the Five Fictions of Self, Society, Status, Species, and Symbolism and of the Five Fictitious Bodies of nations, corporations, religions, media, and education. We can thus shift from ego to eco, sin to holiness, karma to Dharma, Civilization to Culture, etc.

3. Any one living being is a creation, sustenance, and cessation of the whole world since its creation, unique and irreplaceable, valuable and equal, thus no one has the right to kill, harm, etc., much less annihilate all beings in the world into its doom. That’s why we must abolish nukes, wars, dictatorship, etc., avoiding the blind belief in the Five Fictions, the Five Fictitious Bodies, etc.

4. Crimes and evil come from errors and mistakes of taking small as great (ego as eco: life systems with lives, etc.), past as present (old thinking as new: a single state as the whole world, etc.), mundane as supra-mundane (money/matter/might as life/heart/harmony, etc.). These are the fallacies of space, time, and value, which can be summed up as the mini-max mistake (taking a small thing as a great one).

5. We should not make mini-max mistakes, much less the mistake of misconception or delusion of the self, society, status, state, and symbolism [the Five Fallacies, made into the five Ss adding symbolism to the four idola (idolized, idols) of cave, agora (marketplace), theatre, and race, conceived of by Francis Bacon]. These are all fictitious fabrications by symbolism as stipulated by Ernst Cassirer in his Philosophy of Symbolism, An Essay of Man, The Myth of the State, etc.

6. The Five Fictitious Bodies, as modern major players, are states, religions, corporations, media, and education, which can collude or corrupt each other, especially with dictatorship, nationalism, militarism, and pyramidal civilization.

7. We should not blindly believe the myth of the state. Dictators delude the people to patriotism, to wage wars with weapons, even to nuke the whole world to its end. No one should blindly believe in dictators, states, wars, nukes, violating the universal law (Dharma: truth/ethic: global ethic), human rights (to life, living in peace, equality, freedom, friendship, etc.). No one should blindly believe in the other four Ss of the Five Fallacies, which also damage oneself and others.

8. The first four of the Five Precepts guarantee life potential, material bases, societal stability, and gender and generation relations: No killing is to guarantee life’s potential full blooming, otherwise all possibilities are denied. No stealing is to guarantee material support for life and living. No lying is to guarantee social stability on mutual trust. No sexual misconduct is to guarantee a good transition to future generations.

9. We must establish the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities as an essential counterpart of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopting a Global Ethic issued by the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1993 in Chicago, adopted essentially from the first four of the Buddhist Five Precepts of no killing, no stealing, no falsehood, no sexual misconduct, and no intoxicant). The four directives (with the addition of the fifth) of the Global Ethic are as follows:

The commitment to the culture of

1. Non-violence and Respect for Life
   II. Solidarity and a Just Economic Order
   III. Tolerance and a Life of Truthfulness
   IV. Equal Rights and Partnership Between Men and Women
   V. Sustainability and Care for the Earth

https://parliamentofreligions.org/globalethic/

This declaration was presented to the U.N. to be employed as the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities as a counterpart to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As Gandhi said that the Ganges of rights comes from the Himalaya of responsibilities, the Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities must be issued immediately, clarifying that all should not kill, steal, lie, and discriminate in continuing generations. Anyone violating these should be caught and prosecuted regardless of race, religion, gender, generation, position, possession, etc.

10. Our societies advanced from family, clan, tribe, race, nation, and now must become global beyond nation states, which cause wars, nukes, etc. The United Nations was established by the united (allied) nations against the axis powers with charters that reflect the situations in those days, but times have changed with the number of participating nations increasing and the system not equally operated. So, it should be renewed to adapt to the present day with the renewal of its security council, etc. For instance, the allied nations as the permanent security council members started and stocked the most nukes, inroaded inside and out, and are now invading with the threat of nukes, using veto power. We need an equal and equitable representation according to population, etc.

11. Our global community needs new legal, institutional systems to abolish nukes, war, dictatorships, and nationalism, renewing the present United Nations, International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court, with effective enforcing systems stopping nukes, wars, etc. U.N. should be renewed by making it more equal (by population), changing the Security Council’s permanent membership and the veto power of the past five united (allied) nations, etc., and strengthening the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court, with powers of prosecution.

12. Global problematique means the intertwined global problems like population explosion, mass production/consumption/waste, pollution, global warming, mass extinction of species, etc.

13. We need to go back to a more original dharma world from the artificial pyramidal systems we now have. For this we need a Paradigm Shift from an artificial unidirectional pyramidal civilization (urbanization) for money, matter, and might with the Five Calamities of delusion, bondage, discrimination, exploitation, and extermination to a natural, cyclical life Indra-net culture (cultivation) for life, heart, and harmony with the Five Blisses of awakening, freedom, equality, friendship, and peace:

https://heiwasekai.wordpress.com/2018/01/20/%e3%80%8c%e6%9e%a0%e7%b5%84%e8%bb%a2%e6%8f%9b%e3%80%8d%ef%bc%9aparadigm-shift/?fbclid=IwAR2PEo9t4YwkwTSo4QRdVseqW08HeASD7orrenbOQLh181s72MAbV-WxkuM

プーチンはウクライナの四州を住民の偽投票で併合し、世界を核（爆弾と原発）の更なる威嚇で自分の戦争をエスカレートさせました。何万人もの人を拷問、凌辱して殺し、（国連によれば）千二百万人のg避難民を追い出し、家やインフラや土地を破壊して世界中に飢餓を起こし他侵略戦争に関する何も止めることを拒否するロシアによって国連安保理を機能麻痺させています。

これは主にプーチンが、自分の子分達と操作された一般人達に支えられて、ロシア領を拡張して国家の英雄になりたいと言う迷妄によっているのです。これは人々の国家、メディア、宗教、企業と教育の五仮構体と自我、社会、地位、種族、象徴主義の五禍に支えられた人々の国家主義の迷妄によって可能になっているのです。自我と社会（国家）は地球生命組織の大海に浮かぶ泡沫とその合泡体です。

地球生命組織は（百五十憶年の宇宙の発展中の）四十億年に渡り新化して来た生命と縁起の法（真理・倫理の普遍法）にある諸衆生の複雑な共同体です。人類は科学と技術に成功した社会により生残りましたが、これらは今や自らと他の種族と組織と共に絶滅の点に至る程の地球問題群を抱えて地球危機を生んでいます。

この地球の破局を避ける為に、私達はエゴからエコ（泡沫から大海）へ、業から法へ、国家主義から地球主義へ、金から命へ、文明から文化への根本的枠組転換を必要としています。地球主義とは諸仮構体による地球支配では無く地球倫理、人権を備え、国連、国際刑事裁判所、国際司法裁判所、五仮構体、政府間組織、非営利団体などの改革を伴う、地球共同体のことです。

2022共通年10月1日

註

１．縁起の法は、現代の諸科学が研究と応用に採用している基本法則の因果律と本質的人は同等です。それらの重要な相違は前者が通常線形の原因と結果に対して無限の条件とその結果があると強調することと、後者では通常対象のみに適用されるのに対して変化の主体に適用されることです。帝釈網が、その結び目のすべてにある水晶の珠が無限に他の水晶の珠を繁栄する、は縁起法を例示しています。ガンジーが言ったように私達が望む変化において自分が変わらなければなりません。私達はエゴからエコへ、罪から聖へ等の枠組転換で、他と行動的に関わり、覚醒し活動しなければなりません。私達は自己、地域、地方、国家、地球の共同体、組織、ネットワーク、社会網サービス、メディア等と始め、共同し、結合し、核、戦争、独裁者などを削減し廃止することを始められます。

２．私達が縁起法を十分に理解するならば、私達は自我、社会、地位、種族と象徴主義の五禍および国家、企業、宗教、メディアと教育の五仮構体の究極的真理を理解できすでしょう。そうすれば私達はエゴからえこへ、罪から聖へ、業から法へ、文明から文化などへ転換できます。

３．如何なる生物も全体世界の生成以来の生成、存続、停止物であり、独自、取り換え不能であり、価値あり、平等であるので誰も殺し、障害等をする権利はなく、ましてそのはめつへと一切存在を全滅させる権利はありません。私達が核、戦争、独裁などを廃止し五禍や五仮構体の妄信を避けなければならないのです。

４．犯罪と悪は小を大（エゴをエコとし、生命組織を生命とするなど）とし、過去を現在（古い思考を新しとし、一国家を全世界とする等０、世俗を超俗（金・物・力を命・心・和とするなど）とする過誤と誤謬から来ます。これらは空間、時間、価値の誤謬であり、大小過誤（小を大とする）と纏めることが出来ます。

５．私達は大小過誤をすべきではありません、まして自我、社会、地位、国家、象徴主義[これら五過誤はフランシス・ベーコンの四イドラ（偶像化：偶像）の洞窟、アゴラ（市場）、劇場、人種に象徴主義を加えて５Sとしたもの]の誤解や妄想の過誤をすべきではありません。これらはすべてエルンスト・カッシラーがその「象徴の哲学」、「人間」、「国家の神話」などで指摘された象徴主義による仮構の捏造です。

６．現代の主要活動体としての五仮構体は国家、宗教、企業、メディア、教育で、これらは癒着しあい堕落しあうことがあり得ます。

７．私達は国家の神話を妄信してはなりません。独裁者達は人々を欺瞞して愛国主義者にし、武器をもって戦争を強行し、全世界をその終末へ核破滅さえします。誰も普遍法（Dharma: 真理・倫理：地球倫理）、（生命に対する、平和・平等・自由・友愛などで生活する）人権に違反して、独裁者、国家、戦争、核を妄信すべきではありません。誰も自分と他者を損壊する五過誤の他の四つ（社会、地位、種族、象徴主義）も妄信すべきではありません。

８．五戒の最初の四つは命の可能性、物質的基盤、社会的安定と性別世代別関係を保障します：不殺生は命の可能性の禅的開花をほしょうし、そうしなければ一切の可能性が否定されます。不偸盗は生命と生活の物質的支持を保障します。不虚偽は相互信頼異の社会的安定を保障します。不邪淫は未来世代への良好な推移を保障します。

９．私達は世界人権宣言の必須の対応物として（本質は不殺、不盗、不偽、不邪淫、不飲酒の仏教の五戒の最初の四つを採用し1993年にシカゴで世界宗教会議が発出した地球倫理を採用して）世界人務宣言を確立しなければなりません。その四つ（後に第五が追加された）教令は以下の通りです：

1. 非暴力と生命
2. 連帯と公正な経済秩序
3. 寛容と真実の生活
4. 男女の平等な権利と共同精神
5. 維持可能性と地球への配慮

の文化に対する誓約

https://parliamentofreligions.org/globalethic/

この宣言は国連に世界人権宣言の対応物として世界人務宣言として採用されるように国連に提出されました。ガンジーが、諸権利のガンジスは諸義務のヒマラヤに発すると言うように、世界人務宣言は直ちに発出され、一切の人が世代に渡り継続して不殺、不盗、不偽、不差別をすべきだと明らかにすべきです。これらを犯す者は誰でも人種、宗教、性別、世代、地位、所有などの如何に拘わらず逮捕され、処刑されるべきです。

１０．私達の社会は家族、氏族、部族、種族、地区（集団）、国民（集団）から今や、戦争や核などを起こす国民国家を超えた地球（集団）に進まなければなりません。国連は枢軸国に対する国連（連合国）により当時の情勢によりその憲章をもって設立されましたが加盟国の数が増え、その組織が平等に運営されない時代の変化があります。だから、安保理の改新など現時点に対応するよう改新されなければなりません。例えば連合国は安保理常任理事国として出発し核を最も多く持ち内外共に侵食し、核威嚇でで侵略し、拒否権を行使しています。私達は人口比による平等で公平な代表を必要としています。

１１．私達の地球共同体は核、戦争、独裁、国家主義を廃止し、現在の国連、国際司法裁判所、国際刑事裁判所が核、戦争等を効果的に実行できる改新された新しい法的、制度的書式を必要としています。国連はもっと（人口で）平等にし、安保理上に理事国や過去の連合五か国の拒否権などを変え、国際司法裁判所や国際刑事裁判所に執行力を備えさせて改新されなければなりません。

１２．地球問題群とは人口爆発、大量生産・消費・廃棄、汚染、地球温暖化、種の大量絶滅などの相互に関連する地球的諸問題を意味します。

１３．私達は現在持っている人工的な金字塔組織をもっと原初的な法界へと回帰する必要があります。この為に私達は金、物、力を求め錯誤、束縛、差別、搾取、殺戮の五禍を伴う人工的で一方向の金字塔文明（都市化）を命、心、和を求め覚醒、自由、平等、友愛、平和の五福を伴う自然的で循環的な命帝網文化（修養）への枠組転換が必要です：

https://heiwasekai.wordpress.com/2018/01/20/%e3%80%8c%e6%9e%a0%e7%b5%84%e8%bb%a2%e6%8f%9b%e3%80%8d%ef%bc%9aparadigm-shift/?fbclid=IwAR2PEo9t4YwkwTSo4QRdVseqW08HeASD7orrenbOQLh181s72MAbV-WxkuM

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What is bodhi, awakening, by which Gotama became buddha, awakened? We can know it from the description of his awakening experience, Damma abhisamaya, direct contact, the first turning of the Dhamma cakka, wheel, the last advice to his followers, taking refuge in the Two Refuges of attan, self, and Dhamma, becoming  Tathā-gata, Thus-being.

Abhi-samaya can mean direct contact and calming, which correspond to witness, vijjā (opposite of a-vijjā, no-witness, nescience) and samatha, calming, which are awakening and nirvana. Thus, it means Dhamma-witness or -awakening in nirvana. What is the Dhamma? This relates to the first turning of the Dhamma-wheel to the five mendicants, former co-practitioners.

When he approached them and was called, “Hey Gotama!” he said, “I’m not Gotama, but Tathā-gata.” The first turning of the Dhamma-wheel is ascribed to the Dhamma of Dependent Co-origination (the most famous explanation of it is the Twelve-limbed D.C.) or the Four Holy Truths and the Eight Holy Paths, which are the most popular applications of the former.

The Two Refuges are the self and the Dhamma, which means one must rely on oneself to eventually rely on the Dhamma. The Buddha said that one is healthy in concentration of no-marks, nirvana, even in the vicissitudes of life. We live in a personal body like a bubble, but can live in amrita, ambrosia of immortality, Dhamma, cosmic body, as in ocean.

September 24, 2022 C.E.

Note:

1. The Buddha attained awakening in nirvana by zen-concentration, jhāna-samādhi, and constantly practiced it, getting into the Dhamma-body, cosmic body with the cosmic mudra posture, becoming Thus-being, being in Dhamma (Truth/Ethic), witnessing/realization of Dhamma. It has been described in many ways, like the falling away of the body/mind, renunciation, letting go of all, no-self, immortality, etc.

2. The Twelve-limbed Dependent Co-origination is called bhava-cakka, becoming wheel, consisting of the original core of origination of consciousness/world on the sense organs and objects, that of suffering, and that of samsara, transmigration of birth, aging, death. The first two limbs of nescience (a-vijjā/ a-vidyā, no-witness, of nirvana) and formations (saṅkhāra/ saṁskāra, compound of old/new physical/verbal/mental karma) are Buddha’s addition and innovation of the traditional Ten-limbed Dependent Co-origination. He clarified that the formations are the prime mover of this wheel and that the fundamental nescience (of the Triple Poisons of desire, divisiveness, and delusion) is the basis of all problems and sufferings (no witness of nirvana, thus of awakening). He analyzed the so-called mind into feeling, idea, formations (volition, mental action), and consciousness to solve the soul/spirit theory that it is the mind complex of them, originating / disappearing / impermanent.

3. The Buddha clarified that all living beings are karma-births, -heirs, -owners, -machines, but also -refuged, able to change bad karma to good, to rely on it, and even to transcend karma by zen, jhāna/ dhyāna, meditation, and samādhi, concentration. He mastered the latter from his two teachers – concentration of no possessions and neither ideation nor non-ideation – and incorporated them with the meditative method to clarify, analyze, and systematize phenomena, realize prognosis into actual daily living. He was characterized as an analyst (vibhajja-vādin) and activist/karma theorist (kiriyā-vādin).

4. The Four Holy Truths are application of the Dhamma of Dependent Co-origination (the simplest form is “when this is, that is. When this is not, that is not.), prognosis of suffering, the cause of it, cessation of the cause, and the way to cease the cause of suffering. The Eight Holy Paths are the application of the same to cultivate the Triple Learnings of morality, concentration, and prognosis to counter the Triple Poisons (originally the Seven Awakening Limbs for renunciants, without the right livelihood for lay people).

5. Due to our karma of the Triple Poisons, we make misidentifications of ourselves and our nations, identifying and becoming specific, small, selfish, sick, sided, etc., creating struggles and sufferings as we see in our world. Bubbles and foam appear and disappear quickly, but the ocean remains constant despite partial changes. If we could identify with the permanent Dhamma (forms/phenomena, norms/laws: truth/ethic), we would have no sins (= separation: selfish sickness), but holiness (wholly wholesome: harmony, health, and happiness) beyond ego, national ego, species ego, etc.

ゴータマがブッダ（覚者）になった菩提（bodhi,　覚醒）とは何か？　私達はそれを覚醒経験の描写、法現観（Damma abhisamaya）、初転法輪（Dhamma cakka）、信者達への忠言である二洲（自己、法）でそれにより如在（Tathā-gata、真如に在る）になったことから知ることが出来ます。

現観は直証（無明：a-vijjāの反対である明証：vijjā/ vidyā, cf. video）と寂滅(samatha)、即ち覚醒と涅槃、に呼応する直接接触と寂静を意味すると言えます。だから、それは涅槃における法の直証または覚醒を意味します。法とは何でしょうか？　これは以前の同行者である五比丘への初転法輪と関係しています。

彼が彼らに近付いて、「やあ、ゴータマ」と呼びかけられた時、彼は「私はゴータマではなく、如在である」と言いました。初転法輪は縁起の法（その最も有名なものは十二支縁起）か四聖諦と八聖道であると言われていますが、後者は前者の最も人口に膾炙した適用例です。

二洲（二依処）は自己と法であり、それは自分に依拠し最終的に法に依拠しなければならないと言うことを意味しています。ブッダは人生の転変の中に在っても無相定、涅槃、にあれば健全であると言いました。私達は泡沫のような個人の身体で生活していますが、大海のような甘露、不死の神饌、法、宇宙的身体、の中でも生きています。

2022共通年9月24日

註：

1. ブッダは禅定（jhāna-samādhi）により涅槃に入り覚醒を達成し、常にそれを実践し、法界定印の姿勢で法身に入り、法（真理・倫理）にあり、法を直証・現成して如在となっていました。それは心身脱落、放棄、一切放下、無我、不死など多くの方法で描写されて来ました。
2.  十二支縁起は感覚器官とその対象に依る意識・世界の生起を原初核とし、苦の生起、生老死の転生である輪廻の生起から成る生存の輪（生成の輪）と呼ばれています。（最初の）二支の無明（a-vijjā/ a-vidyā、涅槃の無覚証）と行（saṅkhāra/ saṁskāra、新旧の身口意複合）は（過去七仏に帰せられる）伝統的な十支縁起にブッダが加え革新したものです。彼は行がこの輪の原動力であり、（貪瞋痴の三毒の痴である）根本無明が一切の問題と苦（涅槃の無確証とそれによる覚醒の無確証）であることを明らかにしました。彼は所謂心を感覚、観念、行為（意志、心業）、意識に分析し霊魂・精神がそれらの複合であり発生・消滅し無常であることを明らかにしてその問題を解決しました。
3.  一切の生物は業誕生者、業相続者、業保持者、業機械であり、又業依拠者であり、悪業を善業に変え、それに依拠し禅（zen, jhāna/ dhyāna）と定（samādhi）によって業を超越さえ出来ることを明らかにしました。彼は後者（無所有処、非想非非想処）を自らの二師により達成し、現象を明確化し、分析し、組織し、般若（智慧、診断）を日常生活に実現する瞑想方法を導入しました。彼は分析論者（vibhajja-vādin）であり行為・業論者（kiriyā-vādin）であると特色付けられています。
4.  四聖諦は苦、その原因、原因の停止、苦の原因の停止に至る道の般若（診断）をする縁起（縁滅、最も単純な形は「此れあれば、彼あり。此れ無ければ、彼なし。」）の法の適用です。八聖道は三毒に対処する為の戒定慧の三学を修行する同法の適用（原型は出家者に対する七覚支で在家者に対する八聖道中、正命：正しい職業を欠いていた）のです。
5.  三毒の業により、私達は自分達や自分達の国に対する誤った自己同一化をし、特殊的、矮小的、利己的、病的等ものと同定し、そのようなものとなり、私達がこの世界で見るような抗争と苦悩を生み出しているのです。泡沫も泡合体も速やかに現れては消えますが、大海は部分的な変化にも拘わらず恒常的です。私達が永遠の法（形態・現象、規律・法律、真理・倫理）と自己同一化することが出来れば、エゴ、国家エゴ、種族エゴなどを超越して罪（＝分離、利己病患）無く、聖（全体健全：調和・健康・幸福）になるでしょう。

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Dharma Life:  法生：

https://www.facebook.com/reel/576321387492894/?s=single_unit&__cft__[0]=AZUGMv-9rclw7QvaHBCXnL6bnus0E0D91-PP1k1wXx8GqwThgNn_CA6xuhdroMaPRL9h5fN7_X41DQov5tFb599LotWDZ1DipFjmn3zQ3RCmyR9tjfuvmLXtMcq5j1EacUqEjm93lciWwLB-_LMGpkL5ZadpAmY_LeQYeiZ-l3yXgIlvH_xLas1L1x4MddCEEAc&__tn__=H-R

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