No opening or closing bells for today … no sound … no particular time either, just a bit of Zazen between stations.

We usually sit in a quiet room, but the Buddha also liked to sit in noisy, busy places. He praises this tale of Ajara Kalama (Digha-Nikaya)

“For at one time, Lord, Alara Kalama was on a journey, and he went aside from the highway and sat down by the wayside at the foot of a tree to pass the heat of the day. And it came about, Lord, that a great number of carts, even five hundred carts, passed by him, one by one. And then, Lord, a certain man who was following behind that train of carts, approached and spoke to him, saying: ‘Did you, sir, see a great number of carts that passed you by?’ And Alara Kalama answered him: ‘I did not see them, brother.’ ‘But the noise, sir, surely you heard?’ ‘I did not hear it, brother.’ Then that man asked him: ‘Then, sir, perhaps you slept?’ ‘No, brother, I was not sleeping.’ ‘Then, sir, were you conscious?’ ‘I was, brother.’ Then that man said: ‘Then, sir, while conscious and awake you still did not see the great number of carts, even five hundred carts, that passed you by one after another, nor heard the noise? Why, sir, your very robe is covered with their dust!’ And Alara Kalama replied, saying: ‘So it is, brother. And to that man, O Lord, came the thought: ‘Marvellous it is, most wonderful indeed it is, the state of calmness wherein abide those who have gone forth from the world!’ And there arose in him great faith in Alara Kalama, and he went his way.”