If we really want to get rid of suffering, completely and totally, then clinging has to go. The spiritual path is never one of achievement; it is always one of letting go. The more we let go, the more there is empty and open space for us to see reality. Because what we let go of is no longer there, there is the possibility of just moving without clinging to the results of the movement. As long as we cling to the results of what we do, as long as we cling to the results of what we think, we are bound, we are hemmed in. Meditating on No-Self: A Dhamma Talk (Edited for Bodhi Leaves), by Sister Khema(1994)








Sunday, April 15, 2012

First look at Kyiv Marathon course.

Interesting repetition of things that happen all the time (sorry Yogi Berra).  I scheduled myself to run one lap of the Kyiv Marathon route.  In fact I almost did, but I turned around in the wrong place and what would have been 20km ended up being 18km. 

The Blood Sugar was good.  I am also taking a new multi vitamin from Schiff.  I got them at a GNC that is sort of a kiosk in Dreamtown mall in Kyiv.  I real find actually.

I really enjoyed the run I have to say.  A nice misty rain coming down for the whole thing.  Though I didn't particularly enjoy some of the people along the way.  Unfortunately, this race will be partly on cobble stones, ugh and then there were cars out there today, even though it is Orthodox Easter here.

Three interesting things on the run though.  The first was outside the Volodyrmyrski Cathedral where there was a really long line of people waiting have their baskets of eggs and bread blessed with holy water.  It looked like little red riding hood out there.  Number two was something I've never had happen here.  I was running through Khryschatyk where you can walk on the street on the weekends and there was a very old man on a bicycle wearing among other things a hat that said "Canada" on it.  He spoke to me in Russian for about 5 minutes and I nodded and said one or two word responses back to him.  The gist of his talk was that nobody gets exercise in this country anymore and you only see runners rarely.

Number three is an all time great classic.  As I was running just before the old man started talking to me I saw one of those bands from old Soviet days, or it looked like from old Soviet days, uniforms like that, big hats like that and a lot of very old people standing around waiting for them to play.  Tow things came to mind, one, this must be a fight against Easter by the former communists, and two, they look just like the people who I saw on TV today for N. Korean celebration, same outfits, everything.

Well on the way back on the loop I saw the band, only this time they were playing the music in the street in formation and they were dancing like they were trying out for the Florida A&M Marching Rattlers, it was great, just great, and now it wasn't old people looking at them it was a huge crowd of young people.

Another interesting day in Kyiv.

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