RIP Denzel Taylor....

Check out this memorial cherry tree in flower at the orchard, its the only one of its kind amongst the hundreds of fruit trees we have at the phantom planters HQ and it really does stick out just like the kid it was is in memory of, Denzel Taylor who was my sons friend and lost his life last year through drugs, he was a great kid, think about him alot, he never would have passed you in the street without stopping by to say hello, always friendly and upbeat, so sad he lost his life so young....

Seems to be getting more and more common these days people loosing they're lives from drug abuse, theres all sorts of crazy drugs out there these days and not much seems to be changing, you go to your doctor these days and most of them will give you more drugs, sad but true, I ended up on prescription pills that were some of the hardest to give up for me!

I remember the first time I landed in Jampa Ling I felt this was a place I could escape too, my spiritual place of retreat where I could go and sort my head out, you can work in the garden, meditate, be around cool people, chant, do all sorts of healing rituals, help out in the upkeep of the place, they blow conch shells , chant and do smoke rituals through the forest, it was magic on earth for me the first day I found this place!

I thought to myself the first time I landed that these places need to be everywhere for people struggling!

Jampa Ling and the way of the Buddha is what the world really needs, self mastery is what they teach, to conquer your own mind, not to pollute and distort it, when we can control our thoughts we can control our life! Buddhism for me is a science of the mind.

Its not an easy task attaining total self mastery, it takes hard work, there is no quick fix, Buddhism made me realise that it took years and years creating bad habits and its going to take years and years changing them, people want things too fast then they relapse like I did many many times!

Find the middle way and stick at it, too much yin leads to more yin, you watch lazy people, they can become over years lazier and lazier until they end up like a complete hermit!

Then you watch the people living in yang, like me, I was yang and still am to a certain degree, but they live in extremes, they want it all, they run mountains, marathons,, get this medal and that medal, they're minds are never content, yang breeds more yang until one day we go bang and something gives way!

I like the Buddha dudes middle way....

#phantomplanter #cheeryblossom

Peace and love!

I challenge you to phantom plant a tree! Anywhere, anytime, any place.....