Socrates knew! Where have all the Grandpas gone?  So many Grannies and Grandpas disappear before you expect which makes you think about where the have gone and what happens when they get there. Grandpa and I think about this because observation says that it going to be us before too long! We already think in terms of our absence. We wonder who will want those things we have treasured. We hope that we can pass on safely what we received from our own Grandparents. We wonder what the future holds for us and for those who have been part of our lives. There are some wise people who seem to know and they say that when you do the dying, you aren't there, you are already busy choosing where you go from here! You, the apparently dead and gone will be facing major decisons!! They, the wise, like Socrates say that you may choose to go back to the world you have left or you might choose a totally new life. If you are drawn back to your old life, you should remember that what we think was perfect in that life, was in fact rather flawed. Parenthood presented not only the perfect new baby, it meant worry about schools, health and morals. It kept us awake at night! That lovely garden which we tended had outbreaks of carrot fly, frost, drought and tomatoes which ripened when we were away. We still think in an unreasonable and dotty way that going backwards might be the best option. The wise say that it isn't, they say go go go for freedom from repetition and I say that meditation is the best way to do this!

Lee Kuan Yew could, you can too wherever you are

Grandpa and I are travelling in the Far East!!! Singapore and Thailand have been our home for nearly three weeks.  We have had the pleasure of family, the pleasure of grandchildren, the pleasure of Christmas, the pleasure of presents and the pleasure of food.  We are literally soused in the pleasure of holiday and now we are soaked in sun oil, salty from the sea and feel like a very expensive packet of crisps.  

Lee Kuan Yew

Father Laurence Freeman OSB

And what you are wondering has happened to our meditation?  Well it is alive and pretty well really and the reason is this.  We had an extraordinary bit of luck in meeting a meditating person in Singapore who had an extraordinary tale to tell and this is it.  He and his wife meditated, they were Catholics and had met Father Laurence Freeman.  He, Peter Ng worked closely with Lee Kuan Yew, the long time Prime Minister of Singapore who is credited with taking Singapore from a third world country to a leading first world economic and thriving nation.  Lee Kuan Yew died last year but in his last years, despite being agnostic, he took on the discipline offered by Christian Meditation.  You can hear him in conversation with Father Laurence by clicking on the link.  The striking thing about this conversation is that it was his extremely clear mind and enlightened thinking which made meditation reasonable.  You can also hear Peter Ng speaking about introducing Lee Kuan Yew to meditation

Peter Ng and Lee Kuan Yew meditated in Singapore and when they travelled so we thought we could take time off from our two weeks of pleasure and meditate twice a day too.

Enjoy the film, we did!