June 18

Having a pinched nerve in my neck is a real blessing. I've forgotten that I have Mono. I was walking down to the main buildings this morning and saw where they had cut down two sick trees. The thought entered my head, "If my neck wasn't so sore I'd volunteer to use the chainsaw on those trees to help make firewood." The pinched nerve sends waves of sharp pain down either my back under my shoulder blade, or down into the right side of my chest and always down my right arm, often leaving my right hand cold and numb. I have only gotten a few hours of sleep the last three nights due to the pain.

The pain really has been a blessing though. While sitting in meditation I can relax into the sensation and not suffer about it for about thrity minutes. It takes a lot of mindfulness and determination, but it can be done. This pain is also teaching me that I really don't want to be born again, "Enough of having a body, lets aspire to something greater than that."

Below is a link to an interview that Steve Charles conducted with me back in November 2004. Steve has been editing this journal from the beginning of the walk. Often I would write my journal entry in a book and later read it to Steve over the phone, he would transcribe our conversation and publish the entry to the web site.

Recently Pamela Kirby at Abhayagiri has been helping to edit as Steve had less time due other projects.

Thank you Steve, Pamela and Ajahn Sudanto for all your help in making this web journal work.


http://www.wabash.edu/news/displaystory.cfm?news_ID=2523