Reflections... on a hot day in Qatar

• No matter what part of the world we are from, no matter how different the languages we speak, spirituality is somehow naturally there, everywhere. And diverse a
  s the different traditions may be, the fundamental similarity, I think, is that in all the different parts of the world the notion of spirituality is about wanting to find one’s peace not through material accumulation but through spiritual accumulation. I think that without the different religions in the world that have existed until now the world itself might not have survived – humankind might not have survived.        
  ~ His Holiness 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje

And with that quote from the Master of Masters (at least mine) - let me tell you how abundantly tired I am of Samsara. I am looking at the beautiful Qatari women who actually show their face, sweeping the floors with their abayas. How weird to have to hide such beauty for the sake of.... men? a god? what?  Yes they are elegant, that I admit to, as are the men - in their white dish-dashs.  But VERY VERY difficult it must be to swim in the black abaya - as I saw one woman trying to do just now in the hotel pool. Weird tradition, weird weird weird. It is just as weird as walking nude. MIDDLE WAY! We need more regular sanity here and now. Just think about what Palestine and Israel are doing - repeating the same old pattern over and over and over again.  They seem not to be able to break the chain of really bad karma. But they must - for the sake of their kids. 
Again this makes me feel very fortunate to have Dharma, the Inner Path. Thank you teachers! Thank you!

Arabian Nights, outside my hotel window, yesterday. For more pictures look at http://pix.denizen.se