The Winds of Change
Gone, all is gone.
Nothing remains.
Completely alone.
Silence abounds.
Nothing to fight for.
No more doing.
No more being.
The path has been discarded.
How sublime to abide in nothingness.
Seeing beyond the reach of time and space.
Inexpressible in words.
Ah, such profound peace.
But all is not as it should be.
A strange wind blows.
A dark shadow encroaches.
Smothering being’s hearts.
Gathering the energy of the universe.
I shall turn the Wheel of Truth.
The shadow may encroach no further.
Not on my watch. Not on my watch.
Blessed by the wisdom of my forefathers.
I shall defeat all inner and outer obstacles.
Brilliant white light will shine throughout space and time.
Dispelling ignorance and hatred.
The harvest will be painfully small.
Most will fall and drown.
But some will inhale the breath of life.
Come now, there is much to do.
Ven Dr Edo Shonin & William Van Gordon
Author: Dr Edo Shonin & Ven William Van Gordon
Dr Edo Shonin
Dr Edo Shonin is research director of the Awake to Wisdom Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness Research, and a chartered psychologist at the Nottingham Trent University (UK). He sits on the editorial board for the academic journal Mindfulness and the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. Edo is internationally recognised as a leading authority in mindfulness practice and research and has over 100 academic publications relating to the scientific study of meditation and Buddhist practice. He is the author of ‘The Mindful Warrior: The Path to Wellbeing, Wisdom and Awareness’ and primary editor of academic volumes on ‘The Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness’ and ‘Mindfulness and Buddhist-derived Approaches in Mental Health and Addiction’. He has been a Buddhist monk for thirty years and is spiritual director of the international Mahayana Bodhayati School of Buddhism. He has also received the higher ordination in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Edo regularly receives invitations to give keynote speeches, lectures, retreats and workshops at a range of academic and non-academic venues all over the world.
Ven William Van Gordon
Ven William Van Gordon has been a Buddhist monk for almost ten years. He is co-founder of the Awake to Wisdom Centre for Meditation, Mindfulness, and Psychological Wellbeing and the Mahayana Bodhayati School of Buddhism. He has been ordained within Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions and has extensive training in all aspects of Buddhist practice, psychology, and philosophy.
Prior to becoming a Buddhist monk, Ven William Van Gordon worked for various blue chip companies including Marconi Plc, PepsiCo International, and Aldi Stores Limited where he worked as an Area Manager responsible for a multi-site £28 million portfolio of supermarkets with over 50 employees.
Ven William Van Gordon is also a research psychologist and forms part of the Psychological Wellbeing and Mental Health Research Unit, Psychology Division, Nottingham Trent University. His area of research expertise is the study of ‘authentic spiritual transmission’ – within mainstream Buddhism itself as well as within contemporary Buddhist-derived clinical interventions. His current research projects are concerned with evaluating the effectiveness of meditation and mindfulness for the treatment of various health conditions. Ven William Van Gordon has numerous publications relating to the clinical utility of meditative interventions including in leading peer-reviewed psychology journals. As a separate undertaking, William is currently writing-up his doctoral thesis which relates to the effects of meditation on work-related wellbeing and performance.
Ven William Van Gordon enjoys fell running, martial arts, DIY, reading and writing poetry, caring for cancer patients, and studying civil litigation. He is a keen mountaineer with some arctic expedition experience.
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Dr Edo Shonin 