A brief reminder of leaving Jiju Kennett

Thanks for sharing the story of their visit. It's rare in life when we see the impact of what we did so long ago. Leaving JK was the right thing for you, wasn't it? As well as the right thing for those kids you helped.

Strange sometimes the synchronistic connections that appear out of nowhere....

I feel like I get a real sense of the intensity and trying to swim in the fire.

For me living it means not so self-controlled, and feeling it in all its intensity, pain, pleasure etc.  

Sounds like something to have done, Michael.

As the Book of Great Wisdom says "Oh Oh! Run away, run away!!!!!"

Well of course it is difficult to convey meanings sometimes,  in words
Not sure about running away

I was responding to your "I split for safety"... Maybe it was more of a dignified retreat?

Just realised my comment on running away may be taken as serious, it was an attempt at gallows humour.... as was the dignified retreat comment..... 

of course i've never run away from anything, I always choose the speedy dignified retreat option....

Well it was a complicated retreat or leaving.
There were many political overtures, vast sums of money were going into urban black problem areas, the people who needed help did not always receive it which meant the people with serious issues were at a point when they trusted no one,we were not short of good wishes and offers, including contact from members of the Royal family. So a wobbly situation,which really I felt should be fought out by my friends there who were black,it was their problem to fight,I certainly gave my best, my parting gift was to hire a bus and take the unmarried mums and their kids to London Zoo for the day. We had a great day, and said goodbye,with hugs and kisses.
My regret is I lost contact

On the subject of leaving contact with Shasta, I wonder if anyone has had sudden experiences years on where they have feelings of complete empathy with other living things, even bugs. I thought Haryo told me that these were kenshos, meditation's stripping away of the hardening of our hearts "needed" for material society. As I recall, he mentioned on kensho where the monk had such a deep experience that she was literally frozen, being afraid to stir and inadvertently crush insects...
Gassho.
Dan Staples

I believe meditation will lead to empathy compassion and love for all life, your exprience clearly meant something to you,which can only be a good thing

Dan, as I have quoted before, St John of the Cross said 'live in the monastery as if you are on your own', which is exactly the sentiment that I think your talking about. The important thing with this as with so much else is to take it positively not negatively. It does not mean to armor yourself and shut everyone else out and isolate yourself from your surroundings but to pay no attention to the froth and soap opera that constantly drags ones attention away from what is important.

Do you think RMJK knew just sort of where we'd all go through her no-doubt exceptional abilities of prediction? That is to start priories and become night auditors, to teach or counsel, to work in the tech field? And did she direct us just enough out of our comfort zones to hopefully assure we'd never not be at least a little hungry for spiritual progress?

No Dan I'm afraid I don't, her predictive powers never struck me as up to much. In the end I think she got caught up in the froth and soap opera of her own spirituality.

The word Spirituality needs defining a little, I have read some brilliant perceptive quotes recently from The Pope and The Dali Lama,the pope saying there was a need to redefine as alot of people now can see God and church in nature.It is so easily to think that entering a religion is a spiritual path or that overcoming an emotional issue is an awakening
Jiyu may have had froth and soap in her spirituality or was that the froth and soap that she carried with her and could not put down