Author Archives: Ben

Every now and again my mother would come out with things like this. It’s an excerpt from an email to one of my sisters, which the same sister later read at my mother’s funeral service: An email from Mum “I promise you on my honour that I NEVER dwell on gloom, despite what you believe!Continue reading “My mother the secret buddhist!”

A friend of mine was about to move back to the States from Madrid when he discovered that his landlord had no intention of giving him back the 2,000 euro breakages deposit from his rented apartment. They’d left the flat in perfect condition, but the landlord clearly hoped that since they were going to leave the countryContinue reading “Es como Es – It is as it Is”

  I just got back from a walk to the park, to drop off a couple more books for the unemployed old guy (the Book Man) at the park entrance steps who sells them for 2 euros a go. This makes me happy for a start – the books get back into the world, my greatContinue reading “Happiness Multiplies”

Recently, 3 monks from Plum Village came to sleep on our living room floor. We were helping them organise mindfulness workshops in Madrid, and they said, ‘don’t worry, we sleep anywhere’. We learned a lot in the week they were here! On their first day in Madrid, a saturday, with no workshops organised they wantedContinue reading “3 monks on the living room floor”

Seeing as the simplification/un-‘stuffing’ process takes so long, I’m increasingly keen not to have to go through this again and again in the future. “It’s impossible,” says my brother-in-law, “things just keep pouring into the home, you just can’t help it – clothes, gadgets, toys…” “Yes,” replies my wife, “I went shopping the other dayContinue reading “Unstuffing: How to avoid getting more stuff in the future?”