About
Retired PR hack and public servant, dog walker, nature lover, dharma student, and community builder. Opinionated, easygoing liberal/leftie/greenie Pākeha. I have lived in the seaside village of Pukerua Bay since 1988 with Kate & our four children. I occasionally blog on community and social matters, as well as myeloma and Mahayana Buddhism.
He/him.
Other places you can find me:
- https://iainmaclean.blog - my main long-form blog where I get into topics in more depth than elsewhere
- https://venera.social/profile/pkboi - my main Fediverse home
- https://social.vivaldi.net/@iainmaclean - a backup Mastodon instance
- https://pixelfed.social/macca - I’m not very active here, but I do occasionally remember to post photos.
- I also have a Facebook account, but I really only use that to keep in touch with three groups I’m involved with.
“For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.” HL Mencken
This advice on patient acceptance has been very helpful in coming to terms with my health and death.
“Since it is impossible to fulfil all our desires or to stop unwanted things happening to us, we need to find a different way of relating to frustrated desires and unwanted occurrences. We need to learn patient acceptance.
Patience is a mind that is able to accept, fully and happily, whatever occurs. It is much more than just gritting our teeth and putting up with things. Being patient means to welcome wholeheartedly whatever arises, having given up the idea that things should be other than what they are. It is always possible to be patient; there is no situation so bad that it cannot be accepted patiently, with an open, accommodating, and peaceful heart.”
‘How To Solve Our Human Problems’ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso