Truth

(our tree this year)

Growing up in the Rocky Mountains, where the air is very dry in the winter, we were never able to have a tree with real candles. Here in Germany it is possible and it is a splendid picture! My partner's parents brought the tree with them.

And a nice quote that I read this morning:

''The search for truth is more precious than its possession."

-Albert Einstein-

Chains and Scrooge

Well, I must say I've been very busy the last few weeks with performances! However, last night was the last one for the season and now I can get back to a little more contemplation and writing. I've been trying to find something for my students next week that has something to do with Christmas since it will be the time for a "light lesson". Past years we've read "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" or J.R.R. Tokein's letters that he wrote to his kids, etc...

This year I thought I'd take a look at "A Christmas Carol" again. Something that I've not done for a long, long time. I forgot how much fun it is to read Dickens and how much humanity and understanding of the human heart he has. In fact, I think everyone can remember when the ghost of Marley comes to visit Scrooge and what Dickens says is a pure teaching of Karma, which is good to remember at this time of year! Here it is:

"I wear the chain I forged in life," replied the Ghost. "I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?"
Scrooge trembled more and more.
"Or would you know," pursued the Ghost, "the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. You have laboured on it, since. It is a ponderous chain!"
Scrooge glance about him on the floor, in expectation of finding himself surrounded by some fifty or sixty fathoms of iron cable; but he could see nothing.

A good reminder to listen to the "Ghosts" who try to show us the way out of our chains!

The Leaf, the Madwoman and the Still Fountain

It is dark. It is still. The time after the city fountains have been put to rest, in fear of frost, which has not yet come---but will. Early hours and I see a woman circling a trash can, filled with what was left of the rush of business lives from the day before. A moment of pondering---what is this woman doing dressed as if ready to work---circling and circling a trash can---mumbling and mumbling like a Shakespearaen witch.

But the greyness lifts ever so slightly. I see it is a suit that is smeared and tattered as is her hair. And her bag is full of nothing---old news and empty bottles.

A rush of wind comes, scattering her hair and spiraling long ago fallen leaves into the air---they circle, too. And crackle like a brood of witches taken to the sky. A morning of incantation, of madness, of loss---of sorrow.

Until suddenly the curse seems lifted for a moment---one leaf breaks free caught on some other unseen breeze---rises away from the others, from the madwoman, from me.

Perhaps finding blessing in the never ending air.

Perhaps never to be seen again.

I go on to work.

It is dark. It is still.

The Season

(The altar in our meditation room decorated for the season)
(Our living room decorated as a "Buddha Land")
(The front side of the box for the Avatamsaka Sutra)

'Tis the season..., how often have I heard that in my life since I was a child? It is actually a nice thing to hear and I remember how much I loved Advent and Christmas time as a child. I grew up in the Episcopal church and that taught me to love ritual and see how it mirrors the changes in the outer and the inner world. In other words, this time of year has always meant a lot to me and this year coming from a Buddhist point of view, I decorated our living room to look like "Buddha Land" and made a wooden box with a picture of the Cosmic Buddha and Samanthabadhra on it to hold The Avatamsaka Sutra which is being read each day. Ritual is important to me and I guess it can be seen as a form of meditation. It brings my mind into a pointed awareness just as meditation does.



Along with all of this I have an Advent calendar that is filled with different kinds of semi-preicious stones...a nice link to the idea of the jewels in "Indra's Net" and each one comes with a word according to its symbolism. Today's stone was a Chinese carnelian...it is lovely! It is all sorts of opaque terracotta colors with a bit of milky white in it. It's symbolism, according to the box at least, is "vitality". A nice stone and idea to carry in my pocket today. Vitality at this time when everything seems to be losing its energy---dark mornings, evening light that begins at four in the afternoon, etc.



I guess the thought today is: "Be vital!" No matter how dark it seems, we are always in the bright Ocean of Meditation!