Light, water, leaves...

Where I grew up, which is far away now, both in time and distance---it has already snowed, like it usually does. The striking golden leaves of the aspen have fallen down, brown under the weight of frost and snow. But here, far away, where I am now, autumn is able to sigh many times before being taken away by the heavy frost or snow. Here I have a lightness, a feeling of floating...much like the leaves must have when they dangle and dance from the branches in the summer, and then in their glory are caught by a breeze and gently fall. Some even lucky enough to fall upon a pond or lake, to float there for many more days. Today light, water, leaves and light. And there as if two brightly hued leaves have been brought together and sail: a butterfly, and I think:

Is this the last

butterfly

I'll see

Before

Frost lames wing?

Before leaf

lies captured

on ice laced

pond?

The only answer there is, is perhaps, perhaps not. Now is only:

water

leaves

light

Herons

Riding home from work on Thursday this bird caught my eye! A heron up in a weeping willow looking out over the pond. They are really stately birds that seem to contemplate everything around them. I don't think they are always looking for fish! I took a look about the symbolism for herons and it is interesting that in all the cultures that I looked at from Ancient Egypt to Native American the heron stands for wisdom and patience. I think that fits them quite well as they quietly sit, as if in meditation, and simply see the world as it is. May I learn to sit as a heron does!

Ocean of Compassion

Our Kanzeon Altar in our hallway at home

After all that has happened the past few weeks and how much the meaning of the Ocean of Compassion has come to mean to me, I worked on making a cloth for our altar that shows water cascading down from Kanzeon and filling the world. I used plastic beads and embroidery to show how this limitless flow can be seen to sparkle everywhere. The altar is on the wall in the hallway that forms the center or our home and is a wonderful reminder everytime I passby. I wanted to make this as an offering for everyone and everything that has shown me this beautiful example over the past few weeks!

In gassho

When really bad things happen

Last week was a very difficult week. Just as I was getting ready to call my sister in Colorado for her 49th birthday, I saw on CNN that something had happened at a school in Bailey, Colorado. I immediately got online and saw that a man had taken teenagers hostage in the high school there, methodically chose young blond girls, sent the others out of the classroom and then began to sexually assault the young women until the police raided the room and he shot a Emily in the back of the head and then he himself was killed by the police. He had had it all planned, including having sent suicide notes in the mail. My first reaction was complete sadness and compassion for the people of Bailey, my sister, my nephew who grew up with Emily as a neighbor and still had her as one of his closest friends. At the same instant I felt a sense of loathing rise up in me against the man who had done this---the loathing turned to hate and grew darker and deeper. Suddenly, in meditation, my heart caught this and a different feeling arose...I felt a sense of sadness and compassion for the man who had done this...how much suffering and delusion he must have been feeling and now carries with him even further. Tears started coming and rolling...after meditating I approached our home altar and offered incense and all the merit I could...Not only to the victims, but to the perpetrator as well.

Now it has happened once again in Pennsylvania...though I do not know the people there...I still feel the same water of compassion wanting to wash over me and the situation...for the victims and the perpetrator.

May Kanzeon's always continue to poor the waters of compassion upon the world and may we always be aware to see it. One last thing that is so important...Emily's last SMS to her parent's cell phone was: I love U all! The small town of Bailey has continued to show this love over the past week. The good is always growing! We must remember that!