Thursday, February 08, 2007

Death of an old friend...

(One of the first pictures taken)
(The last picture taken)
First, I should say: "Don't worry! It is not a living person who has died, but our camera!" But what a friend it has been. We bought it right before our trip to Australia and New Zealand which was also the time of our first anniversary. As you can see one of the very first pictures shows my partner and me...one of the pictures I love because it shows love! The last picture is the same. I was going up to our place this week and I saw our neighbor's shoes and her child's shoes lying next to each other. I see Franca and Giaccamo often in the week as they are going out for walks and playing and often when I pass by their door I can hear Franca singing Italian songs to Giaccamo. It is always heart warming and a nice point in the day. Somewhow, those small shoes almost seem to snuggle up to the big shoes. I thought it was a wonderful picture and moment. But then the "FEHLER" notice (German for "Malfunction") appeared and the camera made a strange noise and went dark, I realized a friend had died. Thousands and thousands and thousands of pictures during all our trips or with family and friends or on my bike aroudn the city, to and from work,...pictures that we wanted to share with each other and everyone we hold dear. It was clear, this camera was an object filled with love and I just wanted to take a moment to honor it in it's passing and say: "Thank you, friend, for sharing so much with so many!"

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Goodness shining bright!


Listening to the news this morning, I saw the devastation from the storms in Florida. One place, which was really hit hard, was a mobile home park with mostly senior citizens and many of them had lost everything. One gentleman told how his insurance had been cancelled a year before, not because of his not paying, but because the company decided the area was too high of a risk. I could feel the angry grumbling in my heart, but then they showed how other people in the area were opening their homes for these people to stay in. They had moved out to sleep on their couches and sofas and floor so that the elderly could sleep in their beds. It was really beautiful to see! They asked one young couple how long their new three guests could stay and the man looked as if it was a silly question and simply answered, "Why until they can stand on their own two feet again!" That is true goodness shining bright, without condition and completely open. Then, they talked to one of the elderly residents who had been offered a place to stay and she said as she stumbled through the rubble of her house, "You see, there is only really good, only good, deep down in all of us." It was so magnificent to see someone so utterly convinced of this...something I need to find deep in my heart myself that there is only really good, only good, deep down in all of us!

Dharmazuflucht Schwarzwald/ The Black Forest Dharma Refuge



I just wanted to share a few pictures of the temple here. Friends have asked what it is like. The first photo shows the path that one walks down to get to the temple, the next is a picture of the temple itself from up on the hill and the last is the view one has when one steps out of the door from the kitchen. It is really a gift and a blessing to have a temple so close and to have a monk here who shares much wisdom, compassion and humor!