It must be a raccoon that has recently started visiting Jack's outside water bowl. For the past few mornings, there is dirt in the bowl. Jack does not particularly appreciate that. I pour that water in the garden and I give Jack fresh water, and I thank him for sharing. I think we are all benefiting, altlhough in that moment Jack is usually far more interested in breakfast than learning to share resources with a fellow creature.
I am reminded of my visit in January of this year when I went to northern Arizona to spend some time with a friend. One afternoon we went to visit the Garchen Buddhist Institute, outside of Prescott Valley. A kind young monk gave us a tour. He is from Tibet, and he said that once he left Tibet, he knew the government would never let him return. I asked him what was that like for him. He smiled and shrugged. A member of the temple later told us that this young monk had received his driver's license, and has been studying English at the local college. I pray for him and the temple, that their presence in the community can continue well.
As we walked the grounds, we saw signs advising of a mountain lion sighting and a caution about rattlesnakes. My friend and I kept to the path as neither one of us was in the mood for bushwhacking. We did see the temple water area where wild animals can come to drink. We learned that yes, the mountain lion had been seen several times, including taking a rest in the shade of the breezeway. Sometimes in my meditation I see the distant view of the snow covered San Francisco Peaks, the direction the temple faces. Sometimes I see that mountain lion resting in the shade, and my own wildness pauses.
When our walking was over, we were invited to sit at a table on the balcony outside the dining room and have a cup of tea. That view overlooked to the expansive Prescott Valley area. The moment seemed so sacred because it was all a gift that guided us, carried us, and gave us some uninterrupted time together.
For years Jack and I have spent the first hour or so of every morning here on the couch. He is actually a sweet meditation partner. I am so grateful to be reading the story of Gandhi, a man deeply committed to the Gita, and to non-violence. I don't think the man ever ate very much, but he was committed to a vegetarian diet, and was always experimenting with herbs, etc. in the quest for a healthy diet. The results were often quite bitter. Gandhi never seemed to pay attention to the bitterness, but even the highly evolved Yogananda struggled with the taste.
Gandhi was assassinated, as often happens to those who are trying bring peace to a nation. His last words were Rama, Rama, Rama, which Eknath Easwaran translates as "I forgive you; I love you; I bless you."
May we all go forth in such radical love for this is how God loves us.
Love,
Sue Ann
photograph: San Francisco Peaks, January 2020
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