My sister Janie reminds me to see the tiny intricate design on one orangeblossom petal. The changing turquoise colour of the sea as it deepens. Picturing Janie beside me, as she so soon will be, I walked the details this Shabbat seaside morning. Up on the cliff over the sea, I saw the face of each rock formation, even noticed the change in the sandstone's holey configurations since my arrival three years ago. I have sketched the circular rock formation with a round hole view to the sea, and now it is a new moon, smile open to the waves. Even rocks live and change, if you slow down your breathing, and observe. How many different winter wildflowers peek tiny from amongst the rocks. One small leaf, Janie teaches me, is where you can see the forest, understand it. Dogen, and we'll look up the ancient Eastern source, tells us, "The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in one dewdrop on the grass. And Woody Allen is "astounded by people who want to "know" the universe when it's hard enough to find your way around Chinatown." Maybe if we study the tealeaves in one cup at one dimsum table on one Sunday morning, that's where we'll find the universe we're looking to understand. Tom Robbins describes Ellen Cherry rummaging through her purse to find her lipstick. "If a woman doesn't know what's in her purse, how can she know what's in her heart?" It is true, that with the sorting of our purse and our junkdrawer come a sense of order in the universe.
The truth and its opposite. seven blind men went to learn what an elephant was. One, feeling the tusk, said, "An elephant is hard and shiny and pointed". Stand back for a moment. Just a couple more steps back. There. Now look. Daddy talks about reaching an age where you're not limited to seeing this wave, this one, this one. You have been around long enough to see the slow movement of the tides, the big picture.
So there we have it. To see the universe in one dewdrop. And not to be fooled, for this one dewdrop may be just reflecting the red of my Canada hoodie as I lean to see it close in. The sea is many colours today, clear transparent water over the beach sand, turquoise as it deepens, and wondrous indigo black over the reefs. A dewdrop is one dewdrop, and I want to stand afar, open my eyes in amazement and empty readiness to take in the whole palette of wonder.
The truth and its opposite. seven blind men went to learn what an elephant was. One, feeling the tusk, said, "An elephant is hard and shiny and pointed". Stand back for a moment. Just a couple more steps back. There. Now look. Daddy talks about reaching an age where you're not limited to seeing this wave, this one, this one. You have been around long enough to see the slow movement of the tides, the big picture.
So there we have it. To see the universe in one dewdrop. And not to be fooled, for this one dewdrop may be just reflecting the red of my Canada hoodie as I lean to see it close in. The sea is many colours today, clear transparent water over the beach sand, turquoise as it deepens, and wondrous indigo black over the reefs. A dewdrop is one dewdrop, and I want to stand afar, open my eyes in amazement and empty readiness to take in the whole palette of wonder.
Scale is the most important of our observations, so easy to understand (in theory), so difficult to accept in practice, My aching tooth would be more prominent in my attention than what is happening in Egypt today if I had an aching tooth. What actually happened today was a tiny insect crawling along my bedroom carpet and absorbing all my attention, despite Michael Enright telling us about the meaning of the news of the day, as if the news of the day had meaning.
ReplyDeleteNomi, continue to concentrate on the whole in the rock that opens to a smile that opens to the waves.the holy wholly hole that lets you see the whole hole, whole. And enjoy your joyous visit with Jane,