Salami.  Isn't that ridiculous; but that's the story they've tagged to my wrist. 

You see before we moved to the wilderness we had neighbors from the Old Country, Italians who made their own raviolis and hung smoked meats and whose kitchen was the most wondrous palace of light and love and delight that I ever could have imagined!

My home was stiff formal polite bequietdon'tmakenoise kind of place.  So it was to paradise, the escape as fast as I could run just down the road to the Brasseco's.  I was greeted with open arms, warm hugs, smiling faces, bright noisy laughter!  To this day I wish my skin were olive, my hair black and lustrous (Wonder Woman comes to mind but I suppose the island she left behind wasn't Italy....?), my heart as wide and open as the Mediterranean.  To this day I love the feel of Italian words in my mouth; I don't speak the language but I can sing the language.

And salami?  From today's eyes, neither politically acceptable nor healthy.  My vegetarian friends will drop me avoid me shun me if they find this blog.  Still....I found an "organic" (true!) package of salami to share with my old Swedish mother, who is not permitted to have too much salt.  We sat in the soft evening breeze, eating together, the delights of secret shared illicit treasure.  Pace e bene!

I know one thing for sure. Trees don't need any explanations. They let you feel any way you please and just sit there with you in peace. I think that's why trees are here on earth---to give every person the chance to experience the feeling of quiet kindness at least once in their life. 

                                                      

 

Long, long, long ago, before the Buddha was the Buddha, a beautiful baby elephant lived in the forest of India. Her skin was as white and silky soft as the feathers of a swan. While she was growing up, all the people who ventured into the forest and happened to see her there were amazed at her beauty. When she was fully grown, her size and strength were so great that the people who saw her were even more astounded. Word spread across the land about this great, big, strong, white, beautiful elephant.

When the king of that land heard about the elephant, he wanted it for himself. He sent his elephant trainers out to find her. After much hunting in the forest, they did. They caught her in a huge, hempen net, drove her back to the palace grounds, and chained her to a stake.

The king wanted to be sure that the elephant would obey his every command, so when the elephant didn't do what the trainers told her to do - and often she couldn't understand what they were asking - they jabbed her with their training sticks. Soon red, blue, and purple bruises broke out all over her beautiful white skin, and she was constantly terrified.

One day the elephant went crazy with fear. She reared up on her hind legs and her chain broke loose. The terror-stricken trainers scurried away, and the beautiful, white elephant escaped. She ran up into the mountains, so far and deep that the trainers couldn't find her. They searched and searched for a long time, but at last they gave up. Eventually they forgot about her.

But the elephant did not forget about them. Every time the wind moaned, whined, shrieked or blasted, she dashed off in terror, racing around in big, loopy circles, thrashing her trunk wildly from side to side.

Even though she was free, she might just as well have been recaptured by the king's trainers, for now her mind was often so troubled she forgot to eat. Her big, strong body became thin and weak. Running in heedless fear, she would frequently trip and collapse over rocks, fallen branches, or holes in the ground. Red, blue, and purple bruises broke out all over her beautiful white skin.

The only thing close to peace the elephant ever felt was when she'd lean against one special tree to catch her breath. This tree had a smooth, thick trunk and a big, sheltering crown of leaves where the wind would gently whisper.

Now at this time the Buddha was this tree.

Whenever the elephant would rest herself against the tree, it could sense the fear that was tormenting her, and so it felt great compassion for her. Finally, one day when the elephant was shaking against its bark harder than she ever had before, the tree could no longer stay silent. Waving its leaves and stirring the wind, it whispered these words:

Do you fear the wind?
It only moves the clouds and dries the dew!
Look inside your mind--
There, fear alone has captured you.

 

As soon as the tree finished whispering these words, the beautiful elephant smiled. Suddenly she realized that she had nothing to worry about but her own habit of always being afraid. From that day on she was at peace with herself. She enjoyed life in her mountain home. She had finally found her freedom.

 

 

Weep!  Sob, wail, rub ashes in my hair, rend my clothes, beat my chest, drop to my knees drop beneath the surface, howl at the moon.  Weep together for every pain hurt sorrow unkindness unthinkable unspeakable thought or act ever done in the name of fear or insecurity ... to any one, any being, any planet ....

And when I am done, and when the furies of the emotion have passed through left me behind, and I raise my eyes from my introspection and see you there?  And feel you feeling it too??  An inescapable knowing returns, the sweet realization that "I" am not my emotions. 

Whoeverwhatever "I" am seems to reside in peace and quiet and amazing wellbeing and joy, seems to well up from that place down behind the senses.  You know:  that vast place of ineffable Love.  And I raise my eyes and see YOU there, get this joyous electric shock of interconnection, of Oneness --- of oneness with you and me and all that is was ever will be, the very atoms in us that once may have been a star.  Oh my.  Group hug?

YOU!  What a life affirming, life enhancing, consciousness expanding wild joyous romp experience of Oneness this blessed place of Gaia is!  Deep bows.  And cartwheels.

Never happened.  Not once.  Not even possible.  NOT because I'm chatty heavenonlyknows I'm as quiet as a tree, have my moments when I wish I were INVISIBLE dont look at me! dont interrupt my thoughts! ... but I never ever even once once got away with that, did I? 

Because the words that come out of our mouths are what, maybe five percent or less, of the true communication that flows between us among us.  We are keenly aware of one another, and highly adept receivers and senders of communication.  Reminds me of an old medieval saying about going forth and doing good "using words only if necessary."  Kinda makes you wonder about the wildly positive power of thoughts, prayers, intention.  You know, all that stuff that rhymes with grace and joy and love.