The Bitter And The Sweet
Ah……these last days of finished teachings, making music at night, visiting with foreign friends who we won’t see again til next we might meet at Sherabling, perhaps next Autumn, saying goodbye’s, appreciations, heart strings vibrating with love and sadness and tenderness, sharing the mutually felt deep blessedness and joy of being here in this beautiful sacred place, part of us wishing we could stay on, maybe forever, while knowing well we cannot, and probably ought not, preparing to leave tomorrow morning now after a last breakfast with some of these friends, anticipating the next joyful blessedness of our time at our other heart home in Thailand. What wonder, that we are even able to do what we are doing. What gratitude. Taking none of it for granted and thereby appreciating it all the more.
Finding our way through
beginning, middle and end
deep bow devotion
Such sweetness, such heart ache, with deep bows and prostrations of humility to all the truths and powers and karmas and guides and protectors and circumstances that carry us along this path. We surrender to it all. We give over all of ourselves. We offer prayers of thanksgiving and aspiration, that all beings may somehow benefit from and share in this experience, and that all beings throughout all the universes may be free from suffering, and from the causes of suffering.
Some kind of trouble?
Appease it with offerings,
kindness remedy
Today has been the first of three travel days to reach our destination in Chumphon. We’re in Delhi for the night, and then our international flight to Bangkok tomorrow morning. A night in Bangkok and then a very early morning flight to Chumphon, where our expat Aussie friend Helen will fetch us from the airport there and take us for breakfast at our Thai friend Du’s cafe on the beach. Our magnificent welcome back.
We’ve had our household and personal items stored at Helen’s these last three years……..rice cooker, toaster oven, electric tea kettle, motorbike helmets, bicycle pump, cushions, towels…..etc. These last three years we imagined never seeing or needing any of them again, asking Helen to donate them appropriately. And now…..it surely adds something to the experience of feeling as though we are indeed returning home, and that we’ll be able to settle in for a good period of time.
In fact, I got an email notice today that the new bike I ordered online from Lazada Thailand (their ebay, so to speak) has already been delivered to Jungle House and is waiting for me as I write. I’m drooling, just a little.
Connecting the dots
Core essence is always pure:
Gold in the rubble
