Wednesday, August 24, 2011

I have a beautiful Mahayana friend...

...and she told me a few days ago in a phone call about the wonderful idea that every being we encounter could be a teacher or messenger. I found it lovely and filed it away as I do with thoughts I'd like to come back to when I have more time. It's an enormous file.

Today I was approaching the headstone of a friend, feeling increasingly sad, as I am wont to do there in her resting place, about her loss when I noticed a glimmer of gold that was exactly the remembered shade of her hair. And for a few long moments as I stood near her headstone in the blazing sun that dragonfly stayed near me, always in my view. It rested, preened, then landed on the flowers I brought, then on my shoulder and, after a moment of stillness, quietly flew away.

2 comments:

  1. I'm sure you're speaking of our dear friend from the east. What a beautiful moment. If you don't mind, since I can't be there to visit her, I'd like to treasure this moment as if I was there too. In a way you can be the messenger for all of us that love her but can't pay homage at her resting place.

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  2. I'm reminded of an incident I read about yesterday. Before a wedding ceremony, the bride and groom with their family released butterflies at the bride's grandmother's grave. As they released the butterflies, the bride said, "Grandmother if you are here, show us by having one of these butterflies stay here." Immediately, one of the butterflies landed on the bride's mother's shoulder and stayed there.

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