Rugged Interdependency - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Golden Highways Revisited: 1998A family of martens wheels and chuckles in the air; yellow irises open in thesun, their golden father; stands of adolescent ferns perch like green pelicans, roostingquietly in the morning light.Endless, still, bright days – that lonesome whistle swells and rolls throughcloudless, sunny air. The inner sound rings on – nada nada nada nada nada.The eternal dance of mothlets and spiderwebs, all illumined in the rays ofthe evening sun, strung and dodging between the lime-green luminescent springgrowth. Unnamable smells strike at the moment of leaving buildings: one timeis it hyacinth and narcissus, sweet woodruff? then acrid rot? or some waft of theessence of forest life itself – fragrances from the glands of Pan...Monday night: the Four Noble Truths and dismantlement of the nihilist critiqueof them as narrow and shallow, life-negating.Tuesday night: contemplation, templum and mythology, King Lear and Medea;reasonable resentments and going through the grief curtain – morbio inferiore.Interviews have begun: all is well enough, the room is still, a few tears – turningback from the wall of darkness and facing No.1.Wednesday: the frogs serenade on a sultry eve, banana-moon in the westernsky. I wonder how it would be for Drukpa Kunley, Herman Hesse and Opal Whitelyto sit down together over tea – divine and mad as hatters, one and all…Evening talk on self and selflessness and the bad rap the ego gets – it’s a usefultool, like the human foot, but not something to build a life around. Let the wallsfall out and enjoy the sun and flowers – be not afraid . There is no “right thing forme” only the potential to learn and bless in all situations.Thursday: instructionless morning – not a lot more to say – another brightand blessed day of stillness and light – getting steamy in Diamond Hall by lateafternoon.A few tears in the interviews and inspirations to talk on.That night: relationships of wholeness and of separateness; also got the folks(some) off their chairs and into attentive, versus mode dégagé, for the talk.Friday: the weather is on the change – hot, sultry days have brought thunder,the cracking of trees and the first spatterings of rain. The ominous splitting oftrunks and crashing branches made me think to speak of maranānussati – contemplationsof death. It was also the “advice on life after retreat” spiel and it was usefulto have such an object lesson to work with.The frogs are very happy with the night rain and, come the next morning, it’sstill overcast but the air is fresh and liquid once again. Strong encouragements towatch the going home urge – we’ll see how they do…All in all the folks have been very peaceful: most are new to this style but havetaken to the practice quite easily – even subtle elements like facing the curtain offear and going through it, or dropping problems, people and questions into thespace. It is a still room – a diamond hall indeed.All along the forest paths the banana slugs are out enjoying the freedom ofwet surfaces everywhere and an absence of the moisture-sapping sun. Also, whatwith the winds of last night, there is much juicy leaf-litter underfoot. The moist55