Mother's Day

Yesterday was beautiful. There was the sweet smell of something blooming in the air. And although we live in NM and oranges don't grow here, for all the world it smelled like their round orbs would appear anytime.

As usual on Sunday afternoons, I headed out the road to the zendo, past farms, grazing cattle, horses and old dogs lying by the side of the road. I passed broken down adobe buildings, signs for firewood for sale, junked cars and trailers. Turning off the road I drove down a short dirt drive into the parking area by Green Gate zendo and unlocked the padlock letting the cattle gate swing free.

The zendo is a small adobe building that has been renovated to be a Rinzai style zendo. Not ten feet from the door of the building an over-full acequia is gushing by. The pasture is soft and green now where as a week ago it was dull brown and grey. Five horses were happily grazing.

I unlocked the zendo door, bowed and went inside to sweep the floor before everyone arrived to meditate. I propped the door open and let the warmth of the sun fill the room and after I swept, sat down on a decrepit bench with a horse shoe nailed on it just outside in front of the building. I listened to the swirling water as it made it's way down stream being diverted to farms in all the tiny villages in the area to water fields where crops are beginning to be planted. The horses swished their tails, the magpies dive bombed the rooftops and I went inside to light the altar candle.

After the first bell rang and we had settled in a frog began to croak, it added to sound of the water perfectly and seemed oh, so appropriate for this day.

Gassho, Chikai