Friday, January 25th, 2013

Sunken Feet, Hearts High

 

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

 

When our feet sunk into the hardened snow about 2 inches deep, I made a remark to 12 year old Jay, my young companion for the hour, about the sound. To me he responded, “Yeah, our walking sounds like the pressing on Styrofoam.”

“Jay,” I teasingly admonished,“I’m not sure I like that analogy.

We took to the comfort of a meadow park bench to enjoy the strong sun and the pure white snow to savour in what dismal grey winter people of the coast won’t ever know. Yesterday the whites of my eyes turned red from this over exposure, but I was willing to go out today and try it again.

The pond at John Azant Park is covered over by snow, but we peered at it as if we were on it with fragile ice on the surface and we considered what would happen should the ice crack and we fall in. Jay knew the solution being an air cadet in training. So, he got off the bench and demonstrated what to do in such an emergency. He punched the snow as if you would the ice and then crawled within that snow as if you slid over the ice. He stood up after the demo and shook off the demigod dandruff, snow, only to reveal to me that he dreams of becoming a pilot one day. Naturally, I encouraged him. I certainly have no intention of imposing on him monastic life if it’s not his calling.

Jay and I returned to his house where we readied ourselves with his dad, Kasyap, for our evening venture. Our walk in the 20 below degree weather was over, but the sangha at the” Divine Goddess”, was to begin at the sun’s departure.

Amber, runs the Goddess Shop, with it’s books, candles, posters, incense, icons and Buddhas on shelves, now all pushed to the perimeter of the shop to make way for our evening of lotus posed curiousos. Indeed, the space got filled up in no time and the walking monk became introduced before speaking. I gave anecdotes of trek adventures and of pilgrimage. I told of the simple life on the road amidst black flies and of the soul’s travel from body to body and how to make good with the little one should insist on having. I told of the benefit of non violent food and how it makes a difference when you consecrate it by implementing a practical method. Chanting followed and oh my God, how the people absorbed and loved it. And like Jay, who was crawling in the snow earlier on, they were crawling in the purity of the Name. Then all participants left the Goddess Shop feeling a real spiritual high.

7 KM                             With Jason at "Divine Goddess"