nightfall and spring
i was meditating at the urban wetlands around dusk. with the help of my mala beads i did a round of chants, which brought about fascinating mind-states in and of themselves. most notable was that, during some repetitions that i did silently, the mantra didn't just come from my throat or my heart or my navel center; it came from my being. my pores seemed to excrete the vibration, and i really felt it in my kidneys also (i am studying some basic nephrology at the present time so this is probably just a mental connection, albeit unconscious). once i was finished with one full round, i opened my eyes to see that night was falling. within a few seconds the urban part of the wetlands became clear again: the roaring of the nearby expressway, the people shouting and talking. i realized then that these sounds must have been going all the time, but my chanting had created a bubble around me. immediately after i recognized these sounds, a bigger one came to the fore and blew them all away. an owl had perched in a very close tree and was calling to the night. this sound was primal, guttural, and it seemed very sacred. i listened for several minutes before turning around to see that the bird was watching me. as the light dissipated, i could only make out the two black spots where its eyes stared down to me. the most natural thing to do was to bow, which i did, and the owl then flew to another tree, checking me out from that angle. i turned accordingly and supplicated again. this happened for a while, with the bird gliding from treetop to treetop in a circle around me as i prayed to it.
on the front porch i have several plants, some of which are blooming. i don't have a lot of blooming plants, and the ones that do are annuals, so this is always a special time. yesterday as i was watering them i noticed a fierce-looking caterpillar sitting on one of my shelves. it was black and orange striped with big black thorns. today when i came out of my door to water again, i was delighted to see that a chrysalis had taken up residence in the exact same spot: the caterpillar had chosen that spot to make its transformation. i instantly sat down and studied the features of this really kind of alien life form. occasionally i could sense the subtle movements and shifts, and being that it was situated right in front of a flowering plant, i also watched the bloom keenly. it's not quite possible right now, but it's a tempting thought to just sit with this chrysalis and this flower and literally watch them transform. we never seem to see that happen, we always catch it after the fact. i want to know what it's like when a flower bud actually bursts open or when the cocoon trembles and transcends to wings in flight. doesn't that sound wonderful?
on the front porch i have several plants, some of which are blooming. i don't have a lot of blooming plants, and the ones that do are annuals, so this is always a special time. yesterday as i was watering them i noticed a fierce-looking caterpillar sitting on one of my shelves. it was black and orange striped with big black thorns. today when i came out of my door to water again, i was delighted to see that a chrysalis had taken up residence in the exact same spot: the caterpillar had chosen that spot to make its transformation. i instantly sat down and studied the features of this really kind of alien life form. occasionally i could sense the subtle movements and shifts, and being that it was situated right in front of a flowering plant, i also watched the bloom keenly. it's not quite possible right now, but it's a tempting thought to just sit with this chrysalis and this flower and literally watch them transform. we never seem to see that happen, we always catch it after the fact. i want to know what it's like when a flower bud actually bursts open or when the cocoon trembles and transcends to wings in flight. doesn't that sound wonderful?