Subtitle to The Essence of Zen is An Anthology of Quotations. A last year’s birthday gift from my friend and massage therapist Judy, it was compiled by Maggie Pinkney and published by The Five Mile Press.
I will often have a book or a deck around that I flip open or over every day just to see what synchronicity has brought me. Two or three months ago The Essence of Zen made it onto my magical coffee table, where groups have been passing it around, each finding their own message for that moment.
When I decided to blog the book just now, I flipped it open and laughed out loud. The quotation, from Isumi Shikibu (perhaps a Japanese Zen monk): Although I try to hold the single thought of Buddha’s teaching in my heart, I cannot help but hear the many crickets’ voices calling as well.
Perfect for an evening in which I’m continuing the process of getting the garden planted, the flowers started, the patios cleaned up, the chairs and tables placed.
I might be hearing hummingbird wings and not crickets. Some instinct pushed me to find the hummer feeder, clean it, make the nectar and hang it in the garden – an urgent ‘do it now’ placed in my mind, though I’ve not seen one of the balls of fluff since September 3 last year.
When I don’t have the feeders up at the right time, hummers have been known to hang in the front window and stare at me. No flowers around, just hummers hanging in space.
This year, I’ve beaten them to the draw. Maybe. I’ll keep you posted!