Someone dear to me, my dharma brother Frank de Waele, calls this morning to announce the birth of his daughter, Hannia. His joy shoots through the phone line, we are happy together across the kilometers, tears fill my eyes. We share this ancient transmission of life.
There is no transition when he then announces the terminal cancer of another friend. He may have only months to live. We share this ancient transmission of death.
There is no beginning or end to it.
There is nothing but amazing grace.
Amazing grace
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
One announcement of birth, one announcement of death,
Is there birth or death when Avalokiteshvara looks from the void?
But at the same time there is growing and dying all the time, everywhere.
Elusive as a rose petal falling, obvious like saying welcome or goodbye, there is no beginning or end to either growing or dying…can I see it?