Listening to Trees

As I sit among these ancient trees in Kyoto’s Imperial Garden I am reminded of the transience of all things and at the same time the never ending life of all things.  

Life as I know it is but the blink of an eye and yet so often I allow my very life energy to be absorbed by so many trivial concerns that cry out for immediate attention in these modern times we live in.  A year ago I asked myself the question, “What would I do if I had only a year left to live?”  The answer to that question did not cause me to go out and mindlessly spend a bunch of money.  It did help me to get very clear about my life and also get clear about some things and people.   It got me to Kyoto, Japan for this year of solitude and reflection.  It also allowed me to be generous with some others before I left in a a way I might have never been otherwise.

I think of the beautiful old tea master whom I recently discovered tucked away in my neighborhood who has been in his little shop quietly pouring tea with his wife over his entire lifetime.  Something about his way, his energy.  It was if I knew him from the day we met and we had always been friends for a very long time.  His tea shop is 90 years old and was run by his father before him.  If you stop by his shop to purchase tea, be prepared to let go of all time and preoccupation with being anywhere else, as he slowly and mindfully pours cup after cup of tea with nowhere to be, each pour growing deeper and richer than the last.  He knows not a moment of hurry or rush, as he has been doing this daily, long before cars ever began passing his tiny shop in this old neighborhood of Kyoto. I don’t think he is making alot of money.  At the end, when ordering your bag of tea, he will tally the bill on his abacus while his wife carefully gift wraps it for you.  

These trees, like the old tea master, have been here and watched over generation after generation, lifetime after lifetime.  They graciously move through each season, quietly bearing the winter snow, blossoming with colorful energy in the spring, enduring the unbearable heat of summer, displaying their beauty again in the fall.  

How many seasons I can now look back on my life and see that all have led me here today, enjoying the beauty of this day in Kyoto, Japan.  Where do I think I am headed?  What is the urgency?  What is most significant and meaningful today?

I live in a tiny, simple house.  My outdoor shower and ice cold toilet during winter remind me of the gratitude of simplicity every day.  I have food.  I have a warm coat that cost me only $17 and is made of wool from the second hand store near my house.  I am greeted with smiles each day as I walk down the street and I know the gift of those in my life who have loved and supported me year after year after year.  

To worry about my life months down the road, to worry about a number in my bank account, to worry today about what my life will look like in 6 months or a year, where I will be, is to dishonor the gift and beauty of today and rob me of this beautiful moment I am fortunate enough to be living in.  Just listening.

I must listen to the message these trees are here to teach me.  These trees have something important to say.

I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes.......

"A hundred years from now?  All new people."