Poetic License

How is it that we are halfway through January already? One more holiday (MLK Day) before we hit a holiday drought that will last until Memorial Day.

But holidays aren’t what I am thinking about tonight. Instead I’m musing about what I owe you. What you owe me. It seems like right now in this country that I was born into and that I love, no one believes they owe anyone anything. There’s a lot of anger and posturing and pure hatred flying around. Just hop onto your socials for a minute, and you’ll see what I mean. It feels loud. It is like opening the door of your soundproofed room right into a death metal concert in an overpacked stadium. You want to slam the door shut and click all the locks.

I’ve been trying very hard to post my gratitude to Facebook every day this year, and mostly I’ve succeeded. But it’s getting harder to be positive and grateful, isn’t it? A friend said to me last week, “The world is burning.” If you turn on the news in the morning, you might say the same thing. I’m not saying that the world isn’t a mess, but I can’t take that into myself every morning. I can’t watch it happening in real time.

Yet in the middle of all this madness, a group of monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Center in Ft. Worth, TX, is moving silently across the United States, headed toward Washington, D.C. Some are walking barefoot, as per their own practice, while others wear shoes. Their dog, Aloka the “Peace Dog”, who first met some of the monks in India where he was living in the streets, was on the walk with them until a pre-existing injury to one of his front legs was determined to need veterinary attention. Aloka has now had a successful surgery on that leg, a brief reunion with the monks, and a trip back to the rehab center where he will be cared for throughout the remainder of his recovery. The veterinary attention, the follow-up care, and the transportation are all gifted from some amazing animal carers along the way.

The monks eat one meal per day and depend entirely upon offerings from well-wishers. As they move along, they focus on their steps and on their breath. They sleep under the night sky. They are making rapid progress as they approach the northern North Carolina area, growing closer to Virginia. When their walk began, one of the monks was badly injured by a careless driver in a truck who ran into their procession. That injured monk was taken to a hospital for treatment where, unfortunately, he lost the injured leg. He was brought back to his home near Atlanta after he was discharged from the hospital and was able to see his walking companions as they passed through the area.

Why are the monks walking? What message do they have for us?

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu, the Tao Te Ching

If you understand anything about Buddhist philosophy (it is not a religion), you will know that a large part of it is about finding peace within yourself, which is believed to then influence others and the world around you. When you have enough peaceful beings, you have an unstoppable force for good in the world. This is so similar to Jesus’ message of peace, of poverty, of charity, and of love. These monks don’t ask for anything, but they gratefully accept what is offered. As they have progressed on their path, more and more people have gathered to walk with them or to listen to their kind messages at their lunch stop or in the evening after they have had an opportunity to rest. Most of the people have been gracious. Some so-called Christians have protested them, which confuses me and breaks my heart.

As I sit here tonight, I find myself wondering why now? But what better time than now? When “the world is burning,” do we not need the force of a lonely band of monks walking for peace? Do we not need their quiet footfalls along a cold highway? Do we not need to measure breath for breath with them, finding some kind of peace within ourselves? If we can do that, can we not turn things around?

“And at once, I knew I was not magnificent … But I could see for miles, and miles, and miles.” – Bon Iver, Holocene

Blessings. I owe you peace. I owe it to myself, too. Sending loving-kindness to you all.

Namaste,
Jude