Aug16

that was zen, this is now.

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as i headed out to plant flowers in my little secret zen garden, tucked away behind the cottage where i live, i noticed that something was different.  here, in my quiet sanctuary, the place where i can put my feet up, read a good book, listen to music, light a candle, stare into space, share a quiet conversation, and enjoy a lovely glass of wine – something was missing.  

just a couple of weeks ago, after my return from the southern hemisphere, i had put up a simple string of buddhist flags. the flags are not valuable, nor are they rare, they are simply to remind one of the simplicity of life, to be grateful, to offer hope, and to remain there until they unravel and wither away, once again returning back into the universe. symbolism does not get much more low key or simple than this. 

 it was at this moment, i realized that someone had stolen the flags from weathered fence, right in the midst of my tiny refuge. while it may have been the mischief-making squirrels and other woodland creatures that share the space with me, who were behind this caper, i highly doubted it, as they do not have the best fine motor skills, nor thumbs.  as for the wind, or other act of nature, the flags would have fallen within the confines of my fence,  or there would have been some remnant of them, had they had a violent run-in with mother nature,  which i deduced after surveying the surrounding area, using my c.s.i. skills.

this left one explanation. a human had come into my special place to heist the flags. i found this to be hilariously ironic and i had a good laugh standing there thinking about it. karma is a bitch, i thought. you must have needed them more than i did for some reason only known to yourself.  probably someone who ascribed to the buddhist approach to life would find a conflict with the very act of stealing, but perhaps they still had a bit more evolving to do. later, i walked back downtown to the himilayan store, to purchase another string of flags to replace them, hoping these ones would remain just a bit longer this time. 

Image

the scene of the crime, sans the flags

———————-

here are 3 wisemen, whom i admire, each with their own take on the situation:

Nothing is permanent.  ~ dalai lama

The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. – william shakespeare 

Perhaps you should look at it differently. you have given a gift to the universe. -himilayan sherpa guy who owns the store 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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44 responses »

  3. It could have been a human thief but I am still thinking that it was a cheeky squirrel, I have squirrels in my garden and they are always pinching things, I have seen them many a time pushing and pulling at things that they want, even a large bag of nuts that took over two hours to pinch, well not exactly pinching as I always put food out for the birds, hedgehogs, foxes, and squirrels alike, but these nuts were supposed to be for the birds :) lol

    So getting back to your flags, it might have been a bird also, I have magpies in my garden too and they are always after taking something, they make me laugh how they struggle to take something but always manage to accomplish their goals no matter how long it takes. It is the same with the squirrels too, so as I was saying, it could easily have ben a human thief, but I favour a small animal or a bird, I guess we will never know :( lol

    Have a fun weekend my friend :)

    Andro xxx

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  5. I am so glad that you have a quiet space with its own special zen atmosphere, but am saddened by definitely someone taking your buddhist flags and why? Not sure! This is strange. It was not just a special addition, it would remind you of your trip. They would weather, fray and return to the “universe.” What a lovely thought, too, hopefully, for their replacement flags! Darn that thief! Thanks for sharing your secret zen garden! I could see having a cup of herbal tea or something to read there…

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  6. What a nice little quiet corner of the universe to sit and relax. The shell wind chime in the corner, the candles. I suppose we have to be grateful the flags were all that were taken :-( Sherpa guy’s comment made me laugh. xx

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  7. Umm…AWESOME post. Two things, first, I’m LOVING the fact you have a “secret garden”. Been hoping to have one myself for a long while, so it was funny to hear of someone else speak of it and it’s meaning. Very cool ;0)

    Also, I love Buddhist principles myself, but I don’t know that I’ve practiced and/or read enough yet to have had the WONDERFUL reaction as did you here!! I’m VERY impressed!!

    Out of curiosity, do you meditate? I’ve been trying to get back into it but haven’t quite been able to sit for it yet. Also, do you have any favorite books on the subject?

    Anyways, awesome post ;0)

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    • thanks, happy you enjoyed it and hope you have a secret garden of your own soon. as far as the buddhism, look up jon muth’s children’s books he’s written about the principles of zen, basic, and easy to understand, at the simplest level, like buddhism itself. i do try to spend time meditating, even if it’s just a few quiet moments each day, clears my head. i’ve also attended a service at both of our local temples, and had tea and talked to the monks afterwards to ask questions and pick their brains. it’s an ever-evolving process –

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  8. Enjoy the new flags while they’re there… :-)

    Just a thought: If you put a link to your blog in your gravatar profile, it would allow people to find you via your “likes”.

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  9. The girls and I made Tibetan flags at our local free trade store during one of their events. It was easy. Love your Zen corner. Looks like a wonderful place to meditate and talk politics with a glass of wine. :)

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  10. We squirrels can be pretty crafty and sneaky, and this does sound like a squirrel ambush. Perhaps your flag is now in the squirrel’s secret hideaway where he goes to meditate and get away from the nutty world! :)

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  19. irony, yes. Reminds me a bit of what I read on Mimi’s blog today–seems some negative juju going around… Love that you keep smiling and going forward. Best option for sure. Others have mentioned this, but I have to second my enthusiasm for Karma is a bitch. You should print that on your new flags :-)

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