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. 

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