Floral Notes and Bardo: The Creative Chronicles of a Shambhala Mountain Resident is a regular feature on the SMC blog in which a member of our staff/community shares his experience of existing as part of Shambhala Mountain Center.
This morning, on our way down the hill, past the lake, the wind blowing — ripples on the surface — on the dusty trail, a conversation about auspiciousness.
Last night I arrived back at the cabin — my future official residence on the land — Oh… news yesterday… as I was walking to the bathroom, Molly pulled up and rolled down the window, Patrick (so famous now!) was in the passenger seat and she asked if it was alright for her to show Patrick the yurt — Avalokiteshvara — the most auspicious abode I’ve occupied — anyway, Ryan has been considering moving in. During Sadhana of Mahamudra on Parinirvana day in the Stupa, he said his mind kept flashing on it. So, yesterday I told him that someone else may be interested and at dinner he told me: “I’m going to do it.”
Good.
Just then, Greg sat down on the other side of me — myself in between the two of them — and I told Greg the news, and I told Ryan that Greg is way back in the lineage of Avalokiteshvara residents — “Before you were born!” he said. Which is true — for Ryan.
Okay…
Last night when I arrived back at the cabin, Danny B pulled up out front, came in and fiddled with the heater, and we enjoyed a beer together and talked about sangha, Rinpoche, and then, when Oakes came down from his upstairs room, mostly naked, we all started discussing and freaking out over the reality of insects, especially ticks! TICKS! TICKS! TICKS! Oakes had just pulled one off. I’ve pulled off four!
Heather came home and, as is ritual nowadays, we stripped down and thoroughly searched each other’s bodies for those little parasites. None.
The other night, I rose from bed, flipped on the light, discovered a tick, pulled it off, flicked it outside, and said, very sternly: “NO. You are not welcome to my body or Heather’s body. Please, please, leave us alone. Thank you.”
So, we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.
Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.
Even a tick. Auspicious tick stopping my mind, allowing me to remember death, the suffering of others, compassion. Auspicious tick?
— April 9, 2015
~~~
Travis Newbill is a curious creature on the path of artistry and meditation, who is very glad to be residing at Shambhala Mountain Center. His roles within the lil’ society include Marketing Associate and Shambhala Guide — a preliminary teaching position. Follow Travis on twitter: @travisnewbill