Altars
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Posted by:
roark ®

12/26/2017, 10:52:57
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Howdy,

There are several places in my home of over thirty years where artifacts and mementos are quietly on display, and added to from time to time.

Like the fireplace mantel, with the 18th century thangka looming above, thick with family photos (mostly the dear departed), collars left behind by beloved dogs, beaded Haitian bottles, an extraordinary bronze sculpture, incense burners, vase and such.

The sill under the large kitchen window is festooned with more whimsical items, like a glass buoy from Cat Island, two small "perfect men' dolls (that when their chests are pressed say things like "I'm not sure where to go, honey, I think I will stop and ask directions", or "Here's the remote, dear, I don;t need sports to make me happy'), a banner brought back from Oman with goofy photos of the Sultan, Mardi Gras beads with tequila glasses and monkeys, an empty Armagnac bottle of the same year as my wife's birth, a rubber alligator and such.

One shelf in my office is dedicated to an antique wood-carved Ganesha surrounded by a book of my grandfather's handwritten poems, my favorite uncle's watch, a small photo of my favorite teacher of Advaita Vedanta, a human skull, my baby bracelet, a wedding photo, a stop watch, a bobble-headed dog (for no good reason) and such.

I suppose these are 'altars' of sorts, with artifacts and stuff that commemorate important people, influences and events in our lives.

I had a dear premie friend that I fell out of touch with almost forty years ago, but heard he was living outside of Boulder, Colorado.  Even with the awesome power of Google, I was unable to locate a phone number or email for him, but I did find an address that appeared to be his.  So when I was recently there, I just showed up and found him at his house.  it was wonderful to spend time together, reminiscing and getting to know each other again.  I learned that he split from Rawat about the same time I did, that he was now close to a Tibetan Buddhist teacher (teaching precepts himself), about his kids, loves, etc.

We were discussing our mutual distaste for Rawat and his culture, and he mentioned that he still keeps photos of GMJ and Shri Hans on his altar.  I expressed my surprise, and he thoughtfully explained that whatever happened during that time helped him to learn and grow and was an integral part of his life and what he had become.  He felt that it would be disingenuous to pretend these teachers did not help him become who he is and that he did not have some measure of gratitude for them, their lineage and tradition.

The way he explained it in that moment stopped me in my tracks, and I felt some shifting around in me as his perspective sunk in.  I saw more clearly the disconnect from myself I've promoted by dwelling on negative feelings about that phase of my life.  I sensed how his embrace of ALL that made him was healthy and had allowed him to avoid unnecessary negative self-directed feelings, and thus more easily move on and past.

No big deal, and although a picture of GMJ has not yet surfaced on any of my 'altars', I wanted to share his gentle sentiment that resonated with me.

M







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