I’ve been working with one of those places in practice where it can be helpful to invoke Suzuki Roshi’s encouragement, “If we lose the spirit of repetition, our practice will become difficult.” Which is to say, what is in front of me to practice with is familiar!
I’m a huge fan of listening to recordings on shuffle (or whatever version of randomly selecting recordings to listen to one might have available). I love the magic of Life choosing exactly what I need to hear. Listening recently, I had two experiences of being carried by Sangha. The first was an old radio show archive. The person calling in was struggling with (and triumphing over!) exactly what I was working with. All right, if she can do it…
The second was listening to “myself” from seven years ago. I use quote marks around myself because it truly is like listening to someone who I do not identify as “me.” And she was rocking it! Because she and I have so very much in common, what she was working with was VERY similar to what has been in front of me. And she was practicing like a hero. I was incredibly inspired by her courage, tenacity and sense of humor! If she can do it…
Soon after, we talked with Theresa about a quickly growing trend in Kantolomba. Families are making an increasing investment in their daughters’ education. These are families of girls in the Living Compassion Girls Program, but not just those families. It is value that is spreading.
A very short time ago it seemed daunting, even pointless, to parents to invest in education, especially for girls. What difference does it make? They won’t make it; the odds are too overwhelming, the factors against them are insurmountable. (Not unlike how I was feeling just a few short days ago in a karmic storm!)
But people are watching. They are watching the girls succeed. Finish grade 10, now 11, and 12! And pass their grade 12 exams and now… Four are enrolled in college??! Wow.
Theresa relayed to us the reaction from the community when these college pioneers recently visited. "When the girls came for short holiday from nursing school, they were all grown up; looked so clean and neat. The community was saying, ‘Wow - there is a lot of transformation in them!’" If they can do it…
College pioneers, from left, are Silvia, Mirriam, Esther, and Rachel.
Makes me realize how we are each always practicing for the whole. We are watching each other, taking our cues from one another, even, perhaps especially, from ourselves.
In Gassho,
Jen