Every day I spend some time with Buddy in a small section of woods and meadow on the southern edge of my land. There's a group of plantation pines there, with a little clearing. I can often see where deer have bedded down and Buddy, of course, can smell their lingering scent. While I'm out there, I spend most of my time among a stand of very old and very tall Norway pines that I refer to as The Seven Graces. When the sun is shining and I can feel its warmth on my face, it's hard to imagine a more perfect way to spend time, a better place to spend a part of each day.
My self-imposed assignment is to keep my mind still. Buddy's seems to involve smelling every inch of that acreage. I'm getting better at mine; Buddy mastered his early on. I look forward to this time when he is leash-free and, in a very real sense, so am I. The tethers I place on myself through emotions or false thinking seem to fall away; it's just the sun, the trees, the grass, the earth, Buddy and me. And it's pretty good company.
As you embrace the Infinite Self, it will show you things that you have never seen before. Sometimes they are simple things like the spaces between the leaves of a tree or the silence between words in a conversation. Sometimes it shows you major stuff like the doorway between two worlds; suddenly you see the twilight non-world hovering between the in-breathing and the out-breathing of this Cosmic experience we call Life.
~ Stuart Wilde
Of course, Buddy isn't thinking about any of that. He's just breathing in and breathing out, experiencing life without any encumbrance of thought and with the pure joy of simply Being.
What a great little teacher he is. What fine sons I have.
And what a great student and mother you make Teresa.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely this is. I love the thought of the space between the leaves. It is, I think, those spaces that the John Muir's of the world were so in tune with; the poets and inventors and scientists and everyday folks who did and do make this world a better place.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful quote and a wonderful sons to share it with you, and, now your readers.
When I saw the title of this post, I thought it was about the increasing space between the leaves, as they fall from the trees and become bare. It's a wonderful quote, and there's nothing quite as helpful at getting into the present as a sweet four-legged friend... :-)
ReplyDeleteAh, Buddy. Single-focused without ever trying.
ReplyDeleteLove the in-the-present-moment world of the pet.
ReplyDeleteInfinite self shows me the space between my ears too. Very simple indeed. Lol. :)
ReplyDeleteSure would like to hug your Buddy... he's so handsome! beautiful, snuggly coat ;)
ReplyDeleteI value my alone time too or my time with Nat & me alone. The keeping the mind still is a very helpful exercise, & I should practice more myself. My method (on & off) for years has been TM. I know it works, if I do the work.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Stuart Wilde reads Eckhart Tolle or vice versa. Actually it doesn't matter the more voices speaking good truth the better. Very nice post!
There is nothing more joyous than watching a dog immersed in its environment. What a lovely fella he is!
ReplyDeleteHey Everyone, Thanks for all the nice comments. I have one fine companion in Buddy.
ReplyDeleteWill, re: that space between the ears - I'm reminded of Leonard cohen's song Anthem:
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the Light gets in." :)
Bob, Wilde's book, Infinite Self, was published in 1996. Tolle's, The Power of Now, in 1997. You're right, the more voices the better.
Again, thank you All.
How abou I write some song lyrics called "Buddy and Me" and you pick out a melody on you mandolin?
ReplyDeleteAny Chance of you hiring out Buddy to me for a while?He would make a great Life-Coach![i will pay his air fare to England]
ReplyDeleteCletis, We'll become an overnight youtube sensation!
ReplyDeleteTony, I can just see it now, Buddy on his European tour. First stop: England. Buddy as Life coach. I love it. He really is that for me. And his going rate is a lot less than people coaches!
The mind is in its own place...
ReplyDeleteGetting out in nature as you do, and doing so with a great dog, would probably cure half the world's ills. The rich and powerful would, I suspect, make more humane choices, while the poor and powerless would discover untapped strength.
ReplyDeleteDogs can teach us so much. Animals are gifted because their muteness lets them hear the "in betweens".
ReplyDeleteI love the times when I'm alone, with or without a dog. It is a time of listening. A time of power for the self. A time for watching without reacting. It gives me strength.
Thank you for this post. You left a "space" for us to wander into.
Nancy, I love your observation. So true it is!
ReplyDeleteYes, Teresa, the spaces between the leaves, like the silences between musical notes, are absolutely essential to our spiritual equilibrium. There could be not leaves without spaces in between them, And, yes, pay attention to Buddy's practice; he, like all dogs, undoubtedly has much to teach.
ReplyDeleteThis is very lovely Teresa E. There is something very zen about dogs. Thank you for sharing the lovely quote. I love this post.
ReplyDeleteThe Seven Graces...that simply echoes for me...a spot I would love to visit...a safe place for the bedding of nervous deer...an exciting ground of mystery to a Buddy nose...and soft, careful atmosphere for the lifting of your soul. Marvelous to hear the space between the leaves...to experience the silence between words. You have exceptional sons. :)
ReplyDeleteAgain, thank you all for your thoughts, your contributions here. They mean a lot to me.
ReplyDeleteAnd you, Rita, what a poetic summation of this time for me. How very kind this is, and deeply appreciated.
I was pleased to be reminded of the Cohen quotation. There is a temptation, I think, to become what a friend of mine calls with a laugh, "etherealized". It's probably not a word, but I know the condition, and Cohen's concreteness, his earthiness, is a good antidote.
ReplyDeleteCohen: perhaps a poetic analog to Buddy.
This is such a lovely post, it really speaks to me. I don't have enough trees in my life and it hurts my soul. I have just spent some time with my son and his wee family; their house is surrounded by trees and I was able to just 'be', I was able to feel the space between the leaves, and I came home so very refreshed.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for trees, and our beautiful sons.
"Spaced between the leaves on trees" I really like that. Both visual and cerebral this is enchanting, don't you think? I think buddy is thinking, but not encumbered, he is thinking clearly and simply. Very nice piece you have written here.
ReplyDeleteWhen my sister in Texas visited last summer it was the trees that she was so taken with here. There is an almost astounding variety for only six acres, but it's the Norway pine that seem to have a presence about them, they feel like old statesmen who have so much to silently share. and, sometimes, I feel like they are talking to me....
ReplyDeleteYes, Bill, it is enchanting. Very much so.
Thank you All for your very thoughtful comments. I am so grateful for your friendship.
Teresa, this is post that seems to take your writing and introspection to a different level. The photographs of Buddy are really good and the trees are identified and carefully described, like I do with my trees in the grove. That's a good spot to be -- there amongst the trees with your companion. So, where is the snow?
ReplyDeleteJack, It's so nice to hear from you. We have had no snow, other than a temporary dusting here and there, for some time now. It looks to be an unusual winter, and certainly not a white Christmas unless that changes soon. I'm grateful, and yet, I can appreciate the snow and the crispness of the landscape. I know, from the snow that came right after I got Buddy last spring, that he would Love it!
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you for the gentle reminder to slow down, breathe deep, and just "be"
ReplyDeleteI'm glad, Ish. You are most welcome.
ReplyDelete