Calm. Totally Calm.

On Friday evening, we gathered at Kristin’s home during a torrential downpour. There was flash flooding on the roads and flights were grounded and the storm raged, and still, they came. This group of women dedicated to studying peace-making and compassion, persisted despite having a good reason to cancel.  Looking at the great teaching of Buddhism known as the Heart Sutra, we were contemplating 2 phrases describing the mind that abides in Transcendent Knowledge, Compassion; the description of a mind that becomes calm. Totally calm.

As I read this phrase from the text, referring to comments from the Dalai Lama, the storm stopped. The thunder, the rain, the darkness of the sky, all subsided. There was quiet.  The torrential downpour of a moment before, quieted. The realization of this teaching became a demonstration. We experienced for an moment, the Great Silence.  

We went beyond the argument of who is right and who is wrong. We went beyond all of that and we became still.  We practiced calm-abiding.

For a few moments, the anger, the terror, the threats of war – all subsided. We regained our composure through compassion.  

During our dedication practice, we offered this stillness and quiet for the benefit of all beings, without exception. WITHOUT EXCEPTION.  

I offer this for you, too. May you find that quiet in your own mind, that the terrible storm of anger subside, and you, too, abide in that peace which passes understanding.