Soul Focus
6,544
miles away
fifty
years in
the
rear view
Pilgrims
welcomed
contemplation
imprinted
to
emerge time to time
Zazen
discipline
introduced
redirecting
wandering
minds
Weary
travelers
surrendered to the moment
eased the soul
Truth
pulled through time
meandering
life choices
now
reliving moments
Footnoting
the negatives
counting
the Yes
opening
to the possible
Emptying
the trash of
misused
dreams
restarting
the balance wheel
Worth
the trip
still surprised
by joy
a clearer focus
Fifty
years
and
counting
It was the winter of 1969. A down-in-the-dumps student was hiding out in the campus ministry lounge. I was her campus pastor. I pushed, "What would you like to do,
where would you like to go?" Finally, a timid tearful
response, "Japan, I suppose, but that will never happen."
I ran with that.
Long
story shortened: the next summer, 16 of us, mostly students, took a
self-guided independent tour in Japan. We booked our own
travel and made our own arrangements with friends we mostly met along
the way.
We spent a night in a Zen Buddhist Monastery on Lake
Biwa. At 4;30 in the morning a monk beat on the prayer board, calling us to a Zazen meditation practice that brought the three week trip into focus. The student said it was the best part of the whole trip. Max
Cannot avoid death
Moments passing
Value this moment
Things change quickly
*Prayer board inscription
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