🌬️ Whispers of the Wind to a Bipedal Being
A poem from finding my way during Hele Mālie Zen Sesshin (Letter 211)
Aloha fellow learn-it-all 👋
Greetings from Honolulu, Hawaii
After a week off the grid living off in nature, I’ll be honest, I quite miss it. The simplicity. The togetherness. The beauty. I was reminded of the beauty of being of nature in nature for my zen sesshin backpacking and meditating at National Volcano Park.
At the same time, I enjoy the cushion of a seat, shelter with dryness, a flushing toilet, cooking eggs with a lever, a comfy bed without volcanic rock piercing my hip, and distance from the droplets of rain.
I am struggling to find language to reflect much of this experience. What I am walking away with are confirmations of how beautiful this planet we live on is and how it all works together simultaneously simply and the revelation of how sangha (Sanskrit for community) are powerful to share experiences on similar paths.
As human beings in general, it seems to me that I need to keep re-discovering my place on this earth and in the universe.
What are humans for? How do we fit? What I discover on Hele Mālie supports my bearings as I return to the complex and confusing conventions of community, work in the world, and relationships. And walking in this windy world reminds me what it means to be a human.
Now, let’s dive into letter 211 from a learn-it-all. Enjoy!
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❓Question to think about
What is walking in this world like?
📸Photo of the Week
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📜🖋 Poetry Corner
🌬️ Whispers of the Wind To A Bipedal Being
Mere bipedal beings
walking in this windy world.
Her howling gusts
fold back my bucket hat’s brim,
whispering secrets, touching me.
Saltwater streams
down my freckled cheeks
like tears of the ocean
baptizing my face.
Taking each step
with care
with gentleness
with consideration
and with deep breaths of air.
Noticing the crackling sound
Of the raw volcanic ground
under my soles
each crunch a testament
to the earth’s fiery birth.
Watching the cricket leap rock to rock,
a tiny acrobat in nature’s circus,
and the Kamehameha butterfly exert energy
to flap her wings,
a delicate dancer in the breeze.
And becoming more self-aware.
In moments of stillness,
amid the strife,
a zen student finds surreal beauty
zooming out, showing colors of life.
The rustle of tall golden grass,
the peaceful sleep of the beached monk seal,
ants scurrying with no end,
like my racing thoughts,
the quiet glisten of the full moon’s light,
Across from the rising sun’s rays over the horizon—
each sound, each sight,
a reminder
to hold this journey tight.
I am exactly
Where I need to be.
I am a mere bipedal being
walking in this windy world,
where the breeze whispers secrets
Verifying my present existence.
I am raw creation
Just like the volcano I walk on.
With every step, a chance to see,
with every breath, a chance to be,
mindful of the world we share,
and the beauty everywhere.
We are mere bipedal beings
walking in this windy world.
📽️ Recording
I filmed a part of the experience last year in May 2023 (😈 Letter 110: The Temptation of Thought).
🎧Listening
Saturn by Sleeping At Last
This song gives me chicken skin every. single. time. It feels mystical, cosmic, peaceful, and dramatic in the best of ways.
You taught me the courage of stars before you left
How light carries on endlessly, even after death
With shortness of breath
You explained the infinite
And how rare and beautiful it is to even existI couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again
I tried to write it down, but I could never find a pen
I'd give anything to hear you say it one more time
That the universe was made just to be seen by my eyesI couldn't help but ask for you to say it all again
I tried to write it down, but I could never find a pen
I'd give anything to hear you say it one more time
That the universe was made just to be seen by my eyesWith shortness of breath
I'll try to explain the infinite
And how rare and beautiful it is to even existWith shortness of breath
I'll try to explain the infinite
And how rare and beautiful it truly is that we exist
🔍Word to define
Hele Mālie: To come calmly
Hele in Hawaiian means to go, come, walk; to move, as in a game; going, moving; a gadabout.
Mālie in Hawaiian means calm, quiet, serene, pacific, still, silent, tranquil, gentle, gradual; calmly, slowly, softly, quietly (Source: wehewehe.org)
🌟Quote to inspire
“Here’s what I like about God: Trees are crooked, mountains are lumpy, a lot of his creatures are funny-looking, and he made it all anyway. He didn’t let the aardvark convince him he had no business designing creatures. He didn’t make a puffer fish and get discouraged.
No, the maker made things—and still does.
European film directors often enjoy creative careers, during which their films mature from the manifestos of angry young men to the rueful wisdom of great works by creative masters. Is an afternoon siesta the secret? Is their vita just a little more dolce? We’ve taken espresso to our American hearts, but we haven’t quite taken to the “break” in our coffee breaks.
Worried about playing the fool, we forget how to simply play. We try to make our creativity linear and goal oriented. We want our “work” to lead somewhere.
We forget that diversions do more than merely divert us.”
― Julia Cameron, Walking in This World
🙏Shoutouts
to Michael, Lish, Kendra, Binji, Roger, Zlatko, Patrick, Mike, Brad, & Randy for being my home this past week as we found our way together walking, sitting, eating, learning the dharma, and being alongside each other on this journey.
To the beautiful Puna Coast Trail that I hiked and the Keauhou, Halapē, and ʻĀpua Point camps, where I slept and sat zazen for hours at
To my brother Mitch whose birthday is today. I am so grateful to have you in my life <3
I appreciate you reading this!
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Keep on learning 😁
Mahalo 🌺
Jen
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Diversion is often the path to divine delight. Thanks for penning these with such commitment and consistency Jen. You are always an inspiration.