A gang of long-tailed tits are skipping from branch to branch in the magnolia tree. They seem to be feeding on something – insects? – and they dip their heads happily. As they hop around I admire their long narrow stripe of black, their chubby pale breasts, their elegant tails and the splash of bright white on their foreheads. I love how they travel in company. I love their bodies. They are a gift.
At the start of our Buddhist practice sessions, twice a week, we begin with a Dharma Glimpse. This is a short piece of writing by someone in our community, read out by someone else. In this piece of writing them describe their ordinary life – seeing a spiderweb, using the microwave, getting caught in the rain – and include a little insight or revelation. Maybe they saw something in a fresh way, or re-learnt an old lesson again. In this moment they are catching a glimpse of the Dharma, or the truth. They are seeing through the Buddha’s eyes.
We can all look through the Buddha’s eyes. We just have to remember to do so. This is why writing Glimpses can be helpful – it reminds us that the truth is all around us, all the time, constantly waiting for us to pay attention. It visits us in the form of a dog, snoring on our lap, or in the wind pulling old yellow leaves off a tree. It visits us as a flock of long-tailed tits.
What can you see, as you look around you right now?
Go gently _/|\_
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If you feel inspired to write a Dharma Glimpse, here’s how – and do send it to me! – satya@satyarobyn.com.
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