Furry Buddha Shoes.

So many things have transpired this last week it's hard to know where to begin, other than to say that life is going on and I'm so grateful for the full meal.  Moring Aikido classes, a week of university teaching and music.  The launch of our new class series on Sunday afternoons.  Immense processing around the rejection of the hoped for temple site.  I'm loosing abit of heft around the mid section at long last...

But the matter of the Buddha shoes stands out above all.

You see, our daughter is now 11, and has been absolutely loving her 6th grade experience so far at the Toledo School for the Arts.  This is a very new chapter for all of us as we have homeschooled since the 2nd grade.  I'm a big fan of homeschooling, and equally a fan of this Arts based charter school in the center of downtown Toledo.

A large part of lifes texture for us has been our daughters health as she suffers a chronic condition we'd all rather not have to deal with.  But as it is, with the help of a certain Dr. Aukerman at the OSU Center for Integrative Medicine she is increasingly well enough to have a fairly normal day most days.

And today was a marker for this, becuase this day we went shopping with her for some clothes.

A normal enough activity for most school teacher salary level and above folks in america.

But for us, a major success.  Not so much in terms of being able to afford a few modest items at shoe carnaval, old navy and kohls.  But that Isabella was able to enjoy the time with energy, laughter and no pain.  Shopping use to be such a loathsome affair, filled with aches, fatigue and protest.

But not today.

So here is a little pic from my blackberry that is hardly great art, but which for me marks a moment to celebrate.

And as it happens, yesterday at a class held at the Toledo Zen Center  I shared that we hold the 'five remembrances' of the Buddha as noble, sacred pointers with a group of 14 or so who signed on to hear about such things.  One of these pointers is the phrase "I am of the nature to have ill health, there is no way to escape having ill health."

And this blunt teaching from the ancient worthy is true today for me, for my daughter, and yes, even for you as well dear reader.

So what's the point then?  If there is no way to escape ill health, why care?  Why is this held up as some kind of spiritual teaching?

Perhaps some of it has to do with not missing what is actually arising.  With not pretending to know things we don't, or fooling ourselves into a false illusion of controlling the universe and bending it to our will.  Perhaps it has to do with honoring the Noble Truth of this moment as it actually is, and not comparing it to some fantasy moment with which it will ever fall short.

And so standing as firmly in mid air as I can, being as naked and open to the truth as I can be, this precious moment arises.

And passes.

And so the Buddha selects her shoes, prefering the soft furry ones to the others.

Good choice honey.  Lets get em...