Perspective

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Great Blue Heron

Some Kokikai dojo display photos of previous Kokikai Winter and Summer Camps. Each shows 200 or so people lined up in some configuration around Sensei. When we see them, each of us does the same thing: "Here's me!" Those 30 or 40 pixels that form the shape of my head are so important to me!

Meanwhile, Sensei's focus is on arranging all those forms to make a beautiful image: straight lines, clean edges, hands folded. Sometimes, to put my ego in the back seat for a while, I imagine myself as a blotch of paint in Sensei's pointillist canvas.

Then Gil Fronsdal says "Each of you has within you a tremendous beauty. and if you only knew how beautiful you are, you would fall on your knees and bow to yourself."

Am I important? Or are I insignificant? Am I one pixel on the great canvas? Or am I worthy of worship? I puzzle on this as I drive to work.

Then I see a heron winging across the highway, its wings flapping in lazy beats, and I am transported to the Now.

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