It is evening, a pot of rice cooking, the sound of city traffic passes endlessly through the window. I tried to walk this morning but an unusual thigh ache prevented me, so I walked around the park once and returned home. I tried to relax, read pages from Path of the Bodhisattva. Napped. Energy is good so I try a late afternoon hike and the leg ache was only slight so I ran bursts along the lake and did the usual exercise routine at the track. On the walk home not many people are out, I reminisce about my time spent in Tropical Asia, where night activity is normal and safe. Here, in Chicago, not many venture out after dark, at least not for strolling about, and I know that my own boldness for doing so is reckless. I try to stay relaxed in body and mind, remain alert to the dangers which may emerge from the shadows. I appear to walk and run with impunity, but I know better, I have just been lucky and so try to remember to thank the Great Protector.
I was close to home, approaching the stairs which lead up to my home street or down to the park and I decided I wanted to go down and walk an additional mile along the river and through the park. When I reached the stair intersection I turned left to go down and at that moment I see 2, 3, 5, 8, 15....children, all children, walking 3 abreast up the stairs. I gazed down to the river and saw that the line of children ascending was greater than 100. As I stood to the side waiting for this colorful and happy mass of youth to pass I thought of the Great Protector, not by name but by the idea which formed in my mind - that I was not to go down to the river park, that was wrong, the correct path is up the stairs and onto the street. I knew not to ignore such musings so I faithfully turned around and went up and as I walked the street it occurred to me that either death or life could be waiting, out there somewhere. I got chilled then and braced myself, there was nothing I could do, nothing I could now say, so relaxed, smiling.