Descent

Today I again crossed ways with the path master disguised as a coyote. Instead of the lake shore he was now sitting in a private green yard directly on the waterfront at the canal. I was walking alone on the narrow walkway and having nowhere comfortable to sit left bread crumbs in case the master was hungry.

I have now lived long enough to reach a time line where the dark energy of imminent war bursts unannounced inside one's mind and not only war but a descent into the black claustrophobic terror room of totalitarianism. High technology abounds, a technology created to control, torture, and kill. I don't like to ponder it too deeply and counter my fears by contacting the birds which pass me on the path. The crows then appear and remind me to stay strong in body and faith. 

"Just let your mind wander along in the drift of things. Trust yourself to what is beyond you - let it be the nurturing center. Then you've made it. In the midst of all this, is there really any response? Nothing can compare to simply living out your inevitable nature. And there's nothing more difficult."
Chuang Tzu

Coyote

Today I walked the Wishing Tree path and as I left the track I crossed paths with a meditation master disguised as a coyote. I was on the lake shore and the master sat quietly on the ice next to the water. I felt inspired to sit and found a comfortable resting place and faced the master, twenty yards distant. The master looked at me and I looked at the master. 

I am discovering that while walking the path I am utilizing things James did and learned in his life. Lessons learned from long distance running help me to navigate the cold winter landscape of Chicago. Little did James know that the training was to serve more than race participation. When studying James' various haphazard activities I keep returning to the one year period of his meditation studies. What James experienced during that time increases my faith and determination to return to the secret place he discovered. A meditation master once scolded James for entertaining the idea of trying to return to experiences of the past. Perhaps the master is correct, even so, wanting to return to that exhilarating space of freedom and bliss, how can that be a bad thing? If I can get close to that place my inner life would be transformed into something solid, steady, joyful, and authentic. And so, odd as it seems, I have chosen James and his year long meditation experience to be a guide on the path. I can clearly see how James prepared himself, what he did and what he avoided. He created a map showing how to find the golden flower and I intend to use the map to find it for myself.

Walking the Cold Path

I used the word "real" in  a previous entry pertaining to the pilgrim's path which I have chosen to walk. Real pertaining to the change within me which walking the path has brought about. My perceptions of the path and how to walk and act upon it are new to me and also risky and dangerous. Ideas on how to approach the difficulties and pleasures arise and I try to understand the meaning and put them into practice. When not on the path I am cautious and mostly inactive when it comes to my daily interactions with people, but when walking the path I discover this method is not only inefficient but also ineffective. So I changed and decided to borrow a word from The Myth of Freedom by Chogyam Trungpa. He writes of "idiot compassion" and I transferred the idea to "idiot courtesy". People I pass on the streets, many are cold, angry, distant, fearful, and aggressive. Practicing "idiot courtesy" gets me steamrolled on the streets so I gave it up and don't mind in the least if someone perceives me as rude or cold or anything else they can think of. I make sure to not interfere with anyone's time, space or material, but if they try to interfere with mine I make sure to remain bold and firm in my space. Each interaction is unique so there is no formula to follow, I just make sure to gather as much courage as I can and to confront the danger head on. Perhaps I am passing a gang member who thrives and embraces violence and confrontation, in that case I know I am not on the same level of emotion and thought and if a confrontation occurs I will most likely get my ass kicked. So be it. One of the necessities of the path is having physical courage and also  faith in the guardians of the path. I possess and wear the gifts from the protectors, the amulet which symbolizes the golden flower, and the bracelet which symbolizes the light. I think of it as putting on the armor of God and this increases confidence and courage in the face of danger. 

I currently walk two distinct physical paths, one which leads west and south to St Francis Church, and the other which goes east and north and leads to the Wishing Tree. Each of these paths has its patron saint whom I sometimes pass while walking. They are not sweet and kindly, rather, they are tough and gnarly, not afraid to insult and talk wild obscenities into the wind. When I pass them I expect to be ignored or insulted, all the same they are there to inspire others who are on the path so I try to accept the harsh treatment as a teaching and assimilate it as part of the experience. In an effort to express not "idiot courtesy" but rather my own unique energy, I wai them as I pass, looking them straight in the face. Thus far I have survived the encounters. 

The past days I have been walking the path in extreme cold (temps less than zero Fahrenheit). I dress in many layers. The fun part is I am one of the few people walking in the city during these cold hours and so have much space in which to relax upon the path. 

Snow Storm

This week's pilgrim walks were marked with unusual thought patterns and abilities. Numerous times I brought with me crackers and rice to offer to the Wishing Tree. I drop the rice at the base of the tree and then carry the crackers with me so if hungry birds appear I can offer it to them. Upon arriving at the track I begin my exercise routine and then without forethought my mind would call to nearby birds, not exactly with words, but rather images of the crackers and my intention to offer it. Within moments I would notice many birds darting quickly between trees, seemingly excited with positive energy. Some of the birds would then drop to the ground as I did shoulder presses and leg extensions. I could sense my mind somehow making contact with the birds and the birds knew from this contact that I had crackers to give so I would take the crackers out of my pilgrim pack and scatter the crumbs upon the ground and many birds feasted and appeared happy and relieved.  

Today's afternoon pilgrim walk was begun in a snow storm and after making the stop at the home base began the journey homeward. Snow was thick and soft and as I approached the first of two highway overpasses I decided to repeat my offering of the day's walk to the numerous protectors who follow me upon the path. After offering the walk to the Seven Crows within moments I heard a crow calling and then saw the bird as it buzzed me. Then a second crow buzzed me and then they flew upward near the top of the pass and landed upon a concrete structure which was as tall as I was. As I approached the two crows, who were now perched side by side, they had their attention partly upon the structure and partly upon me. As I closely passed one of the crows hopped off but the other remained and as we made contact our eyes and minds connected and I did a wai to show my gratitude for the protection and guidance of the Seven Crows.

Wheel of Fortune

Today's pilgrim walk was filled with joy and surprises. Joy because my right knee, which was injured after the house painting, is making progress to health, and surprises because nearing the end of the walk I met a sweet man named Tim, 75 years old. He stopped to ask me where the auto show was. I smiled and told him perhaps McCormick Place. He was unsure and replied "I think the wheel of fortune is going on here, at the Pier, would you like to join me?" I readily accepted his invitation and we spent the next 45 minutes walking the Pier together, talking and smiling as if we had known each other long enough to be friends but not long enough where the shadows of delusion make one squirm.

 "It sure is nice to talk with someone," said Tim. I agreed, and by the end of our short time spent together as pilgrims on the path I came to know many interesting things about Tim. When Tim asked if I would like to join him tomorrow in his quest for the wheel of fortune I reluctantly told him I wasn't interested in the wheel of fortune but that I was interested in meeting with him again. When he discovered I did not carry a phone he decided to share the address where he lived. I tried to remember and when I could not he repeated it a second time. We both were suspicious that my memory would let me down and he said "If I don't see you again, may you have a wonderful life!" I thanked him and wished the same for him. 

When I returned home Tim's address readily appeared in my mind, which I consider to be unusual due to past experiences with not recalling names and numbers. I wrote the address on paper and will wait and see if I decide to visit Tim.