When I am gone,
And the house seems empty,
Do not thou,
O plum tree by the eaves,
The spring forget.
--Variation by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett of a poem by Helen Waddell
I think of my master's teaching as a great river, such as the Nile, flowing through a desert. The waters of the river create a fertile, green valley right in the heart of a vast aridity. My life is like a little corner of that valley that has been nourished by the waters of the great river. Without those waters, this corner of the valley would be part of the desert.
By "teaching" I really mean the whole merit of my master's training. What we usually think of as "teaching" is one important aspect of that merit, but there is far more to the merit than I, at least, will ever comprehend.
In these pages, I have attempted to show the way in which my life has been blessed by this great flood of merit. And my life is just one little corner of a long, wide valley. Many beings have been blessed by one woman's indefatigable resolve to find and live the Perfection of Zen!
I write these lines in the twentieth year following the Parinirvana of my master, Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. The flood of merit has just begun! It will roll on and on down the centuries. I wish all who read these words the full benefit of this river of merit.
Sitting alone in the middle of the night,
My heart rises in longing love to its Immaculate Source.
The kind eyes of my master
Shine through this world of suffering.
Oh wonderful Unborn True Nature, I take refuge in Thee!
Note: I am continuing to write an essay now and then. These essays will be published under a new heading on this website, "Related Writings." This heading will be found on the Home Page just below Book I and Book II of the Reflections. Or click on the link directly below this note.
Click here to go to Related Writings
Click here to go to the Table of Contents of Book One: How to Grow a Lotus Blossom: Reflections