[Qualarrizab]

I wanted to say something about happiness and Nature as metaphor.

I am a person, who has few goals other than to not suffer from anxiety and depression. For the most part, meditation has "worked" and worked pretty well.

My spiritual teacher told me to find one thing during each day, that was exceptional, joyous, or inspirational. A lot of times, I just go out into our woods, and look for something and so far, I find something there.

But as I visit the same places day after day, I notice that each day, the woods have changed. The place I stay mostly is by something I call watershoot log, and horse log, though of course, since it takes some time to get to Big Burl and watershoot log, I observe many aspects of the woods. And really things change from day to day. Today was the first day that I have noticed a red maple leaf just two leaves so far - It is coming from one of the giants. Not long from now, there will be more leaves carpetting the ground, and after fall, is winter.

I think that the woods is a metaphor for impermanace. We most likely change in minute ways every day, but do not notice it unless we take photos of ourselves and then notice something after a week. But we are changing, just like the woods, and it's not necessarily a bad thing.

My thinking is that many retreats are held in nature, and I think nature inspires us, but also we can view Interbeing, and Impermance in nature. You can most likely do it in the city, as well, but I think the silence of nature, really makese meditative thought more easy. After all, Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, right?

Best,
True