A Story for David, My Teacher

There was once a man who stood at the edge of a beach, looking across the water, wondering when the sun would rise. He stood all night long, his feet cold in the surf, the air tossing his hair from side to side. He believed in the sun, and in the rotation of the earth. He believed in the surf, and how, at one point on the horizon, it would surrender the sun, in its time. As he waited, others gathered. They, too, were waiting for the sun to rise, and they huddled around him, hoping for a word or two that might warm their souls during the dark night. But just as he was about to open his mouth, and talk to them about faith, there was a dawning in the sky. The darkness that was smitten with stars was becoming creamy with light. He didn't need to say anything but to point to the horizon. There was no sun, but there was the soft orange creaminess of sky that suggested the sun. The people around him sighed, for it was the promise of sunshine that moved them more than the sunshine itself. It was knowing that they were on the cusp that mattered the most.

In this dawning light, the man taught many people about the non-dual nature of the soul, how when one had doubt, one only had to look at a flower, and find the truth. He taught his students how the sun was only a point in the sky, when the entire universe, including the night itself, was worth just as much celebration. For the man believed in the unity of all things. He believed, in his heart of hearts, that every atom of every entity was connected, in one great eternal constellation.

Just as the red tip of the sun was about to appear over the horizon, a cloud bank appeared, veiling the light. The man's students grumbled, and kicked the sand. But the man, knowing that his work here was done, looked through the clouds, and as he did so, he turned into the sun itself. His students looked around for him, baffled. They were not so sure they liked his way of going. But when they looked up, there was the most amazing sunrise. And they remembered his teaching, and they saw him in the clouds, and in the light on the water, and in the sand that was clinging to their feet. They could see that he was a lens through which they could look for a time and see eternity. They were grateful, and cried tears of gratitude for how much he showed them. And now, their eyes clear, their hearts broken open, they saw the raw and gorgeous truth of love. They saw how love makes up everything and how nothing and no one is ever lost, because it is all bound together by a love so profound, it breaks over the water in light.

Note: a blog "www.celebratingdavid.blogspot.com" is managed by his partner, Ananda. Feel free to visit.