popped awake from a weird dream and with a compulsion to act. setting it here.
in this dream, i am at teachings. the two local sanghas are there, we’re sitting in a semi-circle in a wooded glade. the day is calm, peaceful, and the sky, an unusually clear and cobalt blue.
venerable Khenchen Rinpoche is teaching, and the subject is relative and ultimate bodhicitta. he is saying that the urge to embrace suchness and be actively compassionate toward others is paramount to practice. he defines relative and ultimate in this context and as he does, a small movement catches my attention.
i turn and look to my left, and by my foot are a small garden snake and a stone. the snake is earthen tones and amazing patterns… but it has human eyes. the stone is amber swirled with amythest. neither were there when i took my seat. both glow with a lightly strobing, white light.
i look up toward Rinpoche, thinking to turn my attention back to the teachings, but he has stopped speaking and is looking right at me. i blush, feeling awkward for being caught not paying attention, and he says, ‘no, you are paying attention… and to the right things.’
i look around, but no one else there seems to notice he is no longer teaching. they are all still quietly and respectfully looking to him.
i look back down to the snake and stone by my foot… the snake has curled around the stone, and is watching me with very intent eyes.
i look back to Rinpoche and ask, ‘what does it mean?’
he chuckles and replies, ‘how should i know, it is your illusion.’ but then, the smile leaves his face and he becomes quite serious and he leans forward and whispers, ‘it is never wrong to wish well, and never out of place to speak peacefully.’
i blink and look down to my foot again, but the snake and stone have both disappeared. and when i return my attention to Rinpoche, he is speaking and teaching as if he had never said a word to me… his gaze calmly moving over the attending crowd as usual.
i begin to quiet my thoughts and set my attention back to the teaching when his voice, independant of his own speaking to the assembly whispers at my right ear, ‘speak peace and let the seed grow as it will.’
which startled me so much that i woke up.
and in the moment of waking, had a very strong compulsion to do a very specific thing.
so i did.