CENTER POINT
THE CENTER FOR SELF-CHANGE NEWSLETTER

Vol. 2, No. 1 - JANUARY, 2008

ON WATERING GRAVEL

Special Guest Commentary
by the Venerable Trawoc Nhoj

We thought it would be interesting to start off the new year and the
second volume of Center Point with a somewhat different approach.
We therefore present a special guest contributor with a story of his own.

In big family garden of temple back home I start watering everyday at first light of dawn. Watering watering watering. Water everything. Water like rain coming down. Water flowers, bushes, tops of trees, earth, gravel. Water everything long time. Big, big garden. Much watering. Many hours. Good time for working meditation.

One day middle of May American woman comes. Sun just starting. Not yet much light.

She say, "Trawoc. What a beautiful garden. I see you watering every day. But I wonder why you spend so much time watering all the gravel paths?"

I say, "Water everything."

"But why the gravel? There is so much of it. So many paths in this large place. It seems a waste of water."

"Gravel thirsty, too."

"Well, this is very pretty gravel - all the subtle green and blue and gray - but gravel is just crushed rock. It is just there to be walked on. Rocks don't get thirsty."

"Gravel crushed, yes. Everybody walk on gravel. So very maybe very thirsty."

"Trawoc, that's impossible."

I just smile at her. You know, Zen smile. Very impressive. Very effective. Especially to Americans. Zen smile always make them shut up. No. I mean help them keep still. Outside. (For a while.)

Sun comes up more then. Sunlight streams into garden. Second United States lady comes also.

She say, "Oh, this is all so lovely. Just look at the colors. All the flowers are so bright, the greens are so brilliant. The wet earth is such a deep, rich brown. Even the tree leaves glisten and sparkle in the breeze. And these gravel walkways are shimmering in the sunlight just like magic rivers! It takes my breath away."

I say, "We must get it back." I go to long bench. They come.

I say, "We sit here. Deep breaths from center core. Just watch. Not looking. Just watching. Then we see."

Much time passes but no time passes. Inside outside, outside inside all same. We are garden.

I know. Ordinary Zen stuff.

But see now. Garden is family garden. Water everything. Love all children, all family. Flowers. Gravel. All thirsty for that love. It wash them clean. It let them shine.

Same at school. Same at work.

Jesus say, "Love ye one another."

Buddha say, "Cultivate boundless love toward all beings."

Trawoc not big like Jesus. Not big like Buddha. Trawoc small one guy. So Trawoc say:

"Water gravel."

Every day everywhere gravel thirsty.

Every day somewhere sunlight comes.

Our best wishes to
Ven. Trawoc Nhoj

Rev. John Cowart

JOIN THE CENTER CIRCLE

It's easy. Every Wednesday
for a few minutes between
10:00 and Noon sit down and
turn inward - through prayer,
meditation, self-hypnosis or
any modality you choose -
and send out good thoughts
to everyone else in the circle.

I'll be there. How about you?

J. Kingston Cowart
www.self-change.com
619.561.9012
Post Office Box 19005
San Diego CA 92159

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