I received a message from my Buddhist study group yesterday. Our teacher of many years is retiring, as she has health issues and can no longer make the trip. We are attempting to meet one last time. It's been on the horizon for some time, but still. It's an ending. A time for gratitude and expressing our deep love and concern for our teacher. The email responses are generous, loving and helpful. We've learned our right speech at her knee. Some of us have new teachers and are keeping up our practice and doing retreats, and others will be seeking a new meditation center and new guidance. I'm fortunate I found another teacher over three years ago, and he is close enough to drive to on Sundays. I also have friends in that sangha now. I feel for the study group members who will now have to search for someone to witness their practice. But I have the utmost faith in their wisdom and practice.
This is one of those beyond words kind of moments. So much memory is called up and emotion is high. My love for this teacher is boundless. But as we age, our needs and abilities change, and she has been our teacher in that as well. She's ten years older than I am. She's forged the path ahead for all of us. Her courage and resilience is extraordinary. She shines as an example of groundedness and compassion. Her words will live beyond her and all of us, because we've used her as the model in our interactions in our own lives. Bless her and her next steps in her path.
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