A rabbit is quiet, gentle, has very big ears and a very small mouth. If everyone listened (deeply would be nice) twice as much as we talked, perhaps the world would be a more peaceful place. A rabbit has soft fur, eats fresh foods and has many friends (well…and many children too). There is a Japanese folktale based on Buddhist Tale Śaśajâtaka (Jataka Tale 316), which is also told in the Japanese tale, Konjaku Monogatari (今昔物語, in late Heian Period, 794~1185). This is the tale of the Moon Rabbit, the rabbit you can see in the Moon…have you ever tried to see a rabbit in the Moon? I never saw it until I went to Japan… it was there! In this story, the rabbit is depicted to be a compassionate soul, who offered its own body as food for a hungry old man – the rabbit had only grass to offer, while other animals had various food such as fish, meat and milk. The old man, who was actually a deity Śakra raised the rabbit to the moon to honor its virtue.What if we used this year, the year of the rabbit as a model for our own actions. Not that we have to have a lot of children, but perhaps we can become more compassionate beings…offer ourselves to others, every day, even if just a litte…even if just a smile…
This winter I took a drive with a new lovely friend named Scott and explored the incredible mountains of Colorado. I’d never before seen such an inspirational snow-covered Wonderland. Breathtaking…
I’ll post photos as soon as I can…