I met two new babes recently, one came here four months ago in a vehicle from South of the border in Mexico and the other in one from Asia, Burma, to be specific. And I have to tell you, although I’ve seen a few babes in my life, these two really got me excited. The one who arrived here just four months ago has big brown eyes, while the most recent arrival has beautiful almond-shaped ones. Both are so cute and have such great personalities it would be impossible to choose one for my own if I had to.
Coincidentally, one’s name is Emily and the other is Emiliano. I actually saw Emiliano, or rather a picture of him before he got out of his vehicle, when his father shared with me the ultra-sound photo taken when he was still in his mother womb. The shot reminded me of the film I just saw, Genesis, which so stunningly captures a growing fetus and its acrobatic life before “coming out.” Emily’s first baby picture just arrived on my computer via email. Ah, such miracles abound today!
Meeting these two babies and the episodes mentioned got me thinking about the “beginning” of life and the Buddhist teaching on existence, impermanence and rebirth; how everybody and everything sort of begins from nothing more or anything less than an idea, then evolves and becomes the knowable reflection of that idea.
It’s impossible for the human brain to comprehend either the beginning or the non-beginning of anything . . . including that of ourselves. A Zen koan poses the question, “Where were you before the birth of your mother and father?” Just tackling thinking about it can give one dukkha or frustration.
So, although I might be familiar with Emiliano’s and Emily’s vehicles, I cannot know exactly how they were made nor who made them. I could study their ethnicity, their ancestry and their DNAs and still not know their origin. Actually, the Big Bang wants us to believe we all originated as stardust, but that still leaves the question, “Where did the stuff that got banged come from?”
Be all that as it may, I’m happy I can still get excited upon meeting new life, whether it be a tree’s leaves and blossoms of spring or the autumn blossoming of two new (?) beautiful babes, who have captured my eyes and heart and who have left me still in wonder of the miracle of it all.
Hello Glenn. Just to thank you for the nice words and making us part of your blog. Thank you for sharing my joy with all the people that reads your newsletter and for all the love you give to my son.
Sicerely,