It makes sense, don’t you think.  He was a lot like Jekyll & Hyde.  First of all he was opulently rich, never even exposed to suffering.  Then once he saw sickness and death, he exposed his body to severe asceticism, to the brink of death.  And finally, poof, under an embracing fig tree–he laughed it all off and recognized the Presence of Kindness.

Like most avatars, saints, gods on earth, his story allows us lowly humans some hope–because he did insane things like we sometime do.  Eating massive quantities of bad rich food, getting sick, going on strict diets, swearing off, then falling off the wagon and indulging.  Praying and meditating daily for months, then brushing away exercise, chants and angels in lieu of nihilism and negativity.

Thank all the gods for the Presence of Kindness that forever lives inside my soul, giggling when I throw a dirty tarp over it.  Singing sweet bird songs of fullness when I try to look away from the endless touch of nature that surrounds me.  Gratitude lifts me up today.