Against the Wind

The wind. It is not yet at a point where it can be called howling. That will come later as winter grabs hold and tightens its icy grip. Nor is it whistling; I suspect it is rarely referred to in that cheerful manner around here. No, there is something unique and mournful about this sound, unrelenting and never letting the listener forget its constant, dynamic presence.

The sky. Ever changing. Deep cobalt blue one day, devoid of distraction, a kaleidoscope of greys the next. A backdrop for hawks and eagles criss-crossing the horizon searching for their next meal.

And then there is the sea. Here on the northeastern tip of Cape Breton Island, the sea dominates. Well, maybe not completely. Because that is the domain of the wind.

i am in Pleasant Bay, NS at Gampo Abbey, a Buddhist monastery perched on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. This is the home of Ani Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun and prolific author who has helped me through more than one personal crisis – real or imagined – with her deep insight into the human condition and wicked sense of humour. Ani Pema is not here right now; she is away (somewhere) until March. And while that is a teeny, tiny disappointment, I can hear her voice as I sit in the main shrine room with the vast ocean vista laid out before me. I can feel her presence as my feet travel the same path as hers do during walking meditation. I was in her house yesterday.

My first few days here have been a whirlwind of learning…about the workings of the Abbey, about the monastics who have chosen this as a way of life, about the other volunteers from Canada, the US and beyond. There has also been laughter…with a promise of more.