I wrote about it in my second novel "Talking to the Moon." Jory, the father of character, loves Joshua Tree because he adores the moon. Joshua Tree looks like the moon, a far away, enchanted place.
I found spots to meditate and simply relax. The desert is deadly in Summer, but nine months out of year, it's pretty amazing.
When I take refuge, I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Sitting in a group helped me see how truly valuable a Sangha, or spiritual community, is. Sharing communal pain was truly an act of community.
We are a social species. Our ability to survive is by forming groups, communities. Gathering together is a deeply human act. Let's be human.
I had the pleasure of doing a reading at Spoken Interludes. I read a new piece called Heart Center, touching on Buddhist topics like impermanence, the suffering of death, and Kuan Yin, goddess of compassion.
When Delaune Michel invited me to do this event on Sunday, I actually got real emotional. I remember when I was asked to do this legendary literary salon almost 20 years ago. I was younger and knew that Spoken Interludes was a REAL big deal.
It was validating to be asked, considering that there were many others who DIDN'T ask. I changed a lot. I'm reading an essay on leading a Buddhist death ritual for a friend who was passing away. The essay will be the first time I'd read it out loud. Reading something publicly makes a piece of writing real for me. It's not just tucked away in a computer or in my mind. It's a living, breathing being. It becomes alive somehow.
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