Wondrous and Wordless

When it's the only thing there is,
how can we talk about it? - Maezumi Roshi


















How can I find words for a moment that has no words?

How can I describe a feeling that cannot be described?

Many years ago I studied karate with a group that met in the gym at Columbia University. I loved this dojo because it wasn't a business, it was a group of people coming together to learn an art. It was a devotion. Eventually the members of the dojo each went their own way and I was in search of a teacher. One afternoon I was visiting the home of my friend Shawn and his wife Charlotte who are masters in several disciplines. Charlotte said softly, "Wendy, stop looking for your teacher because your teacher will find you". I have never forgotten those words.

The last night Maezen spent in our home, I had a hard time sleeping. I kept thinking about what to say to her, some way to express the awe, the gratitude, the wonder of it all.

On the morning of her departure, all I could say was,

"Thank you for finding me".