I had not expected to hand out a Buddha during my trip into a technology shop in a busy shopping centre. My aim was to get in quickly when the doors opened and home again avoiding the pre- Christmas purchasing madness as much as possible.

But what a delightful trip it turned out to be.

The young women who was attending to my requests asked me about my kesa and what it meant.

There followed a wonderful discussion as we explored our spiritual beliefs. She was a Christian with an interest in occultism and mysticism. She had already also been curious about various aspects of Buddhism.

She loved the cartoonist Leunig and singer Leonard Cohen and had a dream to one day open a retreat centre where people could come and enjoy silence and beauty by the ocean.We had a lot in common.

I learned about her connection with Kuan Yin, the bodhisattva of compassion.

It was a delightful moment of synchronicity, as Kuan Yin sadhana had been my main practice for 17 years.

Although I had not taken my main bag of Buddhas I now always carry a few in my bag, so I dived in wondering if I had a Kuan Yin with me. I did and she accepted it gratefully.

So here in a noisy shopping centre with sleigh bells ringing over the sound system and money changing hands for Christmas gifts at every counter, we were fortunate to enjoy the gift of an open aware meeting with meaningful communication.

 

Kuan Yin donated by Shani, Melbourne

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