Gifts from the Sky
In August, September, and October 2004 there were many beautiful clouds around Indianapolis. Astoundingly beautiful clouds. I started taking pictures of them, even knowing pictures never do clouds justice. Day after day after day I looked at the clouds and took pictures. I began to think of clouds as gifts from the sky. I got so excited about taking pictures of clouds that I started taking my camera with me in my car everywhere. I took pictures of clouds from my driveway, from my car, from the parking lots of stores and the parking lot at the office. Often I'd drive to the top of the parking garage just to get a better view of the sky. I became so excited about clouds that every day when I went outside I would look up and think "What gifts hath the sky today?" I looked forward to seeing clouds and enjoyed them thoroughly. Now we're into the seemingly perpetual gray sky of Indiana winter. I'm glad I have the pictures, I put them into my screen saver! I hope clouds like these return next fall!
The sky is a great Tibetan Buddhist metaphor for Emptiness, the teaching that all things are empty of any essential reality, that there is no essential difference between any two things. And yet all things spring forth from Emptiness. The sky appears to be empty, but such wonderful, elaborate things are always springing forth from it. Clouds, the moon, the sun, birds, and today airplanes. If you suspend rational thinking, you can almost believe that all these things do spring forth from the empty sky. It's a fun idea to play with. Click each thumbnail for the full sized, 1024x768 picture, the largest is 372k. Roll over the thumbnails to see my comments, if any.
The vast sky never hinders the clouds from flying.
- Zen master Dogen
