The Dancing Flower

The dancing flower with star in hand had a universe to run, or should I say to play in. Her work was to show happiness to all living beings so they could dance as primordial joy with her. At times her task felt to be enormous, as human beings were so inclined to sorrow, and they thought of life in terms of the question, “So who said it would be fair?” Mothers sympathized with their daughters in matter of love lost or denied, or job opportunities and raises that were not forthcoming. They offered their condolences and sympathies, but their own anger at their own unfulfilled promise grieved their hearts and shook their self-confidence to the core. Thus, their advice always ended with the sad and bitter question, “So who said life is fair?”

The dancing flower was aware of the suffering of women and she danced to show that joy—not sorrow—was the heart of all women, of all beings. But how to bring it forward? How can joy be the heart and basis of our lives when the lives of the people are played out in gender inequality and power-status games? How could the dancing flower with star in hand overcome the structures of ego society? She had no plan. She only knew how to dance. The star in her hand shed the light, showed the doorway to where the joy lived as each being. Could her dancing reveal the entrance and means to pass each being into its deep location of inherent joy?

This place has always had such dancers. And in each generation they arise to dance again, to continue the dance that the She Is has always danced. Only a few in each generation were called to see the dance, open to the dance and pass through the star into their inherent, primordial joy. Most, if not all, of their appearances, stories, and truth-opening wisdom has been lost, forgotten, or suppressed by the patriarchal society. But in this time, more dancing flowers have appeared and danced than in any other time. Is this because this is the darkest time of the ego where everyone is a separate one feeling entitled to their own supremacy and kingdom? Perhaps when the need is greatest, when the heart is denied and everyone has lost confidence in their own hearts to live love, to enjoy love, to live as the unifying whole culture, She Is appears in her greatest manifestation, bringing her wonderful agents of dancing flowers with star in hand.

Saman had been led into the dance in her childhood by the sunflowers that she helped her mother plant every spring. When they grew to their full height, before their heads became too heavy with seeds and drooped, she watched them sway in the breeze and she heard them whisper. She learned how to hear their whispering and heard the stories of joy that they told. She would become so intoxicated—their joy settled on her like a shaking down of pollen—covered with the pollen of joy, she would dance with the flowers. After her dance, her heart felt the most present and she felt capable of meeting herself as joy. Whenever she forgot herself as joy, she returned to listen and dance with the sunflowers. This continued throughout her childhood and she felt that she could never leave the garden. It was inevitable that she would become a master gardener. Her destiny led her to study of the great religions, to meditate so the joy she felt listening and dancing with the sunflowers would never leave her. Her destiny also led her to Master Soratio, who danced the dance of eternity with her, and Saman gave birth to Yeashe, who was destined to be a most potent dancing flower with star in hand.

She knew she would return to her daughter when it was time for Yeashe to learn to dance what lay latent in her: vast, endless joy. So Yeashe was raised by her father Master Soratio and as she loved him so dearly, she learned from him the simplicity of natural happiness. She painted beautiful, tender images of Master Bonsai, and her paintings inspired everyone who viewed them to experience themselves as happiness, if even for a brief moment. When Master Bonsai passed from the body, Yeashe mourned him by sharing paintings of his happiness, and she tried to imitate his dance of eternity. Everyone enjoyed laughing at her attempt to dance Master Bonsai’s strange dance, and in their own way danced along too. Saman felt his passing as he came to her and danced with her one more time. He told her, “She needs you now”. Both women felt the loss of Master Bonsai’s passing into the depth of what is truly natural. Both women felt that his love and his great innocence would always remain with them. It strengthened them the way a good fertilizer and rain did for the bonsai trees.

Saman was ready to make her approach to be with her daughter, Yeashe, whom she hadn’t seen since her birth. Yeashe’s heart needed to be awakened and attracted to the meeting of mother and daughter. Brima-ful would create the bridge for that to happen. Brima-ful had decided to leave the ashram/garden after Master Bonsai passed. Madden and Karole, who were both tending the garden and guiding devotees, encouraged her and Yeashe to stay and uphold Master Bonsai’s life and work. She didn’t know exactly why, but she had lost all inclination or attraction to stay or visit the garden/ashram on a regular basis. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, and when Yeashe also expressed her reluctance to keep the ashram as her home, the two young women decided to get their own place together. Yeashe continued to paint and went to art school in an informal way, only taking classes that attracted her. Brima-ful loved Yeashe’s work, especially the ecstatic paintings of Master Bonsai, and encouraged her to allow them to be seen. Brima-ful developed a website about Master Bonsai’s life, and featured Yeashe’s paintings of him. She received numerous inquiries about the paintings—people wanted to buy them. Yeashe was reluctant to sell her originals, as they were precious to her, they allowed her to remember her father as she saw him and loved him. Brima-ful recommended that they could sell duplicates of the paintings and that people could also enjoy the beautiful hilarity, the madly happy dancer of eternity who was her father and her Spiritual Master. Yeashe agreed and Brima-ful set up and impromptu business selling Yeashe’s art.

There was an insistent request to purchase an original. It was a painting of Master Bonsai holding a bonsai in his cupped hand—both the man and the tree were dancing in happy communion with each other. The request asked how much was this painting and said, “I love this painting, please, any price is not too much.” The request and offer was made by a woman named Ms. West, who shared that she loved bonsai and had a garden where a majestic old bonsai lived. Brima-ful shared with Yeashe and they thought it was very interesting that Ms. West had a garden that featured bonsai too.

They tried to find out more through the internet about Ms. West and her garden. Ms. West did have a webpage featuring the garden that was called “The Garden of Always Already Happiness.” Yeashe thought that she recognized the bonsai trees. Brima-ful thought that it was no coincidence—that maybe there was some history or connection between Ms. West and Master Bonsai.

“Perhaps the painting she wants to buy has a deeper value or meaning to her,” Brima-ful surmised. Brima-ful wrote to Ms. West and said that Yeashe, the artist, would be interested in her offer. Within a day Brima-ful heard back from Ms. West and was utterly astounded at her offer of $50,000. Yeashe was astounded and told Brima-ful that she couldn’t accept such an offer and she was uncomfortable with the generous offer. She didn’t know what to feel about her art selling at such a price. It felt too weird to her that that kind value or price could be put on her work. She told Brima-ful as much.

Brima-ful had a different take on it. “You want to make your living selling your art, don’t you? Ms. West obviously sees value in the painting—it has great value to her and she wants to honor your work by offering what she feels shows the value of it.”

Yeashe was skeptical and uncomfortable about selling her work and placing monetary value on it. They talked about it for days and Yeashe realized that she did want to make a living by her art and that she needed to accept that monetary value needed to be established. She became clearer that she could make money—make her living and not compromise on what her heart wanted to discover and paint. “Maybe we could meet Ms. West and show her the painting?” offered Yeashe.

Brima-ful contacted Ms. West with Yeashe’s offer to show the painting. Ms. West was delighted and wanted to fly them to The Garden of Always Already Happiness. Brima-ful talked Yeashe into going and Yeashe teased her by calling her her agent. Brima-ful liked the title and knew good work when you can get it.

Yeashe felt strange, not herself, as she and Brima-ful drove in their rental car to The Garden of Always Already Happiness to see Ms. West. She felt she was about to cross over into a land she somehow had known before but couldn’t recall. She tried to control her shaking nerves and upset stomach. Brima-ful was busy keeping track of the directions. The anxiety she felt was beginning to overwhelm her and she thought she might pass out.

“Are you okay?” asked a concerned Brima-ful.

Yeashe closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply. “I feel that everything I thought I knew is somehow going to change. I feel absolutely terrified.

Brima-ful was concerned. She had never seen Yeashe be anything but steady and calm.

“I feel that up to this point, I’ve only witnessed a life—my life—now I feel that I have to actually be in it.”

Brima-ful was shocked to hear these words from her friend. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“I always felt that my life was easy. What was true, what is true I always saw as beauty. I watched everything and even my drawing was a way I could see it all but from a distance. I feel that somehow I am being called to actually come into it, to meet every part of myself.”

Brima-ful pulled over. “How can I help you?” she asked. She covered her hands over Yeashe’s and cradled them. She stroked her hands and could see that it was having a calming effect on Yeashe.

Yeashe felt the comfort and life strength flowing from Brima-ful’s hands into her body. She began to match Brima-ful’s breathing, and her breaths began to go deeper and fuller.

“I’m okay now, thanks.”

“Do you want to go—go back home?” Brima-ful asked Yeashe.

“No, I’m okay now. I still feel the same way but the anxiety is gone. I’ll be okay.”

“We don’t have to . . .”

“No, let’s go and meet our destiny.”

Brima-ful looked at her sideways and laughed and thought maybe this is our lucky day, we’ll be $50,000 richer. She was a little bit embarrassed about her crude thought as she drove into the Garden of Always Already Happy.

Rainbow Sage was up early, already meditating as Oasis opened her eyes and drew back the covers. She could see Rainbow’s form backlit by the light coming through the bedroom window. It created a halo around his head. She reached for her iPhone and took a picture.

Rainbow got up and stretched. He turned to Oasis. His palms were tingling. He rubbed them together and the words “Oasis Garden of Always Already Happiness” appeared. He showed his palms to Oasis and she read the message. Oasis was caught off guard. Rainbow hadn’t received any palm messages in a very long time.

“I know The Garden of Always Already Happiness. I have photographed the bonsai trees there. There are some old, ancient magnificently shaped bonsai there. Should I go there, go now?” asked Oasis.

Rainbow Sage smiled and nodded. “Let’s go, your path is about to cross with someone, for what purpose I am as mystified as you.”

Oasis thought about using the Om camera for possible clues. Rainbow felt it was urgent that they leave for the garden. Oasis grabbed the camera as they headed out the door just in case it would be helpful or needed.

They arrived just a few minutes after garden was open to the public. Oasis decided that they should head for the garden center that showcased the bonsai trees. As she turned left she noticed two young women walking towards the path to the bonsai. One was holding a portfolio which she assumed contained a piece of work done by her. She was immediately curious about the two women and especially curious about the work of art that was in the portfolio.

Oasis and Rainbow Sage parked the car and Oasis reached for the Om camera. She went through the ritual of turning it on by chanting Om and holding it to her forehead as the beam of light appeared. She thought of the young woman and the portfolio she had just seen. After she spoke the word Omkara the picture appeared in the beam of light. They both studied the image and Rainbow Sage spoke first, “I know that man, that is Master Bonsai. He was a quite a fellow. I never saw anyone dance the dance of eternity quite like him.”

“Is that what he is doing?” asked Oasis as she studied the image.

“Yes, I believe so!” laughed Rainbow Sage. “But look, there is something in his hands.”

“Yes, I see it. A sunflower that is holding a star—it also appears to be dancing too.”

“What’s in the other hand?” asked Oasis.

“A scroll, maybe a letter of sorts?”

“Or maybe a painting?” asked Oasis. “Maybe it is a painting—maybe it is the painting that is in the portfolio being carried by the young woman.”

Oasis still didn’t understand why she was called to be here. What was it she could be of service for? She reached for her everyday digital camera. She had served in the past to record auspicious moments. She would find an unobtrusive way to be present when the two young women met their fate and what was to be shown would be revealed. She and Rainbow Sage would stand and witness and Oasis would record the moment.

Brima-ful extended her hand to Ms. West. Ms. West shook her hand and also extended her hand to Yeashe. The three women smiled and Ms. West spoke first, “Happy to meet you, Yeashe and Brima-ful. Come, we will site by the bonsai. I see you have brought the painting. I am very excited to see it!” Ms. West gathered the women to accompany her to a gazebo that was a little behind the main part of the bonsai garden.

Oasis watched the scene from behind the bonsai tree. Her small camera that fit in the palm of her hand was ready to record the event.

Yeashe spoke up first, “To be frank with you, Ms. West, I am uncomfortable with your offer. It’s too …”

“Little?” asked Ms. West. “Let me see the painting before we talk about the financial arrangements.”

Yeashe unzipped the portfolio and reached inside for the watercolor painting. She ceremoniously, with regard and respect for the image, passed it to Ms. West.

Oasis struggled to see the painting and take a picture. She noticed a shadow, a form standing behind and to the side of Ms. West.

Ms. West studied the image of Master Bonsai dancing and as she studied the painting, her heart took in the image. She held it up as if to show it to someone who was standing behind her. It was an odd gesture and Oasis strained to see if the form that appeared in the shadow was actually a person. Then, she held her little camera firm and clicked the shutter as the form came into the light. She could see Yeashe looking at the woman who appeared. It was a startling moment, as the woman came forward. The woman was anticipating some kind of response that her heart was hoping for and Oasis so wanted to see that response met.

Ms. West stood up and drew the woman in and spoke, “Yeashe, the value of your painting is beyond any monetary value. It is the meeting of your father and the dancing flower with star in hand, your mother.” Ms. West stepped aside and mother and daughter saw each other once again. For Yeashe, it was the first time they were meeting.

Saman spoke her name, “Yeashe, my dear daughter.” Tears were streaming down her face.

Brima-ful was shocked and had no idea that such a meeting would take place. She thought that Yeashe had felt it, somehow had known.

Yeashe had longed for this moment. So many feelings and questions went through her mind, but she ignored them and looked at and saw her mother and met her at the heart. She reached out to her and as Saman went forward to embrace her, Oasis took the picture.