Buddhism powerfully respects and honors one’s ancestors. Way, way back. Reflecting on my life from the vantage point of old age with death on the horizon, I regard myself as a human being “containing multitudes” (Whitman). So many ancestors, known and unknown.
My parents were incredible people. Before my parents, my grandparents. It stops there, having never employed ancestor research. I can only imagine the long line of “family” who had to come together to create “me” for this short stop on Planet Earth. It is interesting and awesome to follow the generations backward in my fantasies until ? I virtually meet those who walked the deserts, lived in caves, died by large animal attack. I have descended from them with their experiences of life deep within my DNA. Cool beans.
There is another source of ancestor worship for me entitled: Those Who Imparted Their Wisdom. I do not know how many books chasing these wise souls I have read in 76 years. I do know the number is in the thousands. My Wisdom Teachers are countless. Those who stand out as honored beacons:
*Henry David Thoreau: I wanted to go to the woods, too, to live intentionally, to suck the marrow out. He stood for justice, nature, and following your own drummer.
*Mary Oliver (poet): “What is it you will do with your one wild and precious life?” It is hard to answer her question satisfactorily, even now.
Edward Abbey (radical environmental activist): “Resist much, obey little.” At his direction, he was illegally buried in the desert he loved.
Nelson Mandela: To be jailed for years and to be freed to become the President of South Africa is a lesson in fortitude and turning the other cheek.
Barry Lopez (author, environmentalist): Embrace Fearlessly this Burning World, one of his book titles which helped me understand how to both love this world and to know it is doomed.
Audre Lorde, Terry Tempest Williams, Maya Angleou, Sojourner Truth, Joan of Arc, Viktor Frankel, Anne Frank, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joan Halifax Roshi, Ram Dass………
And more, more, so many more. When one is a writer or a teacher, there is no way of knowing if anything spoken or written has given another human a reason to keep striving, perhaps one sentence exploding in magnificent splendor which inspires a reason to carry on.
Deep bows to my Ancestors and Wisdom Teachers. You have shown me the way more than you could ever know.
As always, your words are powerful. Thank you. It is truly evident that you had loving, intelligent parents, because they are reflected in you.