Dragonflies Hatching

Dragonflies are hatching this week. The larva has been living in the muck at the bottom of pond for years. Years! One day it climbs up a reed, breaks out of its exoskeleton, and waits for its new wings to dry so that it can fly. What an awakening!

Just such an awakening is possible for us on our spiritual path. Today we live in the muck of everyday life. We've been living here for years. If we will but follow the Noble 8-fold Path, we can find a whole new view of the world.

Hummingbird Moth

The hummingbirds flew south a couple of weeks ago, but hummingbird moths are still whizzing around flowers, drinking and pollinating.

The larvae of the hummingbird moth feed on honeysuckle, viburnum, hawthorn, snowberry, cherry, mint, and plum--all of which i have.

This evening, the hummingbird moth was dining on sweet-smelling nicotiana. Its wings beat as fast as a hummingbird's wings, and it zooms around from flower to flower, just like a hummingbird.

Even though the moth has absolutely no relationship to the bird, some of their habits, and their habitat, are very similar.

Each of us came into this life with particular habits of mind, which are strengthened or weakened by our family and the friends we spend time with. By this time on our spiritual path, we want to be careful who we spend our time with because we want to develop wholesome and admirable qualities.

The hummingbird moth drinks sweetness from the flowers. May we ourselves drink in the sweetness of kindness and gratitude.