Chapter 4 - The Sand Dust Calamity

Shakyamuni Buddha once said, "The human world is like a house on fire. Get out if you can."

We know what the Buddha meant. He was referring to the fact that we live in suffering and have to endure the countless pain and worries that press upon us in times of birth and death. We suffer from illness, from emotional entanglement, from aging, from ignorance and pain inflicted upon us outside and within us. Words are inadequate to describe these sufferings, which burn like a scotching flame, transforming everything into ashes instantly. There is simply not a moment's peace in all eternity.

Today, this solitary old man finally realizes that where I live is not just a house of flame. It is a house of sand too. Every morning, I have to scrub the floor as I like things to be clean and free from dust. However, after cleaning up in the morning, a thick layer of sand again deposits on the floor in the afternoon.

It is windy and sandy here in Tahiti. The sand dust is carried by the wind and even if you shut the door and windows, the sand dust will find its way into the house through the window gap and any opening along the door. Hence, you need to have a mop and cloth handy. Otherwise, if you do not clean the place often enough, you will find your fingers dusted with sand each time you touch the area.

First I dust the sand with the broom. Then I use the mop to wipe. Finally I bend down and clean the area with a cloth. This is how I, the solitary old man, gets his exercise while doing my chanting.

I thought of the magnificent view of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss:

"Again, as the breeze blows, flowers are scattered throughout the Buddha-land; they spontaneously divide into different colors, not mixed together. They are soft and pleasant to touch, glow brilliantly, and diffuse rich fragrances. When one's foot is placed on them, they sink down four inches, but when the foot is lifted, they rise to their former level. When the flowers have served their purpose, the earth opens up and they vanish, leaving the ground clean and without trace of them."

Look at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Its colors are beautiful. Its fragrances are rich. It is soft and pure. Compare this to my 'house of sand', which is always dirty and dusty, it really blows my top!

Besides sand, there are ants, cockroaches, and unknown black insects that crawl around as I am working on my writings.

When will this 'sand dust calamity' of mine ever ends?

I shall write a poem, Ode to the Sand:

The natural wind delivers to me
Endless sand.
Sweeping from dawn to dust
Seems like it never ends.

To keep the place clean
Keeping cleaning I must.
Like flying snow flakes
And raining heavenly flowers
This sand and dust.

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