in the early morning hours. I will occasionally put a candle out here, but I am afraid I have adopted technology by using electrical lighting for night time. It highlights this area very nicely.”
Walking along pathways of stone, Rudy noticed that most all the plantings were evergreen. Here and there was a splash of color, and he was proud that he could identify many by their names, like the Japanese maple and hydrangeas, the orchids he saw in pots situated at random, the long iris leaves, and the azaleas and camellia bushes that in late winter and early spring would provide some color. Mostly though, there was this carpet of green textures—mosses, grasses, trees, ferns, bushes—everything lush. As they worked their way along an upward path, they approached the wood gazebo that Rudy had noticed earlier.
“What is that?” Rudy questioned, pointing to the small retreat.
In the corner of the yard, a bit elevated, was a small structure surrounded by maple trees. Its four corner posts and the cross beams were in dark wood with open walls and bamboo covering the roof. The floor was large, flat stones with some color; maybe slate with bamboo mats thrown about. It was a simple but serene place. Rudy felt like whispering as if it was a holy place and he was on hallowed ground.
“This is where I come to meditate, to pray… where I come to open my mind to positive experience and energy. See how the sunlight is filtered through the delicate leaves of the maple? It is a beautiful setting. I come here to gain strength each day to face the hardships of life and to forgive past wrongs and prepare myself for my existence on the next plane.”
“Hardships? You seem to have it made here,” Rudy said, clearly confused. Yoshito appeared to have a calm existence, didn’t seem to have many hardships. What past wrongs was he talking about? Rudy wanted to know.
“Everyone must endure hardships, Rudy; no one is exempt. I think you have already discovered that at a young age. For you it may be not having a father or financial hardships.” Rudy almost visibly winced. Yoshito had zeroed in on his greatest pain. “For me, it is the loss of Grace, my wife. I miss her terribly. One does not easily recover from a loss like that. Her loss opened a great space for loneliness and bitterness to take hold. I must work to not let those negative energies move into that space but fill it up with other things.” They continued to walk on.
“I must also open my mind to forgiveness to let go of past wrongs. In the Christian tradition, there is a prayer called the Our Father. Do you know it?” Rudy nodded yes, but he hadn’t said prayers in a very long time.
“There is a beautiful line that says, ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us . ’ I cannot ask the great Creator to forgive me if I cannot forgive others; instead, He will bestow mercy on me to the degree that I have bestowed mercy on others.”
“Who do you have to forgive, Yoshito?” Rudy asked cautiously, knowing he was taking liberties in Yoshito’s personal business.
“Come, let us begin our work, and I will tell you.” Rudy followed Yoshito to an area where there was a small, winding path surrounded by shrubbery. The trail had some kind of plastic looking covering over the ground. To the side were bags and bags of fine gravel.
“You are a strong boy, and I am an old man. I need your muscles to finish this job. Here on the path you will lay the gravel, in small piles every few feet, and then I will smooth them out.”
Rudy did as he was told and worked for the next two hours, opening bags, pouring out gravel into even piles around the trail, waiting patiently for Yoshito to tell his story. Yoshito directed him, pointing here and there while crawling on his hands and knees spreading the stones with his glove-covered hands. When Rudy was done, he helped Yoshito spread the stones evenly, the gravel digging into his knees through his jeans.
Walking along pathways of stone, Rudy noticed that most all the plantings were evergreen. Here and there was a splash of color, and he was proud that he could identify many by their names, like the Japanese maple and hydrangeas, the orchids he saw in pots situated at random, the long iris leaves, and the azaleas and camellia bushes that in late winter and early spring would provide some color. Mostly though, there was this carpet of green textures—mosses, grasses, trees, ferns, bushes—everything lush. As they worked their way along an upward path, they approached the wood gazebo that Rudy had noticed earlier.
“What is that?” Rudy questioned, pointing to the small retreat.
In the corner of the yard, a bit elevated, was a small structure surrounded by maple trees. Its four corner posts and the cross beams were in dark wood with open walls and bamboo covering the roof. The floor was large, flat stones with some color; maybe slate with bamboo mats thrown about. It was a simple but serene place. Rudy felt like whispering as if it was a holy place and he was on hallowed ground.
“This is where I come to meditate, to pray… where I come to open my mind to positive experience and energy. See how the sunlight is filtered through the delicate leaves of the maple? It is a beautiful setting. I come here to gain strength each day to face the hardships of life and to forgive past wrongs and prepare myself for my existence on the next plane.”
“Hardships? You seem to have it made here,” Rudy said, clearly confused. Yoshito appeared to have a calm existence, didn’t seem to have many hardships. What past wrongs was he talking about? Rudy wanted to know.
“Everyone must endure hardships, Rudy; no one is exempt. I think you have already discovered that at a young age. For you it may be not having a father or financial hardships.” Rudy almost visibly winced. Yoshito had zeroed in on his greatest pain. “For me, it is the loss of Grace, my wife. I miss her terribly. One does not easily recover from a loss like that. Her loss opened a great space for loneliness and bitterness to take hold. I must work to not let those negative energies move into that space but fill it up with other things.” They continued to walk on.
“I must also open my mind to forgiveness to let go of past wrongs. In the Christian tradition, there is a prayer called the Our Father. Do you know it?” Rudy nodded yes, but he hadn’t said prayers in a very long time.
“There is a beautiful line that says, ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us . ’ I cannot ask the great Creator to forgive me if I cannot forgive others; instead, He will bestow mercy on me to the degree that I have bestowed mercy on others.”
“Who do you have to forgive, Yoshito?” Rudy asked cautiously, knowing he was taking liberties in Yoshito’s personal business.
“Come, let us begin our work, and I will tell you.” Rudy followed Yoshito to an area where there was a small, winding path surrounded by shrubbery. The trail had some kind of plastic looking covering over the ground. To the side were bags and bags of fine gravel.
“You are a strong boy, and I am an old man. I need your muscles to finish this job. Here on the path you will lay the gravel, in small piles every few feet, and then I will smooth them out.”
Rudy did as he was told and worked for the next two hours, opening bags, pouring out gravel into even piles around the trail, waiting patiently for Yoshito to tell his story. Yoshito directed him, pointing here and there while crawling on his hands and knees spreading the stones with his glove-covered hands. When Rudy was done, he helped Yoshito spread the stones evenly, the gravel digging into his knees through his jeans.
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