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Tonight is the Solstice and it's really a treat to be reflecting together on this night

where energetically through all the centuries, humans have tended to find there is a real

invitation to go inward.

And I thought I'd start with a story that I found in a children's book a few weeks ago and

it describes this really ancient cranky old monk who lived for decades alone in a cave

and he's living this kind of cloud of gloom where his face was etched into a sour scowl

and from his mountain perch he'd look at and see the world and think of just the senseless

wars and the poverty and the illness and really death and it hardened his heart.

It kind of just made him cut off.

So occasionally he'd go out begging with the fellow monastics and they'd remind him

that while the Buddha really opened all the suffering in the world he was also very

cheerful and very content and they'd say don't remember Buddha says life's impermanent

so if you're always gloom it'll be gone before you enjoy a minute of it.

And one day he was especially morose and people were saying what happened?

Somebody died and his response would be well is there anything that doesn't?

Then he'd walk off you know real downcast he's kind of like Eor you know and Winnie the

Pope.

Okay.

So one of the things he would do in his cave was create sand mandalas which is made

...