If you want rain god, go ahead and rain

As the rains come pouring down in Sonoma this Sunday morning I am safe and cozy in my home watching the yellow leaves fly off the maple tree as the wind and rain blows wildly through the land. No plans for today. PG&E paid, dishes are washed, a friend coming for dinner, so much abundance!

With whatever is going on; the heartaches, the triumphs, the friends and family, the state of the world, there is always room for gratitude. I turn to gratitude as an immediate source of happiness, especially during challenging times. November, thanksgiving month, is a perfect time to count blessings and release cravings for something other than what is right here. Early winter offers the inspiration to cozy in and count the blessings of being alive on a planet that offers orange squash, green grass, clouds and water. As each unfulfilled longing drops from the tree it becomes compost for tomorrow’s harvest.  

The following Buddhist story is a reminder that the less the craving, the greater the happiness.

Dhaniya the cattleman:

• "The rice is cooked,

my milking done.

I live with my people

along the banks of the Mahi;

my hut is roofed, my fire lit:

so if you want, rain-god,

go ahead & rain."

The Buddha:

• "Free from anger,

my stubbornness gone,

I live for one night

along the banks of the Mahi;

my hut's roof is open, my fire out:

so if you want, rain-god,

go ahead & rain."

Dhaniya the cattleman:

• "I support myself on my earnings.

My sons live in harmony,

free from disease.

I hear no evil about them at all:

so if you want, rain-god,

go ahead & rain." 

The Buddha:

• "I'm in no one's employ,

I wander the whole world

on the reward of my Awakening.

No need for earnings

is to be found:

so if you want, rain-god,

go ahead & rain." 

The great cloud rained down straightaway,

filling the lowlands & high.

Excerpt from the Dhaniya Sutta translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Enjoy- now-go!