Monday, December 17, 2012

Three Days

In some traditions -- notably Tibetan Buddhism, there is an understanding that the process of dying continues for about three days after breathing has stopped. Some consciousness lingers and disturbing the body during that time could interrupt the natural dying process and influence rebirth.



Last Wednesday, I went out to my studio and a little bird had hit the window on my door and it was laying on the ground, still breathing, not moving. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you will know that I have some weird thing going on with birds, as do others of you out there. Moments before my mom called to tell me my dad had died 19 years ago, a sparrow hit my dining room window and died, then the phone rang. This past summer I had the Lo-wren-zo family living here, nearly dying then finally living and flying from their nest. (by the way, I think they are still hanging out around here screeching). I have had other instances where a bird died, then someone died. It's weird......
Anyway, getting back to the Wednesday bird. I brought it in and asked Gerry if he thought it would be ok. He said it didn't look too good and then brought up the thing about birds dying around me. I ignored him because Wesley was on her way home from school, and I worried until her car pulled in to the driveway.
I figured this bird would die, so I placed it in the nest that the lorwrenzos lived in this past summer, the nest inside the raku bowl I made. If it had to die, at least it would be in a cozy nest that gave other little birds a home. So, yeah, I got up Thursday morning and Gerry told me it had died. And then Friday 20 little children and six adults died in a brutal shooting, as well as a child and his mother.


Wesley told me about the Buddhist belief in the three days of dying, so I left the bird in the nest, to let it's soul find it's path. And then it rained. So maybe tomorrow I will find a place to bury this tiny bird as all of these tiny children are also buried this week.

I'm sad, I'm confused, I'm angry, I'm happy to have my own child safe here with me in our "nest", and I am broken hearted for this world we are living in. I want a better world for my child and your children and your grandchildren.......
I also feel a bit lost right now, I feel a new path coming on and I don't know what it is just yet
So here is to New Paths and a brighter tomorrow.
peace ya'll
xo

7 comments:

Lori Buff said...

So much of the world is grieving with you. I just hope some parents have decided against gifting a child (or even an adult) some violent toy this holiday season.

Susan Wells said...

So much sadness! Makes a body want to curl up in her own nest with her babies.

June Perry said...

I was once told by a spiritual teacher that it's best to place a deceased bird in a tree - it's natural place, instead of burying it. I liked that idea.

Tracey Broome said...

Lori, I know. I'm as guilty as anyone though, we have video games, not extremely violent like some of them, but still, I'm killing dragons, of all things! I don't much enjoy that part, I like finding gold better:) but I don't get the toy gun thing at all...
Susan, I am staying in my cave in January, that's for sure!
June, I like that idea, I have been worried that my cat would just go dig it up. A tree it is!

Vicki said...

Wesley is wise and knows much for her young age.
I like the Buddhist belief that the consciousness is still in the body and any handling before three days may disturb the end processes of death.

I grew up in an old European household. Old traditions and superstitions abound.
A belief was that at death, the soul does not leave immediately. It still feels close to the body and often remains until burial, and shares in the mourning.
Traditionally, the body was laid out at the home with doors and windows left open for the soul to come and go until it could finally leave the body and move on.
Prayers of comfort, memories and messages were whispered to the deceased so that they could be taken with them to the next realm.

I grew up with symbolisms and was told that a bird means 'messenger' and each kind of bird also has a different meaning.
They symbolise freedom and transistion - often accompanying the soul on its journey across the realms.

Peace to you too Tracey in these tender days :)

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Vicki, Wesley is a wise girl, I enjoy having her back home right now! It's so interesting to read about beliefs of death and dying, so many traditions revolving around the soul and it's passage to another place. I want to do more reading about this subject, much has come up about it. Peace to you too.

Amy said...

wow, what a gifted writer you are. in the christian tradition as I guess you know 3 is a holy number too (on the third day Jesus was resurrected), so I love what you wrote about 3. yes, so much sadness. sad too to realize that in other parts of the world, 20 children die every day. we seem in the US to think we can be immune from such suffering. still it's hard and horrible when any one dies. and, I'm so against guns. that's my soap box. oh, and mental illness care needed! enough said. hang in there!