Of Drumming and Awareness

Some years back in the small high desert town where I live, there was this Tibetan Monk who would walk all over town with a hand held drum and stick. When walking he would chant and bang his drum, to no-one in particular, or everyone, or to the gods or world or whatever. He did this for some six month or maybe twelve, I am not sure because over time one just got used to it and it was always there. Only when he eventually moved on did I notice, and miss him indeed.

I also had a friend at the time named Tom and he was walking one day as the monk came towards him on the other side of the street, doing his chanting and drumming. Tom was a pretty straightforward guy, along the lines of ‘if you drop a rock on your foot and it hurts when it hits, then it’s real’ – so not very airy fairy so to say. In any case as the monk came nearer to Tom he kept his rhythm but briefly looked in Tom’s direction and sent a chant or prayer or whatever he was saying or singing in his direction. Tom said it felt like a wind, totally unexpected and quite physical, much to his surprised surprise! The monk kept up his pace and was gone, leaving Tom there feeling momentarily stunned.

The point of this story, is to answer a question I asked myself recently, ‘Why do I do this? Why do I collect and frame these images of fairies, and write short blessings or prayers or other explanations and then post them out there, on the internet?’ And my answer is similar to the monk with his drum, that is, for whomever may hear or benefit from my prayers, and then if no one at all, then for the world as seeds in the wind, or maybe for the humor of goddess or no reason at all.

If one studies Tibetan Buddhism, over time one runs into the greater (Mahayana) and lesser (Theravada) schools. The description of these two schools comes down to the following essence, the greater school (Mahayana) is dedicated to bringing all beings to enlightenment, and practitioners postpone their own enlightenment in favor of helping others achieve the same. Meanwhile the lesser school (Theravada) believes that there is nothing one is able to do to help others gain enlightenment, that they must find their own way, that there is no way to genuinely help others towards realization. In between these two perspectives, and the discussion between these two schools, there is some agreement, that there is no real proof of any kind that helping others actually helps at all, but the greater school maintains that there is no proof it doesn’t not help either, and if there is even a possibility they can help another towards enlightenment, then the better action is to postpone their own enlightenment for the sake of others. i.e. wait by the door until everyone is through.

And the point to that story above, is that when I create an image of a fairy and a prayer about some aspect of human growth or experience, I do so in the understanding that the prayer may or may not reach anyone, and that is ok. What is more important to me, is the possibility that somewhere, sometime, someone, may benefit from the small magic these cards and charms carry. It may be of the smallest significance, but perhaps enough to support someone, or reassure someone, or somehow assist someone in some time of need or confusion or other some such circumstances. And if that happens, then my wish, my chant has been of worth, or value.

These cards, these charms are my chant, they are my drumbeat, calling good things, good outcomes, being blessings for those who may accept. If these blessings may help someone, then my prayers are realized. And if they do not, still I am content as this is the song of my drumbeat, that after enough years of living, that I have arrived as a point where I am not looking for much anything, only to sing to the sky a prayer for the sake of the sound, the beauty it expresses, and for others if they may benefit. My drumbeat is also somewhat aligned with the Mayan held belief of how people have a responsibility to live, and live well, for the sake of not only for themselves and each other, but for the world itself, to keep things turning. Such may be one way to see the fairy images, hear the drumbeat, that is simply adds to the beauty of the world, and the world needs that beauty as much as any being upon it.

Finally, and final short story, I recently helped a friend complete a photo essay book from travels he has made over time, down dusty roads, and broken down places, and the people that he has met in the crossings of paths and roads. Upon completion, I asked him, why would he put so much time and effort and resource towards something that may not be appreciated by many, and he replied simply, ‘Because I was there… and I was here’. I think also this story explains more about the fairies and stories and prayers I create, something that goes out, and though my footprints in the sand erase soon enough, the drumbeats go on in reverberations, and the prayers join the ongoing universal chants of this world, and the fairies fly on. Simply put, at the end of the day, I do not know what else to do except to chant and strike a drum with fairies and wishes for all and everything.