Nail Salon Zen Master

My Shaman Teacher always taught her shaman apprentices, the great god/goddess is reflected in each person that you meet. Every moment in time is sacred. Honor time, each person, and each experience that presents itself to you as a sacred mirror. Of course, many of us are looking for the famous guru, shaman healer, educated teacher, best selling author when the greatest Zen masters may be quietly sitting in a nail salon in the bedroom community of La Quinta cove.

It is 105 degrees today in La Quinta California, just east of Palm Springs, when I drove into Old Town La Quinta. All is quiet, hot, air not too heavy, I walk into the nail salon looking for my weekly beauty treatments. "Do you need eyebrow wax?" said the young woman awaiting my entry. I said "Yes!, A bikini wax too." She cheerfully took me into the backroom and I hopped up on the table happy to endure the pain to be more beautiful. As she was applying wax to my eyebrows she said, "My husband died three months ago of a heart attack." I was prepared for the tears, the sadness of what she must be experiencing and she went on cheerfully to say. "That is in the past, I do not have to be sad. My parents said I must wear black and be sad. I do not want to be sad. Life is too short. I want to be happy. I love my husband it was good, but I live in the moment and I move on and will be happy. She further explained she must be strong for her children who get upset when they see her grieving. She has to drive 4 hours per day plus work 8 hours. She must stay positive! My parents said ' I am too American.'" I asked where she is from and she said she is from the country of Vietnam. She said her parents are Catholic. I asked her if she read Echart Tolle "The Power of Now." She had never heard of him.

I asked her if she understand the Buddhist priniciples of being in the moment. She seemed to have a glimmer of understanding about Buddhism.

I explained to Kathy, she was already a Zen master and a great student of Buddhism and that her parents were more American than her or me for that matter. That she already had embraced the principles of Echart Tolle, David Deida (he talks about being in the now as well)

and the Buddhist Monks of Vietnam.

Today, I had the sacred honor of having a Zen Master wash my feet and give me a waxing She was not wearing orange robes, no books to sell, no websites, she just is. Watch for the powerful people in all aspects of life.

The Moral of the story, there may be a golden Buddha in your own backyard. See the next blog about the Golden Buddha.