Rinny the Rinpoche. Amber Marie Williams

Transcription

1 Rinny the Rinpoche Amber Marie Williams

2 Original Illustrations by Marie Louise Williams Design & Typography by Sheldon Lawrie Edited by Meghan Aris & Sarka Kolacna Copyright 2012 Amber Marie Williams First Edition Printed in Canada All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from publisher. Also by this author: Owl Eyes: A Timeless Fable about Interconnection, Nature & Love *A portion of the proceeds from my creations will be donated to support our magnificent natural world*

3 Rinny the Rinpoche Amber Marie Williams

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5 Rin po che rin pä ch noun Incarnate lama or highly respected spiritual teacher Often used as an honorific title Literally translates as 'precious jewel' Origin of the word: Tibetan Buddhism

6 This is the story of a Three-Toed Sloth. Her friends call her Rinny. Rinny is a Rinpoche. She lives high up in her tree fort in the Stanley Park forest, and she mostly just loves to slowly hang around and smile. But another one of her favourite things is to talk with and listen to all of her animal forest friends.

7 Rinny smiled and exclaimed: They always give me the most magnificent messages!

8 Just then Rinny heard a funny, howly, giggling noise coming from the base of her tree fort. Alarmed, Rinny started down to the bottom of her tree to investigate.

9 However, when she got down to the ground, she discovered nothing but a Coyote sleeping soundly. Rinny shouted: Coyote! Wake up! Did you hear that crazy giggling? Coyote awoke from her slumber, shook her head from side to side, and said:

10 What? Who is that? Oh, good lord... what time is it? Geez Louise, yes, of course I heard that giggling. That was me, trying to play a trick on you! But it took you so long to get down here, I guess I fell asleep on my own gag!

11 Rinny was perturbed. True... it had taken her seven hours to get down her tree to investigate, but how annoying on Coyote s part to play this trick in the first place! Rinny asked her sister: Coyote, after all of this tomfoolery, what message do you have for me? Coyote replied: Well dear Rinny, my message for you is no matter what the foul or folly, never mind what happens to you. Rinny paused for a long while and then said: Hmm. Well, I guess I see your point Coyote. We should never judge what happens to us as being either good or bad it just is. Thank you for this balanced advice.

12 Coyote smiled, and with a flick of her fluffy tail she turned and started trotting down her path, all the while softly howling her favourite song.

13 It was turning into quite a warm sunny day, and being that Rinny was already down from her tree top, she decided to make her way down to the Pacific Ocean for some sea kelp and a swim.

14 When she arrived at the beach, Rinny was happy to see that Grey Whale and Harbor Seal two of her favourite animal friends were also in the vicinity, swimming around and enjoying the sea and sunshine.

15 Rinny shouted: Oh! Yoo-hoo, brother Whaley! Great to see you. How have your travels been? Whaley replied: Good day Rinny. Always lovely to see you! As for a report on my travels, I am a bit embarrassed to say we are not doing an especially good job at protecting the water that surrounds, sustains, and nourishes us. We must realize how precious it is, or we are not going to survive. After all... we only get one earth. Rinny sat with this for a long moment and then said: Wow, that is quite heavy brother Whale... And Whaley replied: Yes, well,... so am I.

16 Rinny then turned to sister Sealy and asked: Sister, do you have a message for me... perhaps one on a lighter note? Sealy replied: Yes, Rinny, I do. No matter what, do not forget to breathe. Then she winked, playfully waved her flipper, and dove straight down into the sea. Rinny waited a few moments for her to return, but just like an exhale itself, Sealy was gone.

17 Rinny took the better part of the afternoon to slowly return back up to her high perch in the Stanley Park tree tops. And then, about a week later, Rinny took the duration of another afternoon to slowly move back down towards ground level. She had to use the facilities.

18 When she finally got down to the earth, she discovered brother Raccoon scooning around the base of her tree. Woody the Red-Headed Woodpecker was also present.

19 But... he was so busy doing his own thing drumming into tree bark and gobbling up grubs he did not notice Rinny right away. When Woody finally saw Rinny, he smiled a huge smile and exclaimed: Well... hello dear! Always a pleasure to see another like-minded being who marches to the beat of their own drum! You are always yourself I mean, what other animal moves so mindfully that moss and algae are able to grow inside their fur? That is a real inspiration my friend. Rinny grew an even bigger smile than she usually wore. Then, she slowly turned towards Raccoon and asked: Brother Scoon, do you have a message for me too?

20 Scoon peered at Rinny with his unreadable black eyes and moved his little scoon paws in and around the earth in front of him, looking for something delicious to eat, and replied: Be aware of the masks you wear, Rinny. The true self never needs to be masked, so pay attention to when, for whom, and why you wear yours. Your answers may surprise you.

21 Rinny considered this message while she slowly did her business. Then, she proceeded to take the remainder of the night to slowly climb back up to her tree fort. When she finally arrived it was with the dawn, and the sunlight allowed for her to see that a pretty long legged spider had moved into one of the nooks and crannies of her tree fort. Spider had been spinning her tapestry all night and had succeeded in weaving quite the webbed masterpiece. Rinny gasped and proclaimed: Sister Spider... I just love your creation! Look how your silky strands and the fresh dew droplets glimmer in the morning light. What a beautiful day!

22 Spider said: Yes Rinny, it is. But then again, they all are. Rinny liked this reminder very much, and she asked her sister if she had any other messages for her.

23 Spider replied: Yes, I do Rinny. We must never forget that time is a shapeshifting trickster. After all, all is always all right in all ways. We do not need to worry about a thing. In fact, all we need to do is to ask the universe for perfect timing and it will be granted. Just then a little ladybug flew right into Spider s web. Rinny slowly squealed: Oh no! Lady! Are you OK? But Lady just laughed and sort of tumbled out of the web, bouncing right onto a branch of Rinny s tree home. Spider could not believe what her eight eyes had just seen!

24 Dumbfounded, Spider whispered: How on earth did you escape my sticky web? Lady giggled and opened her wings a little, as if to dust herself off, and said: Silly Spider. I let go and let the universe take care of everything. That is why nothing can touch me! After all, why worry about anything when there is nothing to worry about? Spider smiled, closed her eight eyes, and said: Of course, Lady. Of course. I should know better. And with that, Lady happily flew away without a care while Spider leisurely returned to the centre of her webbed creation to patiently manifest some other form of nourishment.

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27 Rinny was exhausted from receiving all of her messages, so she decided to slowly and mindfully eat some leafy greens and then have a nice long meditation. As she relaxed into her healing state, she fell asleep. And she slept. And slept some more. Lovely, now I feel better! said Rinny. But... Rinny was actually still sleeping, dreaming, and in her vision three powerful forest beings appeared to her all at once. Oh... my... word. Eagle, Raven and Owl together? What is going on? Am I dreaming?

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29 Chief Black Raven smiled and said: Good, always trust your gut Rinny! It always knows the truth. And yes, you are dreaming, but you have never been more awake. Then Chief Bald Eagle said: Yes, keep doing the good job you have been doing Rinny. You are co-creating your own universe, and you must never forget to remember how powerful you really are. To this Chief Barred Owl added: Rinny, never be afraid to let go of what no longer serves you on a soul level. Always move through your darkness and fears towards the light, and know you are never alone. Do not be afraid of anything.

30 Rinny absolutely loved the messages she was receiving, but being deep in her dream state she also felt slightly disoriented. In her usual reality these three predatory beings would be naturally opposed. So why were they now united? The Three Chiefs implicitly understood her confusion, and simply replied that they had come together to impart these messages because it was very important all living beings heard and understood them. As Rinny slowly awoke, everything she ever needed to know dawned on her all at once: I see! I really see! And she really did.

31 Rinny tilted her smiling face towards the sky and slowly lifted her furry arms out and forward into the universe and shouted: Thank you Universe! Thank you for all of our animal friends whose messages for us always serve to inform and guide our lives perfectly in all ways. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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