Arising and passing away

A year ago George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin, and as the video flooded all channels of communication, we were horrified by Chauvin’s casual demeanor as he performed the slow extra-judicial execution. Since then the Abolition Movement has grown, a movement to develop social services and humane practices that make policing obsolete. Some consciousness has shifted. But very few actual changes in policy have been enacted. 

As I stood quietly watching the demolition of this building, I thought about Impermanence and death, my own included. I’ve been reading a collection of essays given to me by LaurieT called Still, in the City: Creating Peace of Mind in the Midst of Urban Chaos, edited by Angela Dews. Essays by Buddhist teachers musing on city life. 

The book includes an essay by Nancy Glimm, who asks, “Can we see ourselves and our bodies as parts of nature, arising, stabilizing, and passing away?” Yes. I say yes, yes I can. As men and machines tear down walls and leave wires and windows dangling in fresh spring air, I think about the worries, loves, and concerns of the people who once worked in this building, and those of the people who decorated it with their tags and spray-painted symbols. Arising, stabilizing, and passing away.