The Audience

Here is one of the most amazing things that happened to me in this life.

I was driving my two cats in my ex-wife’s little Honda.

I had to take them out of the apartment as the apartment was “bombed” against roaches. I could not prevent this and I actually wanted it to happen. I had too many of them. They were everywhere. They even nibbled at my watercolors. On their way away from the watercolor box, they had diarrhea and left thin lines of color on the wall. It was beautiful but I had to stop it.

The cats were afraid to go in the car. They never left the apartment. The little one hid under one of the seats. The bigger cried bitterly like a baby. She was unstoppable, until she climbed on my knees, stood on her rear feet and held the steering wheel with both her front paws, as if she was driving.

I drove with them all day long, with the big cat holding the wheel, to different places in Jersey City. I did chores. I drove to see places I did not visit before. In the late afternoon I came to Liberty Park and parked the car, facing the sea at the south shore, where the jetties are. Across the bay I saw the military base, far on the other shore.

I wanted to have some quiet time. I opened the windows a little more to let fresh air come in for the cats, and made sure the opening was small enough to prevent them from escaping. I stepped out and sat on the back bumper. Cars had bumpers still. I meditated.

There were many seagulls there and they were flying excitedly everywhere above and around, screaming with their hoarse voices. I heard them when I closed my eyes and as I went deeper and deeper into the meditation, their voices became weaker and weaker, until they disappeared altogether. For some time I was in a different dimension.

Then I woke up, or came back. I opened my eyes. About eighty or so big seagulls formed a perfect half circle around me. They stood erect and unmoving, about 30 feet from me in all directions, with equal spaces between them, facing me, listening, or as if they were in meditation.

I felt that the place became holy. I bowed to them with the palms of my hands together. Then I carefully entered the car and drove away. It was a little bit like an escape. I was not ready yet to be a teacher.

I could, but I did not say to the cats: ‘You see? When you are with me, there is nothing to be worried about.’

 

 

I used to be a graphic designer and an illustrator.  I became involved with the Chan Meditation Center and studied meditation and Buddhist knowledge with the late Master Sheng-yen from Taiwan. For twelve years I was in a process of deepening my meditation. I had many more experiences and insights and my life changed. After having illustrated more than 40 children’s books and writing two of them, I left this career too and went to New York University to study art therapy.

You can see more about Giora’s work on his blog and website