A Love Story

Once upon a time there was a little being made of salt. One day while walking in a meadow, the little salt being climbed a hill. At the top of the hill she came to a rocky cliff overlooking a sparkling body of water. Looking at the water, she felt a stirring deep within. Curious as to what that stirring was and why the water attracted her so, the little salt being decided to find out. So she climbed carefully down the steep cliff and made her way to the water's edge. On her first meeting with the Ocean she simply took it all in: the sparkling water, the stillness, the movement. She recognized her Self and saw her Self reflected in the ocean's vast waters. Her little salt body danced with glee. On her next visit, she slowly approached the water, heart beating with excitement. She bent over a small wave and brought her face near the surface, lightly touching the water with her lips. She found it tasted like her own body. The deep stirring she felt became more pronounced. She felt a warmth radiating out from her little salt heart toward the Ocean, even as she turned to go home. She knew she loved the Sea. The next morning, the little salt being awoke with a feeling of peacefulness and anticipation. She wanted to visit the Sea again. On her next visit, she dipped her toe into the water. Mmmm...such a pleasant feeling...the water felt just like her body. The water was--was it?--the same as her body. The desire to be near the sea grew stronger. Each time she'd visit, she'd dip just her toe in, swish a finger on the surface of the water, or allow a gentle wave to caress her cheek and graze her lips. With each exploration she felt the most wonderful tingly warm sensation. Everyday her visits became longer and longer and she began to dip her limbs further and further into the water; the warm feeling in her body grew fuller. One day, she allowed the sea water to fully surround her. She allowed herself to completely dissolve into the water. She felt happiness and ecstatic pleasure. The little salt being had become one with her lover, the sea. The little salt being had discovered her true Self in the Ocean of Love.

* * * * * * *

This is my retelling of a story that I heard about five or six years ago at a Zen center. After hearing it, I wrote it into one of my little handmade journals (as seen in the above photos).

little treasures

I found these shells at the beach at Asilomar a couple of years ago. They're called Janthina-Janthina and they travel through the oceans in mucous bubbles attached to the Velella-Velellas (bluish jelly fish) that land on shore. The shells are so delicate and small. I have kept them in a little plastic jewelery box and rediscovered them a few days ago hidden at the back of the glove compartment of my car (which I rarely go into these days because I usually bicycle everywhere!).

Another interesting Janthina fact: the little animals inside the shells start out as males and later transform into females!



When I first saw the shells laying on the beach in a little group, I thought they had to be plastic with that rich periwinkle color. How could such a bright color appear out of the grey fog and how could those perfect little delicate shells just be there for me to find on the brown grainy wet sand? Why didn't anyone else see them? When I got home that day, I called the education department of the Monterey Bay Aquarium to find out more about them and was asked to bring them in. The education director there told me they were a rare find of a rather common pelagic sea snail that they had not seen on the Monterey Peninsula for over 40 years.