Mowing service day...

It was a mowing service day toady at 2 temples in Sakurai City, Nara. 8 volunteers from NPO Pool-Volunteer lead by 2 amazing founders, Mr. Okazaki and Ms. Oda gathered for this annual service, and my first time to join it. 

Before going to meat them at the sight, I stopped by at Oomiwa Shrine to greet the God there. I wanted to go up to the holy Miwa mountain in this warm sunny day, but not enough time to do it. And so I left there soon after getting some holy spring water specially being provided with for the visitors.

My gardening skills must have been terrible because I hadn't done it before, and I used a gardening scissors for the first time. I couldn't stop feeling and saying "Sorry" each time I cut the trees and grasses.

Observing the growth of my plants at home every day, all the existence of life on this planet is becoming much much closer to me day by day. We never understand the preciousness of life unless we are surrounded with the conditions that we enjoy and appreciate it.

Grabbing the gardening scissors, I kept cutting trees and grasses using my muscle that I normally don't use. My grips gradually became numb, and my hands and muscles slightly started shaking.

During the lunch time, I could not hold my chopsticks well because my grip for the chopsticks was almost gone, and I was about to drop them and even the dish plates. The lunch we had was prepared by the temples, and it was very yummy and much more tasty after working hard.

We started from 10am, could finish by 15 pm.

I woke up one day, and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I looked at myself in the mirror, and was astonished that I had a sty on my left eyelid. However it was strangely not painful at all, and the shape was not as normal as what it is usually supposed to be. The eyelid was just hanging limply.

"What the hell it is!?"

The symptom was gone by the next morning.  And I heard a story from Mr. Okazaki and Ms. Oda a few days later that they are committing themselves to do a mowing service once a year voluntarily at a temple which has a statue of "Fudo Myoo" (Acala).

When I was told that the Acala's left eyelid was hanging limply, I felt goosebumps. I immediately searched for the photos, and I lost my words...

Needless to say, it was completely the same as mine.

The Acala needed me for something, and it showed me a hint of it giving me the same stigmata on my left eyelid which was obvious and hard to ignore it.

I was wondering what is gonna happen to me in the next chapter...


Masami