We’re in the mountains, staying at Baker Creek at the western edge of the recent flooding. We’ve seen signs of flooding all the way up – roads open but not fully repaired, stream beds hugely larger than they used to be.
Buddhist teachings say change is inevitable. I love the Burgess Shale site as a constant reminder of how even mountains, which seem changeless, exist because of change. The site used to be an under-water ledge near where Australia is, and is now a fossil bed high above Emerald Lake.
But to see change in action is another thing altogether. The mountains were created by the movements of tectonic plates, and then carved by water. We see that power at work now, in the aftermath of the flooding – in the piles of gravel, the creek beds four times as wide as they used to be, following new paths, as parts of the mountains are reshaped. Change in action.
It’s hard to simply accept it, as is the Buddhist way. I find myself tense, reminded again of the power of the damage, and edgy at dark clouds building.
And I’m fascinated, too.
Maureen
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