Sunday, March 1, 2009

Enlightenment in a Taxi

Light has always been associated with religion and the gods.  In ancient times, many cultures had their own sun gods, including Ra in Egypt, Shamash in the Near East, Apollo in Greece and Rome, Liza in West Africa, and Amaterasu in Japan.  In Christianity, Jesus is depicted with a halo of light around his head.  And images of Buddha often include a flame above him to represent his enlightenment.  The other day, when I stepped into this taxi with a green Buddha, I was struck by the beauty of the light coming through the translucent glass.  Staring at the enlightened Buddha, the ride turned out to be one of the most sublime experiences I've had in a long time.