Buzzards

Early this morning my two Westie pups were barking their heads off.  I got up from bed to see what was the matter.  And to my surprise there was a bunch of buzzards on top of my neighbor's house.  I ran back into the house and grabbed my camera and took these pictures.

I counted 18 buzzards.  I couldn't believe it so I counted again.  A sure enough total of 18 buzzards looking for a meal.  I called my good friend (the neighbor) who wasn't up yet so I left a message.  I said, "Jim, are you okay?  Are you feeling well?  There are 18 buzzards on top of your house."  About and hour later the phone rang and it was Jim.  He said, "Are you sure there were 18 buzzards on my roof?"  I said, "For certain.  I counted them twice.  Eighteen is what there were."  He then he asked, "How many points are there on the self Mandala?"  He was referring to chapter 6 in my book on pure awareness.  I said, "Oh my god - there are 18 points."  And he said, "And they all point back to the fear of death."   

The 18 points are: Unique, Special, Importance, Belonging, Acceptance, Intimacy, Achievement, Competence, Control, Aesthetics, Stimulation, Novelty, Relaxation, Security, Peace of Mind, Loneliness, Nothingness, and Helplessness.  From these 18 points you can pick which ones are meaningful for you to form you own personal mandala.  The mandala then becomes your description of your self - the person you refer to as "me" or "myself" or "I". As long as you cling to the self you will always have a fear of death.  The fear of death lingers in the background - the the back of the mind, so to speak.  The fear is always there as long as you identify with your small self.

These 18 buzzards were a coincidence to have landed on his house and for me to see them and report them to Jim.  I simply saw them as a coincidence but Jim saw them as a sign for remembering - to remember the self.