Hawkish

Our resident sharp-shinned hawk lands on the fence opposite our viewing window near the bird feeder. She looks at us and eyes our bird bath. The songbirds have long skedaddled. As she hops along the fence, we notice her considering something beyond our sense awareness and she takes flight to the next thing on her uncontrived schedule.

It seems we have an agreement with this accipiter. We understand that the loss of birds upon which she preys strengthen the flock in the long run, and I think she is aware we accept her presence. But I doubt she takes time to ponder. She simply manifests the dance of predator and prey as an innate skill, not a philosophy.

This is also the way of the buddha in all of us. It is not a philosophy. It is an innate quality inseparable from nature’s rhythm. We just have to get over ourselves and recognize our mammalian roots in the earth and our kinship with beings that fly in the sky. This hawk wants us to wake up, to become more hawkish than human.

We often use the word ‘hawkish’ to refer to someone who favors war. But if we were truly hawk-like, we would only use our talons to obtain food and feed our young, not to carry bombs. We humans can actually squander nature’s gifts by engaging in war. It is also possible to return to our natural roots in kindness and compassion. It is a matter of choice for us. The hawk is free from such considerations.

I long to soar without so much considering. So I rely on my buddha nature to remind me of what I often forget: We are always supported by rising thermals and wind currents in the sky-like spaciousness of our wisdom mind. May all beings remember this freedom to love without limit while caring for the earth.