Lama Tashi’s own experience could hardly be more different. To him the hours of darkness were a time of wonder, when dazzling brightness and activity subsided to reveal more subtle realities which pointed to a wondrous purpose. The gurgling stream beyond the lip of the mountain, the source of the verdant pastures that surrounded them, became audible only when the noises of the day dissolved and the constant promise of life could be heard flowing sweet as a lullaby. Up above, the moon and stars hidden until after nightfall, spangling the sky in cosmic patterns miraculous with possibilities.

From this vast, interdependent spaciousness all things would arise, abide and pass. Ceaseless in motion, for him the ephemeral dance of the elements was an ever-present reminder of transience. For if nothing was permanent, then everything was possible. The only certainty was change.

Shanti appeared at the cottage window and meowed, rubbing the side of her head luxuriantly against the frame. Lama Tashi picked her up, gently holding her to him so that the two of them were sharing their warmth as they gazed into the bountiful night.

“Yes, my dear, all must change,” he said. “The only question is: how?”

Wake up and smell the coffee!

Friday

8:00 am (Eastern Standard Time)

6:00 am (Mountain Standard Time)

5:00 am (Pacific Standard Time)

Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a corrupt mind, suffering follows,
As the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart.

Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind, happiness follows,
As surely as one’s shadow.

—The Buddha (5th century BCE)

1

Wall Street, New York City

Amy Robbins dropped a coin in the homeless man’s cap. As she did most Fridays. The same guy sat in the same shop entrance, wild and unkempt, cheeks raw from exposure.

“God bless!” he said today, as he always did when her coin clinked against others in the cap.

“You too,” she murmured.

A short distance along the pavement was the coffee shop. On a Friday she’d come in early to buy a cappuccino as a reward for surviving another week in the city. A modest reward maybe, but on her junior analyst’s salary she had to be careful.

There were three people ahead of her in the line at Brew Ha. Behind the espresso machine, Jordan caught her eye with a grin and raised his eyebrows.

She nodded, smiling.