Fine Places
Today the sky is overcast for a second morning. The air feels cool and the temperature sits at 55 degrees fahrenheit - much warmer than last week. Today is Thursday.
There are places that hold a feeling the sacred, and some of that feeling is natural to the landscape while others emerge over time. The "chapel" that sits on the bluffs in west Marin is one of the places that has emerged over a few decades, thanks to unknown hundreds (maybe thousands by now) who came into the space to remember. The sweetness of the light, the offerings, and the messages tucked into the crevices in the siding of the structure can touch the soul.
How many people have gone here to simply be in quiet? Reflecting on the loved ones who have passed; considering what next steps should be taken in life; and just looking for a place that could hold the body for a few minutes or longer - to linger in reflecting on the mysteries of life. That's what happens in sacred spaces. Nothing that has to do with completing tasks (doing) and everything that has to do with letting go (being).
The finery of such places is not in the materials, as you see in structures made of massive stained glass, huge stones, and gilded gold ornaments spashed across a dais. Those places draw many tourists and they work as good advertisements for conveying to the world that the place is a successful spiritual center (and a contribution to the next addition would be appreciated). Those places hold hundreds of people and have many different annexes where a person can find a little bit of comfort in sitting in a smaller space. There's something calming about moving into the smaller spaces after being awed by the great spaciousness of a structure like this, and then moving into a more intimate annex with far fewer ornaments.
The little sanctuary, chapel, place of worship that sits on the bluffs is a humble spot that reminds me of tea houses. The found materials that went into building this place were put together with such care. What direction would the light best enter to illuminate the space? Where should the window placement be? Should there be a way for light to enter from above? These were not design questions, rather they were the unconscious invitations guiding the builder with answers that seem to have come without the self entering. Maybe materials simply guided the building of this space, not the person (though she is quite a remarkable being).
In the end, a very fine place was completed. The refinement is in the energy that was brought and seems to have continued to vibrate for many years - be humble, be caring, be conscious of who you are in this world and what you have to offer to be in service to much more than your own. The chapel says, "Welcome. Be still. Be quiet. Stay as long or as little as your time this day permits."
That is what makes for a fine place.