Remembering Bamboo

Alas, Miss Bamboo bravely passed away this past April, yet still we remember her graceful ways. Her passing reminds us of the stoic character of rabbits in distress, and how difficult it is to recognize their medical issues. Bamboo was a Belgian Hare, known for her tall elegance. We often referred to her as "supermodel" because of her stature, and because no matter how much she ate (and this girl could eat) she never seemed to gain weight.

One day, Bamboo suddenly became listless, and was immediately taken in for examination. Radiology revealed a large tumor that had been with her since birth, and it was only then that we understood the eating issue: she had been "feeding" a tumor her entire life. She died within a matter of hours. Because rabbits are subject to the stress of predators, they often do not outwardly show signs of illness until it is too late to help them, and that was the case with Bamboo.

So... the nature of impermanence... this we all know, but I still think of her with great love, and because she no longer is with me, I extend this to all the rabbits of this world without exception.

"The very path you are given is the hindrance.
We love our theology. We love our ideas.
Buddhism is a path of *undoing*.
Removing the dirt is enlightenment.
We do not gain anything.
We *lose everything*."

- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche