Through the physics of reflection and remarkable aim through a crack in the curtains yesterday morning, sunlight fell through the west-facing window (yes, west) of the bedroom where I’m staying. Maybe five minutes. Like a flashlight. In case I wasn't paying attention the first time, it happened again this morning. As the sun tends to do, it had shifted about an inch and a half, but still illuminated the same framed, hand-printed calligraphy on a corner shelf. Here are the words in the frame:

“We invoke your name Avalokitashvara. We aspire to learn your way of listening in order to help relieve the suffering in the world. You know how to listen in order to understand. We invoke your name in order to practice listening with all our attention and open-heartedness. We will sit and listen without any prejudice. We shall sit and listen without judging or reacting. We will sit and listen in order to understand. We will sit and listen so attentively that we will be able to hear what the other person is saying and also what has been left unsaid. We know that just by listening deeply we already alleviate a great deal of pain and suffering in the other person.”

Thich Nhat Hanh