poem by Kaveen called Avinash Remembered

[bhasa leona]

Avinash Remembered

I called him Avinash, a name bestowed upon him from a spiritual teacher we shared.
Avinash means indestructible. His full spiritual name was
Anand Avinash, “indestructible bliss.”
He embodied that quality with seeming ease.

I also called him the Ahimsa man for he had a fondness for the remembrance of non-violence.
That was how he lived, non-violent.
From that non-violence a rich kindness and compassion arose.
Not out of some moral sense, but through a deep understanding.

He learned early on to like himself
A gift Sylvia, his mother, gave to this world

He learned early on not to expect anyone to save him
A gift that lay the foundation for understanding
that events had to do with ‘me and me’
and a victimless sense of self-responsibility

He learned that all was Nothing, that there was no little ‘me’ doing anything
A gift from the Buddha

He learned that nothing has any meaning other than what we imbue it with,
That choice was supremely optional
A gift that led to guilt free living

In counseling, he was the farthest reaches of an echo just before beginning its return to your ear
He was a universal muse, empowering you to embellish the knowing you already possessed
He was a mystery, a mazik, and a mensch all rolled into one

He often seemed puzzled why so many people
chose to be unhappy
when there were the infinite possibilities of choice
That the stories we tell ourselves about our lives are just that—stories
So if we are going to tell ourselves a story, why not tell one that makes us feel good?
That the inquiry into “Why do I choose to respond as I do”
is far more revealing than “Why did that happen as it did”
That freedom lives in choice and we are always free to choose

I am convinced, that should he have desired, he could have followed the zen lineage and become a reknown roshi
I am convinced, that should he have desired, he could have professionally become a famous psychologist
I am convinced, that should he have desired, he could have become a great physicist… well, maybe not so much

But he did not follow such desires and lived just as he lived
as himself
I would say to him on occasion, “You know Avinash, No one does Avinash better than you.”

He appreciated artists of all types, particularly those involved in the cinema
And he thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of the Japanese style, in attitude and expression

In a place beyond judgment he would speak of actions
as “good poetry” or not good poetry
And perhaps his greatest gift
beyond his presence and impact on us who knew him
were the insightful teachings he shared in his
haikus

In his later years he lived in the rarified air of ordinary breath
He was generous not because he had so much,
but because he needed so little for himself
He was so content with himself and his life
and with the fullness of his everyday living
What else to do but to give by being

I called him Avinash, indestructible
When I think of his beaming smile, I know that indestructible feeling in me is who he was
When I think of his hands raised in excitement and his eyes aflame with delight, I know that to be indestructible
When I think of all the personal manners of expression he used
to invite you into his inner home…
“You do understand…”
“That’s right you see”
“Boy…”
“Ha-haaa!”
I know that feeling to be indestructible
When I think of the seemingly constant laughter we shared the last several years, I know that to be indestructible
When I think of those indefinable moments of just being together,
I know that feeling to be indestructible

I called him Avinash and I loved him so
He was an incredible human being
And the poem of his life was such Good Poetry

[Anna Hertzberg]

My hat comes off to Kaveen for this essence of Avi. There was no deeper bonding for him and me than in laughter. We were in laughter with each other (I think Avi just channeled this last sentence!)....