 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
"GIFT
OF THE DOLPHINS"
— by Connie Habash
It truly
is an extraordinary experience
to be out in a natural place
and have wild animals wanting
to spend time with you.
Sure, you might coax a raccoon
or a duck over to you if
you have food, but how many
wild animals simply want
to check you out and play
with you? And not only that,
but completely trust you?
We swam out into a great
bay on the Big Island of
Hawaii, snorkeling for about
10 minutes, and then we
spied the pod approaching.
They actually sought us
out!
The dolphins are particularly
gracious in their home waters.
Many people swim out into
the bay throughout the day,
hoping to spend some time
with them, and as long as
they have the energy, they
make sure every human gets
to swim with them and enjoy
their presence. They are
unconditional in their sharing
of themselves, even with
the kayaks that would paddle
right into their midst,
intruding on their space.
We stayed respectfully back
until they came our way,
but the dolphins seemed
to be just as friendly and
playful no matter how the
humans approached them (I
suppose as long as the humans
didn't try to hurt them).
They would break off into
groups of 3 or 4 and then
focus that small group on
one or two people, so that
everyone felt special and
included in the experience.
I truly felt kindness and
love from these animals.
They had no other reason
to be in our midst except
to enjoy our company—and
give us an experience of
a lifetime. This felt like
unconditional love and acceptance.
Whether we were great swimmers
or barely able to snorkel,
the dolphins would be patient,
so we could enjoy. They'd
slow down so we could keep
pace. How many of us are
so understanding of others?
They teach us how much it
matters to someone when
we are patient, kind, and
caring regardless of how
slow, clumsy, or annoying
someone else can be. I can
only imagine what kind of
inner peace they experience
within themselves to be
able to be so accepting.
They embody, for me, what
is called Prema in Sanskrit,
or affectionate love. The
kind of love you have for
a dear friend, or for children
in general. The kind of
love you experience when
you just want to give someone
a big hug. These sea-beings
seem to treat each other
and the humans with such
affection. You can watch
them tenderly caress each
other with their fins, or
just swim in close contact
with one another. They will
swim right alongside you
and gaze at you as if saying
“I'm enjoying getting
to know you.” And
you feel that you're welcome
and invited back anytime.
Most of all, Dolphins taught
me the importance of play.
They make time for it everyday,
and want to share it with
the humans that make the
effort to come out and meet
them. We shouted in elation
as we saw them jump out
of the water and do flips
and spins, and we marveled
as they played games with
large leaves that we'd bring
out into the water, catching
them on their fins or tails,
and then passing them off
to a friend to catch. They'd
even leave one floating
nearby one of us, waiting
to see if we'd join in with
them! It was clear that
they understood that play
is joie de vivre, the joy
of life. Play reminds us
of how good it is to be
alive, and is a celebration
of each day. The child in
each of us can respond to
play, without even speaking
the same language. It is
a universal way to connect
to the heart of any living
creature. The dolphins are
masters of playfulness and
joy!
Lastly, the dolphins taught
me about gratitude and acceptance.
Several of them had what
looked like holes on their
sides, maybe one or two,
in various stages of healing.
When I had asked our guide
what they were, he said
that they were wounds from
“cookie-cutter sharks.”
These are sharks that will
come up, bite into you,
and take a round chunk out
of your side! Yet these
dolphins didn't seem too
phased by the wounds. Some
of the ones that were wounded
seemed the most playful
and energetic, as if grateful
to be alive! Of course,
I can't know what their
thoughts or feelings were
inside about these experiences,
which I'm sure were upsetting,
and yet their behavior conveyed
an attitude of acceptance
of life's difficulties,
and gratitude for another
day. Imagine being able
to smile, play, and celebrate
life with a chunk taken
out of your side! I am grateful
for their example of how
to put in perspective the
smaller things in life that
seem so awful or terrible.
Next time I'm upset by a
rude driver or a distressing
interaction, I can say to
myself: “Is a chunk
taken out of my side? No?
Then it must not be worth
getting so upset over!”
We can all learn from the
example of the dolphins.
Embody the quality of Prema,
of affectionate love, for
all beings. Treat others
with patience and kindness.
Celebrate life, and play
everyday! And, accepting
the challenges of life,
have gratitude for the abundance
of good things that we do
have. These qualities embody
many of the universal principles
of the world's spiritual
paths. I count these dolphins
among my greatest spiritual
teachers.
Copyright
2001 by Constance L. Habash