Ungraspable Wonder

Enlightenment is a way of saying that all things are seen in their intrinsic empty nature, their Suchness, their ungraspable wonder. Names or words are merely incidental, but that state which sees no division, no duality, is enlightenment.

-Prajnaparamita

photo: Deena Kastor

On April 20th, the women marathoners will compete for a slot on the Olympic team. My other heroine, besides Paula Radcliffe will be competing as the front contender; Deena Castor. If you saw 'Spirit of the Marathon' then you saw a lot of Deena, both running the Chicago marathon as it was featured in the film, and training to come back from an ankle injury to prepare. Unlike Paula, who is incredibly tall and leggy, Deena is built like me; small and compact. She has a nuclear power, an explosive core. Watching her run, she is the opposite of Paula who glides off the ground in long strides, with effortless ease. Deena pounds out her energetic gait like a revolution in motion. I am completely caught into her commitment in the run; I am running along side her as she rounds off each mile, block, inch of the road, and comes into the line with sweat, blood and no doubt tears flying off her heart.

Beijing will hold many many challenges this year, besides unusual levels of pollution, government control, and political unrest at every turn. For the runners, an especially poor atmosphere in every respect. Meb has already chosen to decline participation, a leading male marathoner. How many others may do the same.

Secretly, I hope for boycott, to support Tibet and the appalling human rights record of the Chinese. We should not go silently or willingly into these Games pretending it's all business as usual with our host. I know it plagues the athletes to have to contend with this underlying drama. For Deena and the others, the goal of competing is all the reason they need to show up. I support them, I honor them, but I honor more the struggle for freedom of those peoples in forgotten regions who are under the oppressive control of greedy government regimes.

We may, one day, come to no division, no duality. But that day is not yet.