Many years ago, I heard a story that in order for us to have figs to eat, a bug has to crawl inside the fig to help it grow into a fruit, and the bug ‘stays’ in it. When I heard this I kept studying the fig whenever I ate one to see if I could see a little bug crawling inside of it.
Recently my husband, Jim, told me that it is in fact a tiny wasp that enters through the bottom of each fig, lays its eggs and then remains until its body dissolves into it. Therefore you will never see a bug in a fig, but it becomes part of the fig.

Sunday, September 11, 2016. Remembrance of 15 years after 9/11. 

I was at a Northern California dharma teacher retreat with six other dharma teachers. Joann Rosen who lives in Ukiah brought to us some of her own home-grown figs. She said it is the Bourdeaux kind. It is the same kind of figs grown in Plum Village Retreat Center, near Bordeaux, France, where our teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh resides now.

At breakfast I looked at a fig, opened it, looked into it and enjoyed looking at the little tiny, tiny little seeds inside the fig. I observed my breathings and the fig. I felt the wasp’s presence that was dissolved in it. I appreciated it, then I put it in my mouth and took a bite, chewing the fig and’bug’.

While chewing I felt the connection of the wasp to the fig, and my own direct connection to them both. I appreciated that fig so much, and also the wasp. It tasted delicious. A thought came in my mind: ‘This body is not me. I am not this body.’ Like the wasp, and then the fig, I realized myself as a moment in time, not insignificant and yet no more sacred. I enjoyed being with friends and tasted the wonderful fig. A bonus was that after, I shared this story with our dharma friends.

At the end of the retreat, Joann gave me a basket of figs. I had a chance to enjoy theses wonderful figs when I came home. Thank you, dear Joann.

May we all be happy.

May we all be peaceful.

May we all be healthy.

May we all be safe.

May we all be free to give and receive love.