June 17, 2005
sepalluna-ji
Today was a hard day for Isa and Jeffrey, as our beloved Sepalluna passed over the Rainbow Bridge. After weeks of illness from abdominal cancer, 'Lluna could no longer walk, no longer wanted to eat, had difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, and awoke in the middle of the night crying in pain. Her brothers Sepalleo, Sepallop and Sepallampo were very concerned about her, and kept asking Isa to please do something to relieve Boo.
It was no kindness to cling to her, and so we let her go. At noon Jeffrey helped her to leave her worn-out body behind, as I have had to do for so many ageing dogs before. Although I will admit I selfishly bawled a bit when I saw how frail and helpless she looked when Isa brought her down to my shack, really I had no doubts today. Boo enjoyed a half-hour with us in the dappled sunshine of the little spruce woods behind my shack, had a last drink of water and settled down for a final nap. It all had a peace and inevitability about it that forbade mourning.
Because BooBoo-Ji, as we called her for the past year, was no ordinary dog! Whether or not anyone believes it, Sepalluna-Ji was an Enlightened, fully Self-realised being. Who knows how many times she had been 'round the Wheel of samsara, but I know that we knew her before, in the 1970s, as Helen of Markovo. Out of compassion, she came back to us again in 1991; before she died, we finally recognised that she had returned for one purpose only, to demonstrate unconditional Perfect Love. That final moment of recognition came when Isa and I were at the absolute nadir of self-confidence in what we are trying to do with the Seppala Siberian Sleddog breed project. We were ready to give up and quietly wind it all down, but 'Lluna somehow prevented that. Instead, we now have an incorporated International Seppala Association, the Working Canine Association of Canada is being revitalised, and everything has mysteriously acquired a new forward momentum.
We know that Sepalluna-Ji has gone nowhere. Where would she go? She will be with us always, as will her mother of dear remembrance, sweet Dreama-Seppalina. With two such spirits at our side to light our pathway, we can feel certain that our progress towards a secure future for Leonhard Seppala's little Siberian sleddogs will be steady and sure.
Posted by jjeffrey at June 17, 2005 09:43 PMMy thoughts are with you for your loss of a beloved spirit guide. But with the old inuit legend.
" the dogs wait for us on the other side and will
pull your sled across."
Jo Anna and Spirit Guides.
Isa and Jeffrey,
It's always heart rending to lose a beloved partner. That she was a spiritual teacher whose light still shines on your path helps carry the love and joy she gave in her lifetime through your own. Remember that any sadness or grief is a sign of your love and can show you the shape, depth and breadth of your connections with Boo-boo Ji. As the grief fades, these connections may be more fully revealed, like acid etching glass to reveal a beautiful image.
The vessel that held her essence may be broken, to release her spirit from its limitations to a freedom that we still held by our own bodies limits do not yet know.
Earlier this spring we lost one of our own old teachers. Windigo gave us many years of reliable alerting as a yard guardian and her long healthy life with only some aging in the last years we hope will live on in her offspring and our own crossbreeding project. So far things are going well.
Each old friend who leaves us causes us to shed tears and grieve. And we go beyond the grief to remember them with joy and gratitude for all they gave us, learning, laughter, love and life to light all days and nights to come. We do hope that we gave back close to equal measure the gifts we were given.
Best wishes for success with the Seppala project. With such enlightened ones guidance, the path may still wind yet be led true to your goal.
Isa and Jeffrey,
It's always heart rending to lose a beloved partner. That she was a spiritual teacher whose light still shines on your path helps carry the love and joy she gave in her lifetime through your own. Remember that any sadness or grief is a sign of your love and can show you the shape, depth and breadth of your connections with Boo-boo Ji. As the grief fades, these connections may be more fully revealed, like acid etching glass to reveal a beautiful image.
The vessel that held her essence may be broken, to release her spirit from its limitations to a freedom that we still held by our own bodies limits do not yet know.
Earlier this spring we lost one of our own old teachers. Windigo gave us many years of reliable alerting as a yard guardian and her long healthy life with only some aging in the last years we hope will live on in her offspring and our own crossbreeding project. So far things are going well.
Each old friend who leaves us causes us to shed tears and grieve. And we go beyond the grief to remember them with joy and gratitude for all they gave us, learning, laughter, love and life to light all days and nights to come. We do hope that we gave back close to equal measure the gifts we were given.
Best wishes for success with the Seppala project. With such enlightened ones guidance, the path may still wind yet be led true to your goal.