11/28/2017
The paradox holds true: life in death, opening in closure, and finality in the flow. We were late, but perfectly on time.
Five years after his passing, my father is in his final resting place. A journey has ended as his ashes now lay deep among roots, in the rocks and pebbles of the James River near its source, flowing on the water, buoyed on the weaved red and white wool cross made by a student a decade ago, soaring above the Lotus lake by the temple and settling down into the twilight on calm clear waters.
A turbulence of times, historia y memorias of pain, disease, inspiration and love has finally resolve itself into a peaceful merging with nature, God and imagination.
Sublime simple noon-time Ceremony
at Yogaville Ashram ‘s Memorial Grove,
Under a black walnut tree, the ashes poured by hands into a small opening,
By my hands,
By my children’s hands,
By my wive’s hands
By his students’ hands.
His ashes crowned by 10 white roses.
Three Jewels placed on them:
A white rock found in morning in the charcoal of the Thanksgiving bonfire.
It was brought and placed by his seven year old grandson.
A radiant black walnut his three year old granddaughter found among the leaves.
A white rose put there by me.
The puja waters, the banana and the incense,
The camphor and the candle light.
The rosary blessed by Pope John Paul II
Brought by Swami Sarvaananda
Who made this ceremony
Into a celebration
Of Carlos Pozzi,
Father, teacher and musician.
The altar, the golden wood on his handmade Argentine guitar, in his opened monogrammed leather case, covered by the flag of his fútbol team River Plate and quotes to his passion for healing and the spirituality of the sensual and tactile, of the paradoxes in common sense, and the aphorisms and folk wisdom of his native land.
After death, life is slowly distilled into its essences, its potency intensified as it spreads in waves of love.
I am grateful for having had a father whose life engraves a pattern that marks time in such a clear and beautiful way.
We originally intended to do this at 10:30, but ran late. We finally began at 11:30 and began to pour the ashes after the bells from the temple chimed at 12.
We were told that the most auspicious time of day to inter ashes according to Swami Satchidananda is from 12 to 12:30pm.
We finished as the temple bells rang at 12:30.
Thank you to my in-laws Candy and Fernando Fernandez, Spencer L. Turner, Kate Jackson and Brie Jordan-cooley for making the long trip and accompanying my friend-in-life Tania Fernandez and our kids through this deeply meaningful experience.
