I am happy to report that my surgery went without any problems. I returned home late this afternoon. Please forgive the errors of this posting as I am still a bit medicated.

Overall I feel pretty good minus a sore throat, pain and a really dry mouth. I am happy that my family worked together to make this happen. Ava went to kungfu camp, Mia went to classes andy wife and I were able to spend the day at the VA. I wish to thank my wife for all she did today. I truly was happy to see her when I woke up.
I also would like to thank the monks at the Shaolin temple, Amitabha library and WAT Dhammaram for keeping me in their thoughts and prayers and to my fellow members at BTC for their support. I also thank my Tai Chi instructor Hillary Johnson of Calm Chicago for her offer of helping ferry Ava to the Shaolin temple.

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We arrived at 11 and I was prepared for surgery and ready by 1145. Unfortunately the surgery before me had complications and I did not go in until 1500. During that time I napped and meditated. I chanted silently the whole time I was waiting and up until I lost consciousness. My last words to the physicians were “Thank you for caring for me today” to which they seemed surprised to hear.

I remember a few things while I was “out” I saw a land that I had never been to. The people there spoke in a strange tongue but I had no problem understanding. There were wonderful sounds, smells and colors around me and I felt a compassion emanating from the very surroundings.
Perhaps since I just read the “Contemplation Sutra” I was “visiting” it in my mind, I have watched touch Star Trek, or I touching another Space/Time. Either way I felt calm and at peace when I woke up and a unbidden “Namu Amida Butsu” flowed from my mouth.

I am thankful to all who wished me well, commented one my blog, the inventors of the equipment/procedures/medicine, the teachers who taught the MD’s who worked on me…

The list is endless as the interrelation of all the things that had to occur just for my surgery is astounding and brings home to me the meaning of interrelatedness of our existence.