My close dear friend, colleague, and spiritual brother, Wes Nisker died a few days ago. I loved him. I miss his smile and his friendship and the long history we shared.
When one of your best friends and spiritual brothers dies, it’s hard to put into words all that it means. Sad and tender, hard to fathom and also a loving relief for his release from a deteriorating body.
This week many things have been written about how special he was. Wes spoke with wisdom, humor and wit and had a stunningly unique and creative perspective on the mystery of human incarnation. He was a Bodhisattva who loved to play.
He regaled us and awakened us through his books, his plays, his decades of revolutionary journalism, his publication of the Inquiring mind, and his many years of dedicated Dharma teaching.
He loved to invite awe of the cosmos, he opened windows into the ecological mysteries, he smiled at the absurdity of human society, and carried a playful endless enormous creativity and deep Dharma vision.
And here’s one of the best things…..Wes was alway kind. What a beautiful thing to say of someone’s life!
He died quickly and easily, releasing his body like one of the Haiku poems of Zen master KIBA he recited…
My old body:
a drop of dew grown
heavy at the leaf tip.
To remember him more you can read this beautiful article from Lions Roar magazine:
And this past winter, in honoring his 80th birthday we had a magnificent celebration of his life at Spirit Rock. Wes and I joked together that it was cool to have it while he was still alive.
Here is a video of that event…..joyfully attended by teachers, colleagues, friends and all who loved him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62pHFO1e0RY&t=106s
Wherever you are Wes, dear Dharma brother and heart friend, may you be free and liberated and joyful.
Take refuge in the Dharma and in your own innate wisdom.
Let go into the light and the ocean of love that is who you really are.
And if you see Ram Dass, share a few laughs together too.
I love you.
Jack
