On the way to visit my daughter in Santa Barbara, early this morning, I stopped in the hamlet of Carptenteria to visit a favorite spot called Sacred Space. It is a mecca for lovers of all things Eastern, and particularly known for the plethora of statues of Buddha surrounding the parking area and entrance. Some of you know that on top of most statues of the revered teacher is what appears to be a hat of sorts, in the approximate shape of a turban. This shape in fact represents the deposit of 108 snails who are said to have given their lives to provide shade and cooling during an intense and long lasting mediation which Buddha was having. As I approached these wooden doors, the Sun behind me threw shadows on their surfaces…a ‘shadow selfie’ if you will. Intrigued, I began to photograph this play of light. The silhouettes resembled my clean shaven, bald head. Suddenly, as I continued to move and explore, I saw the ‘bump’ on the top of my ‘head shadow’ appear which you see here. I immediately recognized the shape’s similarity to the classic representation that I describe above. I have no clue why this apparent phenomenon occurred (distortion by the surface of the wood could be one explanation), but as a devotee of the Great Man’s teaching, I was compelled to share it with you just as I saw it. He said it best: “We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.”