Simon in New Zealand

In January of this year, Simon directed a dathun in New Zealand, on the outskirts of a small town halfway between Auckland and Wellington. I was there as a meditation instructor, and I cherish the time we spent together. Simon was always "on," in a relaxed, warm, humorous and insightful way, ever the first one to see the basic goodness in all of us.

Hanging from Simon's neck is a pounamu, or greenstone, the sacred stone of the Maori of New Zealand. It was a gift from the dathun, and blessed by a Maori elder. Simon was very touched by this gesture, and spoke of feeling a kinship with the local indigenous people. Simon felt a strong connection to New Zealand, and helped in the search for a land centre. His principal means of assessing a site seemed to be sitting - literally sitting on the ground, by himself, for as long as it took. While we were exploring together he asked me to take a photo of this valley, without explaining why... I was sure I would see Simon again, and then would ask him about this valley.

Now, when I look at the picture, I do see Simon - round and grounded, warm and sunny, open and inviting.

His last words to me were, "Keep well, amigo."

We miss you amigo, -Brian Guns