Somewhere Over the Rainbow-Twice

Twice in my life, I’ve stood above rainbows, looking down at them. Each occasion spawned different spiritual surprises

Twenty years ago I hiked with my son’s sixth grade class in the mountains rising above a jungle valley called Manoa, a part of Honolulu. Known for its plentiful rainbows, we trod up the steep trail to the top on a misty day with periodic downpours. The excited eleven and twelve-year olds bounced along in happy spirits, skipping over the many bare tree roots on the well-worn path. When wet, these clusters of roots proved to be slippery as ice to the unwary.

When we reached the top, sun poked through the clouds. To our astonished eyes, the view revealed four separate rainbows in the valley below. One on the right floated in mist, soft and diffuse. Directly underneath us, a dense band of colors seemed so solid, I imagined leaping down and holding on for a ride. In the distance, traveling toward the ocean on trade winds, a wide array of brilliant tones filled acres of the air below us. To the left, a baby rainbow of bright colors appeared ready for a growth spurt, like my young companions. 

Normally, when people looked up at a rainbow from the earthly perspective, it formed an arch. But, standing above them, I didn’t see any curves. They looked flat. I stood in amazement, filled with buoyant energy from nature’s astounding display while the kids chattered, pointed and took photos. I felt filled with mystical delight, as if I gazed upon celestial realms. 

When we returned, the bouncing youngsters naturally went faster downhill and I scurried to keep up. All at once, I skidded on a bunch of wet, exposed roots and took a tumble. As I rolled, I mostly stayed on the trail. But, I found it impossible to stop my momentum. Just as I began to go over the side of the mountain, an opportunely placed tree stopped me. When I bonked my head on its implacable trunk, I felt the brains rattle in my skull. Embarrassed in front of the children I was supposed to protect, I gazed up and cleared my head. Several students’ concerned faces surrounded me and I heard various versions of, “Are you okay?” 

I jumped up and regained my footing. “Oh, sure, I’m fine,” I said in a blasé manner as if I plummeted down hills every day.  Fortunately, my head didn’t spin and I hustled down the trail.

This descent from glory immediately followed my transcendent high. I hadn’t been able to keep firm footing and fell from the sublime heights. Varying cultural traditions reminded me of this truism. The Greek mythical character, Icarus, flew too near the sun and fell when his wings melted from the heat.  The Bible taught that “Pride goeth before a fall.” I remembered a Chinese proverb: “Falling hurts least those who fly low.” 

Last week, I found myself above another rainbow and stayed steady on my feet. On the twenty-eighth floor of a high rise, while enjoying the view of a golf course, I sensed something odd outside. With typical clouds and breezes, the weather seemed normal. I walked to the edge of the office, near the windows searching for an anomaly. Below me, I spied incandescent rainbow colors staining the wide lawns: yellowish fairways with nearby orange hues bleeding into reds. Apparently hovering above the grass, bands of colors shimmered. Bright tints sparkled with sacred blue, purples and red energies, covering about an acre of land. I stood transfixed with awe. By the time I remembered to grab a camera, the phantasmagoria had faded.

Without the head bash and mortification of my first “over the rainbow” episode, this time I had the opportunity to become thoughtful. In the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, samsara (head trauma and other nasty realities) and nirvana (the Pure Land or heaven) could be experienced with the same amount of holy joy if we kept the correct perspective. Above the golf course, I witnessed ordinary grass as a magical paradise and rested in that wonder for a few minutes: a tiny bit of enlightenment showing me the union of earth and blissful perfection. With added meditation practice, Buddhists said a person became able to experience more and more of daily life as the divine in continuous flow: an achievable goal we could learn to master. 

Thank you, rainbow, for showing me what’s possible. Meditation cushion, here I come.

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