Last night Flynn & I performed “Lolita aka” at the BYOA event. It was a wonderful experience and entire evening. Many talented artists were there with whom we shared our art. Late this morning I opened my email to find a subject titled, “Our dear Doranne”. Doranne Crable was my Butoh Mentor. The article I posted here, "The Phenomenon of Butoh" speaks about her work. The following is the email I received:
“Hello dear ones,
You may or may not already know this, but I have the devastating news that none of us wanted to hear.
I apologize if you did not know that Doranne was being treated for lung cancer. She passed away on Thursday morning, July 12.
On Wednesday, July 11, Doranne asked that 911 be called because she was having difficulty breathing. She was admitted to the hospital that morning, and an Xray showed a lot of fluid in her lung, so much that it obscured the size of the tumor. A scan the previous Friday seemed to show that the center of the tumor had been destroyed, but it was still growing despite six weeks of chemo treatment.
I was able to get to the hospital around 8:30 that evening and I believe she was still lucid enough to recognize me and what was happening. I had just returned from a trip to San Francisco and brought her a book of the writings of Father Anthony DeMello, which had a picture of him on the cover. Several people were with her in the hospital, including a member of her sangha - Wendie - who came all the way from Bainbridge Island in the middle of the night. Judie Gabriele, who helped coordinate all of Doranne's care, called f from France and was able to speak to her.
About 8:30 Thursday morning (July 12) her breathing changed and things began to happen very rapidly. She stopped breathing at around 10:25 am, just as the chanting CD of her Buddhist teacher, Sogyal Rinpoche, finished playing. Her passing was very, very peaceful, and she was never alone for a moment. The nursing staff took excellent care of her and treated her with dignity. Unfortunately, her sister Cookie was not able to arrive from Virginia until very late Thursday night.
Now is the difficult task of telling the hundreds of people, some of whom didn't know that she had cancer or how serious her condition was. This will take time since Doranne had so many different lives, walked in so many kinds of circles. People are asking about plans for a memorial service. What I can tell you is that Doranne didn't want a formal service of any kind, no obituary either. However, there is a great need for some kind of remembrance, and we are helping Cookie figure that out along with the other practicalities. I will let you know the details when that gets sorted out, and ask that you pass on the information too.
In the meantime, keep sending your thoughts and prayers towards Doranne. If you are Jewish, you might say the Kaddish for her. If you follow Buddhism, you might pray for the 49 days after death (through August 30).”
After my initial sadness began to fade I looked up some information about Doranne’s spiritual teacher, Sogyal Rinpoche. He is the author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, and chief of the Rigpa, an international organization devoted to Buddhist teachings. From an article about him I took this quote and offer it here as a remembrance of Doranne.
“Sometimes, dying is difficult if you're attached to life. Often, we associate dying with losing, which can create pain. But the truth of life is that we cannot hold on to anything. Not what is held, and even the holder is changing all the time. "You cannot wash your hands in the same river twice," goes a Tibetan saying. Sometimes letting go is kind, enjoyable; it brings a different kind of appreciation, not of attachment but of letting go.” ~Sogyal Rinpoche
