Monday, May 26, 2008

I DID WHAT?!

Not only did I do it, it was witnessed. I'm in a heap of trouble now. So what did I do that was so alarming, so incredibly horrible?

I welcomed sentient beings into my life.

Whoa!

Listen up folks. Many of us like to recite the Bodhisattva Vow from the Bodhicaryavatara. It really is quite a vow. The first several paragraphs are repeated three times. "Just as the earth, and the other elements, together with space...." Huh? Space...? "Eternally provide sustenance in many ways for countless sentient beings...to the limits of space...." Limits of space!? There are no limits to space that we know of!

That's a whopping lot of beings, some we can't even see!

And then we get to identify with the sugatas of old, the sages that went before. "Just as the sugatas of old...."Oh yes, that's good company. We get to number ourselves among the Guatamas, Tilopas, Naropas, Milarepas, Gampopas, and other great masters of Buddhism, who after all were humans just like us. Folk like them were the ones that wrote these vows after all. That's an ego stroker if ever there was one.

And the goal? To awaken bodhichitta. Yessiree, that great and wonderful enlightened mind, which is what "bodhichitta" means. It's likened to the moon and sun, dispelling the obstructions of our minds, and the kleshas, the shit that resides there. It's like medicine that cures the worlds sickness, it relieves the world's poverty, it provides rest, satisfaction like food, and bliss. And, it conquers death.

Holy dharma Batman! It conquers death?! Potent stuff this enlightened mind, and here I am sitting on my comfy little zazen bench, altar in front of me, with offerings and candles, and assorted statuary and posters and the like, being all Buddhist like and doing my practice which will create for me enlightenment. How cool is that?

A little while later you're downtown, needing to buy some eggs. Here comes a local who lives in the subsidized housing. He always stinks like he smokes 24/7 and doesn't shower, he buys cheap liquor, and goes on his way.

Quick, what's his name?

Or how about the incredibly obese woman, who pulls up in her little scooter because walking would kill her. She goes into the store and buys more shit to make her even heavier, and pays for it with food stamps which your tax money provide for her. She smells too.

Quick, what's her name?

Then we remember the last paragraph of the Bodhisattva vow: "Today, witnessed by all the protectors, I have welcomed sentient beings and sugatas.

Really? Did we?

Oh, we love the sugatas. Being around the teacher is a good thing no doubt, and welcoming him is good karma. And of course, welcoming the pretty ladies and gentlemen, or well off sentient beings that populate the area is worthwhile. I can chat with the Mayor, I'm known by the Fire Chief, I can talk with the police, the coffee shop owners, maybe even a local celebrity writer.

All of that means jack squat if I can't welcome the stinky guy and fat lady as well, and she isn't singing. She might be crying because like most others, we avoid her. We go the other way, we don't lend a helping hand, we don't make eye contact let alone say hello. We don't know their names.

But to welcome sentient beings, to actually have the temerity to say that I vow to be a source of sustenance for sentient beings to the limit of space, well, that includes this smelly guy and the overweight woman. Beings for whom I know nothing about their story, but judge incredibly on the basis of how the cover looks.

Yes, I went and did it. I welcomed sentient beings, right in front of all these protectors, to come and utilize me as a source of sustenance. And here they come.

So what to do when I find that I'm not really allowing myself to be a source of sustenance for all sentient beings? That's the $64,000 question isn't it? How about we make eye contact with them next time we see them, and say hello? Especially if they are locals. Find out what their names are. Next time we see them, maybe use that name. For me that's more appropriate. I'm an emergency responder. So knowing people just makes sense, because I will be there for all kinds of people on their worst day.

If our practice is going to be valid, we need to welcome these sentient beings as well as the ones that stroke our ego. Maybe more so in fact. because there we will find what the true essence of bodhichitta really is.

Then I can say, "Yes I did that."