Friday, March 6, 2015

Responsible Citizen of the World

I continue to ponder the role of the unenlightened non-monastic yogin in the West.  Well, there isn't one. So, we make our ways, putting one foot in front of the other.

One of my best friends lovingly and respectfully called me a fanatic and an eccentric the other day. Can't disagree. She pointed out that the path of a committed practitioner requires fanaticism.

I have a sense of humor about it, though. I see how ridiculous I look in the eyes of American society. But, a few days ago I was walking down Peidmont avenue and, on a whim, went into one of the Tibetan shops.  There are many such shops now, filled with merchandise from Nepal.  They are really Nepal shops, but I guess that is not as marketable.  You know, lots of clothes and masks, a few books.

But this time, the gentleman at the counter looked right at me and started talking about impermanence and suffering, and how Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisatttva is the greatest book ever written. I felt like he was giving me a blood transfusion. Or oxygen. In that environment, I was not a fanatic, I was just a responsible citizen of the world. Does that make sense?

A responsible citizen of the world does not harm sentient beings, tries to help sentient beings (seriously), devotes herself to cultivating compassion, and practices daily as much as she can so that she can become a Buddha. This is normal. The baseline for a healthy and happy life.