Monday, March 11, 2013

my "Buddhism" schtick

The other day, I received notification that someone had bought a copy of my book. As always, there was a slight jolt of surprise A. that there was a book and B. that anyone would be interested enough to lay out good money for something so far in my mental past: 2007 ... who reads that stuff any more?

But the notification made me aware of a slight sense of guilt. Once upon a time, I could take any topic under the sun and relate it back to something called "Buddhism." I was perfectly at ease in 2007 dispensing what I saw as the broad highways and byways that encompassed ... well, everything. Hot damn! Everything fit, one way or another, into this well-tailored and wise satchel I might readily have called "Buddhism."

The guilt comes from not seeing things that way so much any more. On occasion I can feel guilty for letting my Buddhist chums down. I feel as if I ought to make up for this by saying something like ....

Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism...

Way kool! Buddhism!

And don't get me wrong -- I do think the practice of Buddhism is a pretty good thing.

But these days "Buddhism" reminds me of the old expression, "trying to fit ten pounds of shit in a five-pound bag."

I don't mean that as some sort of insult: It's the practical application that interests me. Trying to stuff everything into Buddhism is possible and I have done it. But since it simply doesn't work very well, why bother? Do it when it seems appropriate, but otherwise ... bagging and tagging doesn't pan out very well.

And I don't mean to convince anyone else. It's just how I felt after receiving notification that someone had bought my book.
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1 comment:

  1. Lin RongxiangMarch 11, 2013 at 10:49 AM

    hi :) A couple of days ago, i dropped by a neighbourhood publisher that publishes buddhist books as a trade, and that place was filled with everything buddhist -- buddha and boddhisattva images, idols, and also lots and lots of paper whether bound into books or waiting to be bound -- it isn't about whether buddhas and boddhisattvas or the teachings exist in real life or not, the thing is that I grew up from a elementary school boy saying wow when I saw my favourite life-size storybooks and storytellers. Storybooks, and storytellers, yes we know they are full of bullsh*t, yet wow, thank Buddha and Whoever Else for them. We can go on and on, and still all the bullsh*t when you unpack them from either a five-pound bag or a brand new wrapper, it reminds me of either flashbacks or visions in my mind when I see young babies whether boy or girl being born from a bloody bag belonging to their mother(s) with a umbrica cord attached . We give all these pounders of newly born sh*t and ur*ne a nice little wash, then wrap them up in cloth or what have we, and then we teach them the dharma. When they are old enough, perhaps they can read your book, i dunno. pounds of sh*t reading pounds of sh*t.

    WOW

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