sunny Sunday

A bright and brilliant day, one on which I got out of bed at the wildly-improbable hour of 9. It has been a l-o-n-g time since I did that. With no particular agenda for the day outside a little zazen, there's no reason not to loll about, but still....

Received in the mail a second-hand copy of "Charlie Wilson's War" that I bought for $5 ... and watched it yesterday ... and was glad I had treated myself to it. As a depiction of covert U.S. operations in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion in the 1980's, it was miles better in its way than the recent Iran-focused, Oscar-winner "Argo" was in its. "Charlie Wilson's War" was deft and light. "Argo" was listless and solemn.

And it crossed my mind in hazy array ... maybe it's true ...

Students come to spiritual instructors with the mostly-buried notion that such instructors are attempting to win them over to some particular point of view or conviction ... you know, the bright and shining point of view, the one true view, the peace infused with a perfect conviction. The student imagines that the instructor has such capacities, knows best ... and is doing what s/he can to win the student over through one ritual or another, one framework or another, one true-view or another.

Meanwhile, if the teacher is any good, his or her effort is pointed towards bringing the student to the student's point of view, the student's conviction, the student's peace. The subject matter of the student's point of view or conviction matters very little. It's just a question of finding the strength and understanding to stand on the student's own two feet. Buddhist, Baptist, car mechanic or poker player ... none of that matters so much. Agreement is not the point. Group hugs are not the point. Safety and relief are not the point. Sangha is real, but that reality does not rest on some sissified agreement.

Talk about ships passing in the night!

What a miracle that on occasion something good comes of it all.

Wowsers! A daisy is a daisy.