Monday, May 5, 2008

Another Bus

A story from our Sunday sitting group yesterday. (I may get some of the details wrong--the memory does not serve in quite the same way that it used to. But I think I've got the essence and the punch line.)

Two monks, returning from prolonged retreat in some Asian country, the one old, experienced, wise, familiar with the practice east and west; the other younger, less experienced, less familiar with the east-west transition. The younger monk, concerned about his ability to bring the depth knowledge he has gained back to his home country, asks the older one what advice he can offer to help him apply the teachings in this new environment.

Says the older, wiser, more experienced monk: "If you miss the bus, don't panic. There will always be another bus."
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3 comments:

robin andrea said...

Yes. Some are on the bus. Some are waiting for the bus. Some don't even know there is a bus, even though it's always there.

This reminds of a song by blues-folks singer Chris Smither, where he sings, I'm not a passenger, I am the ride.

May 5, 2008 at 8:53 AM
Mark said...

This really reminds me of my life at the moment. I think a lot of people my age are waiting for the bus, and we're all really worried that we'll miss it. Somehow we think there is only one way to the life of happiness we all desire, so we're all really vigilant as to the opportunities that arise. We're all afraid we're going to miss the bus. I know I am. I suppose I should take the advice from a more experienced person and remember not to panic. There will always be another bus. Wise words to begin my day with.

May 5, 2008 at 9:31 AM
thailandchani said...

Very true. Certain ways of life are far too caught up in controlling and needing to always have our own way in our own time. The overall message, imo, is "relax".

May 5, 2008 at 11:20 AM

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