Why are you still carrying her?

Zen Buddhist story of the day:


Two monks are walking from one monastery to another. Along the way they cross paths with a wealthy woman who is rude to them. They meet up with her party again at the river, where she clearly needs assistance to get across. The older monk offers to carry her across the water and at some risk to himself in the swirling waters, he gets her across. She doesn’t even say thank you properly, and leaves. The two monks continue walking for a few more hours until the younger one bursts out ‘how rude that woman was, first she didn’t acknowledge us properly and then she didn’t thank you after you carried her across the waters.’ And the older monk looked at him and replied, ‘I put her down hours ago, why are you still carrying her?’

Ah those elder monks.. always so wise!
 
(I couldn't find an image of a monk wading across a river,  but loved this misty one so included it.  I love how their saffron bright robes contrast with the surroundings)

The Way We Get By

Every so often I tivo things I think I should watch, and then let them languish until the tivo deletes them for less wholesome stuff. So I tivo the pbs program, POV, which is documentaries about ordinary people. The most recent one was called The Way We Get By - which is a terrific title all by itself.

And it's topic and nature surprised me - it's about these elderly folk, some of whom are war veterans themselves, who live in Bangor Maine, which is the principal exit and entry points for US soldiers going to Iraq and Afghanistan. And these people make sure that there are around to greet every single plane that lands with these return soldiers, greeting them, saying thank you. Such a simple thing, but so unexpectedly moving, on both sides of the hand shake.

And it looks at the lives of three of these greeters, these people in their 70's or 80's. And their lives are hard - either loneliness or ill health or financial maters plague them. And yet they have learnt the essential lesson - to make yourself feel better, first help others. And through the helping, they themselves are rewarded, with comradeship, a sense of purpose, thanks. In the giving, they get.

It was a simple but moving film, and I'm glad that I taped it.



Today was a day for stumbling into things I taped... I downloaded this cd ages ago, and promptly forgot about it, and I think a full year or so later, came across it and thought it was one of DH, but listened to the first track. This remarkably British voice, they don't make voices like that anymore, comes out to talk to me about changing my level of magnification. It turns out that Alan Watts was one the 9influential early Western Zen Buddhists who gave many lectures about zen Buddhism. He ws good to listen to too.

So I feel like I've given myself good psychic nutrition today :)