My OperaSitting at the feet of the Buddha
Friday, July 13, 2007 8:53:27 PM
All I want to do is to sit at the feet of the Buddha. This is what my mind does. It takes one simple teaching and takes it to the extreme. Not only do I miss the middle way, I miss the point completely. Sitting at the feet of the Buddha fills me with a feeling that is hard to describe, it brings back the feeling of hopelessness, which may sound wierd but to me it's a very positive feeling to have. It hasn't always been this way. I used to feel like attending services was taking up too much of my precious time; that there were other more important things to do in this world than to sit and chant the Buddha's name. But I can remember the days when I was really confused and questioned everything that I'd done in my life. At that time, all I wanted to do was to meditate. Actually to begin with I just needed to stop and think about things. The really important things. Going even further back, I remember how important it was for me to read lots of books; mainly novels that made life more interesting. The start of all this goes even further back but doesn't matter anymore because all I want to do is sit at the feet of the Buddha which I know is supposed to put me in touch with the Tathagathas and then lead me to do good in this world, but at the moment, I just want to sit at the feet of the Buddha especially now that I know that being human is problematic.
The Problem with being human is that Feelings Can't live with Hope
Feelings: Hey, Hopeless! Where did you go? Come back, please, I can't deal with Hope, she is too full of herself.
Hope: Why bother calling out to him? He's boring.
Feelings: What do you want with me?
Hope: Listen, I know you think I'm shallow and find my values comptemptuous but I only came here because you wanted me to.
Feelings: It's not me, it's Desire who's been pushing Hopeless away because she's got her sight set on an object.
Hope: And what object is this?
Feelings: Desire has found God. She's put him up on a pedestal and has been worshipping him day and night and spends most of her time with Fantasy.
(Enter Reality)
Reality: Sad thing is is that you've has got the story all wrong. Fantasy is the puppet of Desire and the two of them have obscured me to the point where you don't know what the truth is. You think you're Feelings but the truth is that you are Obsession and unfortunately your Karma is ripening.
Hope: Don't listen to him. You are young and impressionable. Feelings such as yours need to be held and treated with respect, not denied nor trivialized nor twisted and accused of being Obsession. So you have an object of desire, everyone does and when they get it Happiness comes into their lives. You know that you want him and you know that he wants you and so what is stopping you from living with a perfect companion in complete bliss and contentment. He listens to you when you talk. He is patient and kind. He is also very attractive and has turned you on like a light bulb. Ideas and Thoughts enter your bleak and barren mind and Creativity is in heaven with his new companions.
Reality: But when you look at him he is not God but your x, come on, can't you see that? Can't you see that you're not really seeing him but you're x for goodness sake. Can't you see that Hope is making you hope that you have changed and that he has changed and that maybe things will work this time around? Fantasy and Desire are cruel and at the moment they are wreaking havoc with Feelings. Feelings can't even come up for air, there's just no room for her with Hope around. Hope is making Obsession feel as if Fantasy is more real than me and if I can't get Hopelessness to come back then we are in big trouble.
(Fantasy pushes Reality off the stage)
Fantasy: Does it really matter if you are Reality and I am Fantasy? Who can tell the difference anyways? We just want a bit of excitement. Lust has been in a coma ever since Hopeless gave her a big wack on the head and is only starting to come out of it now. I'm glad Hopeless is gone because nothing exciting ever happened when he was around. Just work and work and work. Watching everyone have fun is boring. We want a bit of the action. Thank goodness Karma is ripening. We weren't sure when it would ripen but knew that it would.
(Enter Lust)
Lust: Ah...it's good to be back! I've just seen him and feel dizzy. Fantasy has just loaned me her pad so that I can go there and have a bit of fun.
Feelings: Oh Hopeless...please come back. I can't bear this any longer. Life is too difficult with all of them. Lust has come out of her coma, Obsession is attached to God and the fruit of Karma has been born out of wedlock, Desire and Fantasy keep obscuring Reality and Hope is only adding fuel to the fires of Passion. I'm being consumed and long for your return. They've got too much energy and are slowly killing me, they never go to sleep, are up late concocting more ludicrous stories about him and me and Hope starts feeding desire right before the crack of dawn. It's a tiring affair and I can't continue living this way without you. When will you come back? Please, I am waiting impatiently for a reply.I can live without Hope but not without you.
The Problem with being human is that Feelings Can't live with Hope
Feelings: Hey, Hopeless! Where did you go? Come back, please, I can't deal with Hope, she is too full of herself.
Hope: Why bother calling out to him? He's boring.
Feelings: What do you want with me?
Hope: Listen, I know you think I'm shallow and find my values comptemptuous but I only came here because you wanted me to.
Feelings: It's not me, it's Desire who's been pushing Hopeless away because she's got her sight set on an object.
Hope: And what object is this?
Feelings: Desire has found God. She's put him up on a pedestal and has been worshipping him day and night and spends most of her time with Fantasy.
(Enter Reality)
Reality: Sad thing is is that you've has got the story all wrong. Fantasy is the puppet of Desire and the two of them have obscured me to the point where you don't know what the truth is. You think you're Feelings but the truth is that you are Obsession and unfortunately your Karma is ripening.
Hope: Don't listen to him. You are young and impressionable. Feelings such as yours need to be held and treated with respect, not denied nor trivialized nor twisted and accused of being Obsession. So you have an object of desire, everyone does and when they get it Happiness comes into their lives. You know that you want him and you know that he wants you and so what is stopping you from living with a perfect companion in complete bliss and contentment. He listens to you when you talk. He is patient and kind. He is also very attractive and has turned you on like a light bulb. Ideas and Thoughts enter your bleak and barren mind and Creativity is in heaven with his new companions.
Reality: But when you look at him he is not God but your x, come on, can't you see that? Can't you see that you're not really seeing him but you're x for goodness sake. Can't you see that Hope is making you hope that you have changed and that he has changed and that maybe things will work this time around? Fantasy and Desire are cruel and at the moment they are wreaking havoc with Feelings. Feelings can't even come up for air, there's just no room for her with Hope around. Hope is making Obsession feel as if Fantasy is more real than me and if I can't get Hopelessness to come back then we are in big trouble.
(Fantasy pushes Reality off the stage)
Fantasy: Does it really matter if you are Reality and I am Fantasy? Who can tell the difference anyways? We just want a bit of excitement. Lust has been in a coma ever since Hopeless gave her a big wack on the head and is only starting to come out of it now. I'm glad Hopeless is gone because nothing exciting ever happened when he was around. Just work and work and work. Watching everyone have fun is boring. We want a bit of the action. Thank goodness Karma is ripening. We weren't sure when it would ripen but knew that it would.
(Enter Lust)
Lust: Ah...it's good to be back! I've just seen him and feel dizzy. Fantasy has just loaned me her pad so that I can go there and have a bit of fun.
Feelings: Oh Hopeless...please come back. I can't bear this any longer. Life is too difficult with all of them. Lust has come out of her coma, Obsession is attached to God and the fruit of Karma has been born out of wedlock, Desire and Fantasy keep obscuring Reality and Hope is only adding fuel to the fires of Passion. I'm being consumed and long for your return. They've got too much energy and are slowly killing me, they never go to sleep, are up late concocting more ludicrous stories about him and me and Hope starts feeding desire right before the crack of dawn. It's a tiring affair and I can't continue living this way without you. When will you come back? Please, I am waiting impatiently for a reply.I can live without Hope but not without you.
