208. Compassion

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Tips

The other day I came to my 2nd favorite pizzeria to have a nice lunch (their uneven crust was great this time) and to work on my computer. By the time I discovered their WiFi was not functioning, my order was already in progress. I was a little snippy with the waitress. Not rude, but snippy. 

A rare but recurring aspect of my greening work is finding money. Sometimes people in back stage areas are impressed by the way we (literally) make their problems go away, and give us a little cash bonus (which I usually share with the crew). More frequently, I find $10 or $20 bills on the ground or, as was the case yesterday, in with the trash. I tend to be honest to a fault -- I returned hundreds of dollars left behind in taxis when I was a starving college student -- but I’m not stupid enough to shout, “Did someone lose a $20 bill!” So my plan coming to lunch was that I would pay for my lunch with the found $20 and leave the balance as a generous tip.

After I was snippy, I decided I would stick to this plan, since the lack of WiFi was certainly not the server’s fault. And that’s what I’ve done, (as I ate, it also occurred to me that I could still do my writing here and post things later). But this got me thinking about the debate on tipping I had with a person on Medium.

Another thing tipping is good for is compensating for when you realize you’ve been dickish. Or, as was my original intention, when you just feel like sharing some good fortune. And the pleasure of receiving a nice tip is nothing to sneeze at. No, people shouldn’t be dependent on gratuities to pay their rent, but as a bonus, tips can be great for all concerned.

To Brain Wash

Walking to Brain Wash today I preferred the shady sidewalk I rarely walk on (it’s in the 80sF). Thus I walked past the fire station and noticed for the first time their Safely Surrendered Baby sign.

Because I’m not a very nice person, I immediately imagined a second image showing a sullen teen being led by the ear. I think a teen surrender program would be more popular than this program that allows parents to surrender their newborns. 

Now reveling in my vileness, I went on to imagine a special white, five minute, parking zone with cars backed up down the street, each car featuring an intense, emotional scene with a parent and teen shouting at each other. There might be benches for curious observers. And a stand selling popcorn.

Comic Sans Swift

The theme of my week seems to be poor or non-functional WiFi. As a result I have been writing into a local Google doc instead of into Blogger. And for some reason I formatted this doc for Comic Sans. 

I often use Comic Sans ironically, or for the display reasons it was originally designed for, but I have to admit that I like the way this looks. (Blogger doesn't seem to offer Comic Sans as an option.) Perhaps my fondness for Taylor Swift’s music is spreading in my brain like a prion disease and affecting other areas of taste? I should probably give Velveeta cheese another try.

Compassion

Still from the Third Invitation

I can't recall precisely, but I think it was this notion of compassion, and how we are all in this together, where I fell out with Buddhism back at the time I became a vegetarian. I think it ought to be true. I think it probably is true in a situation like a hospice. I think it's valuable to at least pretend it's true, most of the time. But there are limits. 

It is worth noting that Zosima and Ostaseski preach a very similar sermon here. The point Ivan made in The Brothers K about the Church not becoming the state, but the state becoming the Church, applies here as well. For everyone to act with wisdom and compassion would be to transcend Maya and for us all to realize out Buddha nature. It would be game over for The World Illusion. Or that may just be a justification for my not wanting to do the work.

DOG is my copilot

Now when it comes to dogs -- and animals in general really, with the exception of pigeons, and tiny dogs -- it's much easier for me to approach this standard of universal compassion. I'm much less likely to judge animals. When I see people begging with pets I would always give something to the pets if it weren't for the humans. 

Samsara

P190 Remember how I was not fond of the Hindu goal of transcending this cruel world of non-enlightenment? Well Samsara is the Buddhist equivalent of moksha (this is not even close to being correct. Samsara is the process of rebirth and moksha is release from this cycle. See here.) Anyway, I have the same issues here. Ostaseski warns us against craving/greed/demand, aversion/hatred/defense, and ignorance/delusion/distract -- you can’t have too many terms to describe these “poisons.”

All this does is bring me back to my conception of “story.” These poisons are merely the necessary plot elements to create interesting stories. Yes, as you near death it probably makes sense to try to see past them. And if your life is a living hell, again, you might want to give it a try. But to oppose “poisons” in general is to oppose life -- and in pantheistic terms, to oppose our collective creation. (Even if you aren’t a pantheist, you are thwarting the “plan” of your creator deity of choice.)

P194 The philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, “I have often said that the sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.” The deeper we go within ourselves, the more expansive we become. We allow everything to show itself, even what is buried in the unconscious...

This is the ecumenical appeal of the monastic life... the life of silence... or of chanting, depending. Though, to be honest here, I quoted this because Pascal is yet another reference to Port Royal, the Jansenists, and consequently Augustine. I’ve lost count how many times this has come up since Henry Ryecroft.