PoetiX

III: Master of Zen

The problem I've always had
with Buddhism
is that it becomes just
another career:
you work at keeping yourself
away from the world.

The more I've thought of it,
the more I've become convinced
that the best way to find peace
is to embrace a total sense
of responsibility,
in that you don't expect
anything from the world
that you're not willing
to give back. It's another
old formula, but one that
I'm not convinced anyone
has truly tried to understand,
or at least, every time
someone has tried to voice it,
they're end up completely
misunderstood, and the classic
example is Jesus, who got
a whole religion built around
him that ignored the best extent
of his teachings, his example,
where to be a leader you
must also be a servant.

It's hard to even talk about him
without having it construed
as a lesson in faith, but
there's nothing to believe
in if you actually understand him,
the lesson he taught in washing
his disciple's feet, even in
sacrificing himself, which
became the most famous thing
he ever did, probably the best reason
he was remembered well enough
for people to begin remembering him.

Anyway, the thing about life
is that it's a terrible thing
to get wrapped up in, but we
all are, and because of that,
we ought to realize that
the only sensible thing to
do about it is to remember
that, even as individuals,
we constantly owe everyone
around us the same courtesy
we expect. I know, I know,
old hat, but it's just not
understood.