“People who know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” – Isaac Asimov
I wonder what Isaac’s nickname is?
Recently I’ve become more aware of how many superior advanced people there are on the planet. The meditation culture, regardless of what formula you want to follow, is made of people who are aware that the entire universe is impermanent, including themselves. Other’s feel that meditation is accumulative, that something is happening while we are sitting doing nothing but paying attention. Especially if one has been sitting accumulating doing nothing but paying attention for a number of years. You know, the professionals.
After doing nothing long enough you find that you’re “Advanced,” because you believe that sitting doing absolutely nothing for years will produced an advanced meditator. What ever that is. Status, why do we humans have that creepy inner drive for status? I’ve been sitting longer than you, ego cries. While it tries to maintain a compassionate stance. Here’s a fun fact, compassion is impossible if you believe you’re better then the person or animal you’re “compassionate” towards. Compassion can only appear from a field of equality, anything else becomes “feeling sorry.”
Sitting in meditation is like growing pine trees. You plant eight cones in a row, water and fertilize them, and they will slowly expand and grow into trees. So which tree is superior? Is one tree “growing into a better pine tree” than another? No. Of course not. What kind of fool would believe that? (Yes, there are standards for woodworking, stop obfuscating.)
But if the pine trees were meditators, the one planted first would evidently be superior. The senior pine tree can announce wisely, I’ve been doing this longer than the rest. The senior pine tree, who gets to instruct the other trees about how to grow.
It sounds silly when it comes to trees, but evidently is some sort of rule when it comes to meditators. “Hey, how long have you been meditating?” Or, if you’re a pine tree, “Hey, how long have you been growing?” The real question is about status, have you been doing this longer then me? One must ask, “Why does this matter?” Why must I find someone who has being doing nothing longer than me and bow down to their superiority?
The second way is to know shit. Superior shit. Shit that makes us magically enlightened. Whatever that is. Being superior as a meditator who knows shit requires two things. One, learn to say, “The Buddha said.” This is huge. If you don’t preface your statement with this no one will think your wise or Buddha like. But if you do, well, you shoot up the ladder. It’s sad though, if you’re neighbor Sally comes up with a solution to universal anger no one will listen. Even if you intone, “The Sally said” in very serious tones, no one will listen.
The second is to identify judgements. Oh, not the ones you make, just the ones others offer. Practice taking people to task by pointing out flaws. Say this carefully and thoughtfully, “Hmm, that sounds a little judgmental to me.”
Let’s see, I’m missing something. There must have been three things.
Oh, “There’s no self.” How could I forget? Whenever you need to fix someone’s life just remind them they don’t exist. Say, “Remember, there is no self.” Just say it in tones that will imply you’re not really superior for knowing this, just being helpful. Often people go away happy, once they realize they don’t exist, so the problem doesn’t either. See how wise we are? (This doesn’t work with traffic cops or the I.R.S.) Anyway, pretty soon the person will re-engage the only operating system humans have, the perspective of a separate self. Sigh
Be careful though. If you shave your skull, wear robes, chant, and memorize the above three sayings, you may find yourself surrounded by a Sangha. Then the fun really starts. You will be responsible for others spiritual advancements. Not your spiritual advancement. You’re already advanced, remember?
You can answer questions, and guide them. Isn’t that special? It brings to mind baby ducks, turkeys, and geese, following the imprint.
Yesterday I was grieving, today I’m just angry at the bullshit. You know, typical human species reactions to life. Empty and tired, a little. Venting.
And sad over Libby, and my own inability to embrace the truthfulness of impermanence.
Today will unfold as a tide, forces sweeping us here and there, yet decisions will be made, and life will unfold. Another day in the Bittersweet.
Bryan Wagner