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HENG CH’AU: June 24, 1977. The van won’t start. Push-start it.
A cop watches closely, but no questions.
Two surfers "had to stop." They’ve been watching us since Malibu. Total disbelief--one guy couldn’t close his mouth and couldn’t talk either, just stared. The other one asked the questions.
A car swerves in, and out flies a carton of orange juice. Don’t think it was an offering. It whizzes between us missing by inches and splats against a cliff that rises up on our left.
Later Heng Sure asked, "Was it empty?"
"Yes, but not of orange juice." I hope we can be so loose when it does hit.
Teach and transform with your practice and example not your mouth. Live, breathe, and embody the teachings. You can’t talk your way to enlightenment. When the mouth opens the eyes close.
Remembering all the kindness and selfless giving of past teachers especially some Christian Brothers in high school. I want to repay them and say, "Hey, you know what we were all searching for. Well. I am finding it--the real thing. C’mon!"
If I could follow my mother’s silence and my father’s compassion I’d be a much better person and maybe of some benefit to others.
The hoots, honks, and hollers pass through like a monotonous blah.
A barefoot man dashes across the highway with some fruit and a smile. No words. Runs back to his crumpled pickup camper and drives away.
Deputy Officer Martin of the L.A. County Sheriff stopped. "What kind of Buddhists? Mahayana, really?"
Us: "You know something about Buddhism."
Martin: "I’m a Buddhist nature myself--a kind of Taoist." We had a short but interesting conversation. He took a release and said, "Watch the road shoulder. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. Have a good journey and pilgrimage." He also said, "Don’t tell many people about my religious "non-religious belief." Even so, they have a way of showing.
Another Sheriff car pulls up. "Hi there. Haven’t gone far since we saw you last. You guys must get pretty sore after a day of that…what exactly are you doing?"
"Well, we’re trying to cool things off and get a little cooler ourselves in the process. We are trying to influence people to be less hateful and follow the rules."
Police: "Hmm. The world could use a few more like you. See you later."