Anyone with a vague understanding of Tibetan Buddhism understands that developing compassion is a major part of the training one undergoes in establishing a solid practice. I have been re-reading “Training the Mind & Cultivating Loving Kindness” by Chogyam Trungpa while riding the bus in part because it's a wonderful book but also because of it's delightfully small size. Of course nothing in life is coincidental. Well nothing in my life anyway, but what do I always say? “stranger things have been known to happen, especially to people like me”.....
I suppose it all began some weeks ago when I was on the bus one day riding home in the afternoon. In fact it was right before I decided to apply as an Earthship Biotecture intern on this mission to Salone. I have a habit of sitting at the back of the bus not because of any social stigma, because it affords me the best vantage point for observing the other passengers.
On this particular day there was already one young West African man sitting back there when I got on. He introduced himself with a garbled hello as I sat down. He was quite obviously drunk from his swollen hands to his blood shot eyes rolling around in his head. At the next stop a couple of street punks got on and joined us back there. The drunk man pulled a smallish bottle of some cheap brown liquor out of his pocket and offered it to the two punks before helping himself to a giant swig. Both of the other two men laughed at him as they said no to his polite offer and looked to me for agreement. I simply said in my quiet way; “aren't we so lucky we live in a country where we aren't confronted by so much direct violence....that type of torture and scarring is what causes him to drink in this way”. The two punks, surprised by my statement, instead nodded their own heads in agreement and joined me in feelings of gentle compassionate kindness towards this young man.
Side note: I had literally just finished my review of the section on tonglen practice in my book. If you are not familiar with this term please take a moment to click through to a nice descriptive........
So here I am practicing tonglen on this young drunkard and absorbing what is so much deep pain. The young man is now telling us his story. Not in so many words but by describing various scenarios of violence either seen or done or both. The other two young men are watching him and watching me and watching my reactions to him. I continue to practice tonglen. At a certain point the confused young man is so lost in booze he tries to ring the bell to get off of the bus and falls down onto the floor. Immediately I help him up and begin to walk him to the front of the bus all the while yelling to the driver to stop and gently guiding the man from falling on the passengers who are now also all watching me. When we get to the door the young man, puzzled, turns to me and asks if I am following him to which I reply, “no my friend. I am just helping you.” He laughs aloud and giving me a high five exits out into the sunny afternoon just a bit lighter of spirit than when I first saw him.
Back in my seat the two punks are still looking at me. One of them leans over and says, “That was the most amazing and ballsy thing I have ever seen!” Coming from a street punk that was quite a compliment. I said two things, I mentioned that I thought it was funny I was reading a book about the practice of tonglen (which I explained to them) and that I was at that very moment also deciding if I should apply for this internship in Sierra Leone. They marveled at the coincidence and I smiled, saying to myself, “stranger things indeed...”
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