It is said that Gautama Buddha lived a life of pleasant distraction, and didn't see misery until he was quite grown, with a wife and children. The experience led him to leave his sheltered life, and seek a solution for human suffering. His conclusion was that we suffered because we had desires. So- and, let me state I have sought long and hard, studied many texts and authors before I came to this conclusion- his solution was to not care. If you care, you hurt. Want nothing or nobody. Desire not! Do not get involved!
Selfish crap. This is the world we live in. If you cant' make it a better place, at least don't wash your hands of it! You are the constant, not the sutras or the Buddha. He was just a man trying to deal with his inability to accept life as an adult. Real warriors don't run from the troubles of the world!
Again, let me stress that my definition of a warrior needn't be one that involves weapons or other forms of military conflict. A fighter is one that fights simply to fight. A warrior has a moral imperative as well, a focus. He fights for a reason. If may just be to raise his family in a chaotic world, or to bring stability of some sort. He may want to do something positive in his community or simply be a good neighbor. A warrior is part of a solution, and rarely the problem. When he does become part of the problem, he corrects it. It is akin to doing your duty. But you have to care about the world around you to do this!
I am not knocking Zen, or other philosophies. I am just saying that somewhere in there, the 'chop wood, carry water' is being overlooked and we, particularly those not raised in this tradition, are more drawn to the trappings and the fact that it is exotic than we are to the meat of the subject. Here is a Zen parable I like a lot. An 'enlightened' monk was carrying a heavy load; it may have been Hotei, the 'Laughing Buddha. At any rate, he was asked what enlightenment was; he put his sack down. He was asked what the realization was: he picked it up. So, real enlightenment isn't about ignoring the world, or finding distraction. It is attending to all the things we always do with an enlightened attitude. Once more, the thing different is you!
Speaking of Hotei, he is a good example of thinking outside the box. His sack was full of goodies for the small and poor, and he would much rather laugh and play hide-and-seek with children than study old scriptures in a stuffy room with serious people. He lived his Zen, he didn't preach it or become caught up in being stylish. He is a good example of how to attend to your obligations in life and still have a life worth living!
The same can be said for most Christians. Can you walk the walk while putting up with all the foolishness at your workplace? Is your faith something you can take with you to Wal-Mart? Do you feel you have to put it aside to get ahead? Anybody raised in church knows what I am talking about- the urge to fit in, to not be the strange one walking this lonley path while others seem to be having fun while you observe your list of rules and sigh over the things you feel you are missing. The fact that people only seem to be having a great time- in reality, this is the only way they know to relate to things, the meeting of wants- they aren't creating anything lasting or worthwhile in the long run. It is all momentary, fleeting!
There! I have even given myself some things to think about!
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