One Man

I would like to share a story of hope, if I may.

I have worked in retail for many years in order to make ends meet while I am involved in my practice. There is one customer who stands out, so clearly, in my mind, even though it’s been several years since I saw him last. He was a youngish man, perhaps in his early thirties. One of the things that stood out about him the most was his attitude. He was truly one of the happiest people I have ever met. It was like he had some kind of inner glow that radiated out from him in joy and well-being.

At the time, he was ordering some fancy bathtub fixtures for this custom spa he was having built. Apparently, his career as an attorney was going well. He ordered the highest quality with some special features, was very cheery about buying it, never concerned about the expense. Although he was careful about the details of what he was getting, he wasn’t super-picky worrying about every little thing. And the thing was, he always had this smile of joy on his face.

I still remember the day he was buying some small purchase, paying for it in cash. He got out his coin purse and dumped all the change inside of it out onto the counter. I went to reach for the proper coins to fill the amount of change for the sale and he shooed me away with one of his steel claws. Then carefully, accurately, he pushed the correct change across the counter toward me, with his claw. Afterward, while holding the change purse in his other claw, he slid the rest of his change back into his coin purse. Neat as a pin. Took his package in one of his claws and hobbled out. Happy as ever.

I guess he ordered the faucets with the special large paddles instead of regular handles because they would be easier to operate while he was in the spa and not wearing the hardware that replaced the missing area of his arms. He had mentioned, one time, that the spa had been carefully designed with the faucets in one place and the seating done in a certain manner. The special design would, no doubt, make it easier for him to maneuver in the spa when he wasn’t wearing the hardware that replaced the missing area of his legs either.

While I realize that no story can lessen the tragedy that another is going through, perhaps his story will give a little ray of hope to some.

With great respect for the courage of others. Fortunately, the Buddha made it pretty clear in regards to the fundamental nature of our reality: We will never be completely satisfied with our situation. But we hold onto the idea that we can find some ideal. When we release ourselves from forcing our self to find this ideal, only then can we know peace.

The practices of Buddhism makes it possible to encounter the greater truth that underlies reality, and in this way enables us to be released from the confining ideas that we falsely believe to be our reality and hoped for salvation. Then, in this greater light of knowing, we see our lives from the perspective of the true situation; that fundamentally we are much greater than our small imperfect views of ourselves and our immediate life situation.