Rugged Interdependency - Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Golden Highways Revisited: 1998genuinely glad that others in this world think differently. How could it be that onesole mode of being or set of attitudes served for all humans on the planet? And,even if by some weird happenstance that was the case, the odds against my particularbrand of opinions being the number one option would be roughly six billionto one.In short: if it works it’s the right thing.Weary of talk by the late hours of the day, the evening meets the end of Mason& Dixon and some pages of Kalila and Dimna – that and the hum of the fridge, theoccasional whining blast of the heater and the snowflakes of nada falling on nada:“Nada nada nada nada and even in Barre – nada.”April 7 thWe pack up our belongings and bid our farewells as a bright and fragrant morningcovers BCBS. This is a fine center and we gave Mu Soeng our clear, wholeheartedSādhu! for their efforts.Andy Miller drove us to Boston (at least to Dorothea Bowen’s house in WestNewton), engaging in his mild and sweet manner on the adharmic nature of retirementplans – which I agreed with, with another wholehearted Sādhu! It turns thewhole effort of practicing and teaching the Dhamma into a very white, middleclassinstitution: visions of the octagenarian vicar sitting in the conservatory, doingthe Times crossword for eternity, entered consciousness.Once, at a Spirit Rock Board meeting, I raised the suggestion of living on faithand trusting that, if you have done right by the Dharma, your students wouldgather round and look after you – it was a scenario that drew a few blank looks asit was expressed. How could I suggest such a thing?That it seemed so unimaginable, or likely to provoke reactions of “Good grief,what a totally airheaded, monkish perspective – this guy should get a life…”, is asign that the favored mode of life of the Vipassanā teachers is solidly white, educated,middle-class conservative. What about the opportunity to go forth whenyour duties are done – kāma, artha, dharma, moksha – who looks forward to being amountain man in his cabin, listening to his beard grow and being with his bonesas they stiffen through the glory of the seasons?It is true that such faith requires a lot: a readiness to risk enduring the painful,to trust that karma has its result but without written guarantees as to who willprovide what where when and how. But that faith also inspires a lot: when peopleknow that you are prepared to go without, or they hear that you have had to bearwith hunger or loneliness, the heart leaps to reach out and provide all that can beoffered, gladly and without reservation. That trust in human goodness actuallycalls it into being.Dorothea welcomes us with her flawless grace and hospitality – Jaya Karlsonis there also and, after the meal, when Andy has departed, the Peloponesian factorcomes well to the fore. “Here is the Greek female contingent!” and that was itfor the next hour and a half – maps and crumpled histories of Sparta and thePeloponesian Wars included, as both of them were born into families from that area35