Pure Inspiration

Ishanka – 90
swallowed and replied, ‘Because I feel like it.’ Then Bhante said:
‘There is nothing special to do, walk the path step by step.’ This was
unusual as in some other cases I know he had advised people to give
up household life, but not in my case.
By this time, my former partner was back, but as a friend. At work
there were people who were anti-Dhamma who said, I prefer to live
with my imperfections than to die of wisdom, and another one who
thought that, a life worth living was lived with passion at full throttle.
The latter comment was from Marie, a very well educated woman
with two PhDs. Neither had any interest in the Dhamma. I encouraged
Marie to do a Dhammakuta course, and she did, but gained nothing
from the experience. She played the part of an objective observer of
others and wrote a very witty article about it, and she said that she
wanted to stay in contact with me. When I saw Bhante, without any
prompting he said: It is better for you at this stage not to associate
with people who are not in the Dhamma. I nearly fell through the
floor!
I was now full of gratitude and deep affection for Bhante and this
came with the fear that I would lose him as he was now quite old. So, I
wondered what was to happen now? He was preparing to leave
Colombo after an extended period of being unwell. With this concern
in my mind he advised: ‘Do not depend on uncertain bhikkhus, you
should stand on the Dhamma.’
I was full of attachment and full of reverence. I wondered if I had met
him in a previous life? He responded to this thought with, ‘this is not
the first time we have met.’ I started to accept these mental questions
and verbal responses as quite normal.