Buddha boom!
1:01 p.m.
The second moment of panic dealt with replacing the toner cartridge in the laser printer. The one in it dates from 2000 and Hubby had told me there was a new one in his office. So I unearthed it, unsealed the box, removed the yellow strip (proof that this was heretofore untouched and brand-new) and inserted the cartridge into the printer and tried to print a page. It came out totally covered with black smudges. So I tried some more and got the same results. In the end, I replaced the old toner cartridge (having given it a good shake) and it worked fine.
As I was leaving the office, I passed a long line of Buddhists waiting for the bathroom, and I had to back my car out very carefully because hordes of them were streaming behind the music department where I was parked and congregating around the blue handicapped parking spot and singing. Many of them were wearing long brown robes and had shaven heads, others simply wore sombre attire and had full heads of hair. There were both men and women, dressed and shaved (or not) alike, and I started to feel itchy as I do when I�m around any large group of the faithful.
A while ago I got interested in Buddhism and started doing some research, which for me means reading the Encycl0paedia Brittanica. There was something intrinsically appealing about Buddhism, in that it didn�t espouse any higher �authority� and that the journey was a personal one, the quest for enlightenment one that involved only the seeker. But as the concept of Buddhism developed over time, the Buddha himself attained godhood status, and the seekers formed into congregations, often disagreeing with each other as to the best paths to enlightenment. Then there�s the problem that ordinary people cannot achieve a higher sphere at the same rate as ascetics--rather, they must cast off their earthly bonds (read: material possessions and people who love them) and become mendicants while they travel this road to oblivion.
I think what bothers me most about the story of the Buddha is that he was living the good life when he left his wife and child, not even saying goodbye, and became the holy man we think of him as today. That speaks of a coward and a selfish bugger. He had responsibilities, dammit, and there were people whom he hurt indescribably with his callous actions. But of course, these things are never dwelt on by the �faithful�. There�s a book someone should write, the story of Mrs. Buddha and Buddha junior when they realized that daddy wasn�t coming home again.
Okay, okay, this has nothing to do with all the Buddhists on campus. They seem like very nice, quiet, unassuming people. Heck, I have a married cousin and both he and his wife are Zen Buddhists. This is my problem, this mistrust of organized religion of any kind, and it makes me a bit of a bigot in my own way. This would be a good place to change the subject.
I was inspired yesterday to try something different for supper, so I made a carrot curry from The Vegetarian Epicure which was absolutely delicious. There was none left over. This was so encouraging that I think it�s time to expland my culinary horizons (Buddy Boy was the one holding me back) and start experimenting with the cuisines of different nationalities. Watch this space, as I will post any recipes that I find utterly irresistable.
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