Garbage Truck Dharma
One day I caught a taxi and informed the driver I needed to go to the airport. As we were driving in the right lane, suddenly a black car backed out of a parking space right in front of us.
The taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car spun his head around and began yelling obscenities at us. The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the person; and I mean, he was friendly in his response. Therefore, I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when the taxi driver taught me what I now call, Garbage Truck Dharma.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they will dump it on you. Do not take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Do not take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that grounded and centered people do not let garbage take their day. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so ... love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who do not. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!
Have a bless’d, garbage-free day!
Labels: zen
posted by Wonji Dharma at
July 14, 2010
4 Comments:
I thought the taxi driver who dispenses lessons in life wisdom was just from folklore. You seem to have met a real-life embodiment! Great story.
Hey Mumon,
Well, he is just an analogy for the mysterious teacher. Just thought I'd mix things up with an interesting story.
Paul
Nice post Bupsanim!
These experiences are just opportunities to really explore out practice of compassion, and understanding of the sentient condition IMHO :-)
The world is my sutra, and each experience in life is an opportunity to explore the depths of mindfulness.
I was sitting on break in the rose garden at work the other day, and was just taking in the surroundings...I watched several birds eating, hopping about, and flying. It was the most profound realization I've had in sometime.
For the past several weeks I can not help but smile and chuckle each time I walk outside :-D
Enlightenment manifests at times everywhere.
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