It's funny how watching one show can create a certain kind of subjective-inertia. It all started with me receiving an offer to view free TV shows via my iPad. One of them was about the Buddha -narrated by Richard Gere (who else?). I selected it and learned quite a bit more than I knew before over the course of a couple of days as I concluded my viewing.
Shortly after, I met an actress who told me that she was getting married in a month... and that it was going to be a Buddhist wedding! Because of my previous nights' viewing of the Buddha's life, I was able to chat for an extended time with her and I made a new friend on the extras' circuit.
A few days later, while doing a "walk-away-lunch" from the set of GIRLS, I passed a monk... yes, a Buddhist monk, who was peddling "lucky amulets" to passers-by on 5th Avenue. I had seen him before but this time I wanted to know how much he wanted for the "interesting" paper lamination of a Chinese figure. He pressed it into my hand and I grabbed some change in my pocket and put it into his hand. He looked at the paltry amount and wanted more -but it was too late! I had pocketed my "booty". He then offered a bead-bracelet for $10... I was out of money and told him so. His friendly insistence proved unprofitable and he was losing money with every second he was "devoting to me". We parted company. I never knew that Buddhists were so tenacious.
The camera catches Bebe looking at my balding pate.
"If you're stuck in a deep hole filled with pig-shit up to your lips and a man comes along with a bucket of cow-shit and throws it at your head... Do you duck???"
Raising a studious index finger, Tom told us to think about this "Zen question"... and then walked away to his chair where he continued a conversation with Bebe Neuwirth in a nonchalant manner. (Tom must be a great guy to go out with for a 'few drinks'.)
Michael Schiavello interviewing Steven Seagal
And the last Zen-related episode (in this personal series of mine) occurred while I was channel-surfing on my TV. Steven Seagal was being interviewed at length and during this interview he mentioned that he was an avowed Buddhist since it's the only religion he knew. He grew up in the Orient while learning martial arts. Strangely though, he confessed that he didn't understand the mystical aspects of the teachings -although he did experience short bouts of "higher awareness", but without any means of being able to repeat them at will.
Acting Strange
All these "Zen occurrences" happened within the span of a week. And lately I tend to peek at a page of the Tao Te Ting every now and then... it helps to fan the fires of my own pseudo-enlightenment -or at least to rekindle them. Yet, in spite of all these latest impressions, I think the best trek to take involves the idea of Wei Wu Wei...DO WITHOUT DOING.
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