Fish Hoek (Samsara) Blues II: My neighbour this morning, hails to me over the brick wall, while I work joyfully in the garden. It is the first morning that I am feeling truly at peace in the new home. I walk over to the wall to hear him. He tells me how unhappy he is with me having pruned trees (completely on my side of the garden so that the sea-view emerged) and insists the prayer flags must come down. We dont like them. They offend us. He takes issue with me strongly and self-righteously, passive-aggressively. Do I allow him to go on telling me what to do with the garden where I live that is not affecting his property? As I speak with him, he has such a closed heart, such a judgmental, sour attitude, that whatever I say, is useless. The atmosphere is unpleasant. He is so filled with dislike he cannot understand that there is another way of seeing that is less selfish which may create positive outcomes and good relations. I speak of how happy were the garden workers to see the flags.He is unmoved. Behind him, his sun-room is partially shuttered. Yet he wants the prayer flags down. I point out to him that he can barely see them, and the sun-room is usually shuttered. He refutes this and insists the flags are hugely offensive. I point out to him that if I take the flags down it will make me feel less happy living here and it will be satisfying (his) dislike of such a small thing. He does not care. He leaves a command with me and walks off. Take down the flags and dont cut the branches of anymore trees! I stand there in silence. His superiority, like a cloying smell, is thick in the air of a blue, sunny morning. My joy weakens, my shoulders slump. It is not easy being a woman, living alone. If I had a partner living here, this neighbour would be less bullying. You cannot think like this! I tell myself. You are in your Fish Hoek cave. Here is where you practice the dharma. Karmapa Chenno. Have no enemies in your heart. Yet, what has just arisen? My neighbour with his self-righteous judgement and negativity directed strongly at me has brought the basic conditions that lead to conflict, to war. My heart needs to remain peaceful, no matter what, even though I am influenced by his attitude. I remember comments from friends on previous posts, that saw my neighbour as an unhappy person. This helps a little compassion arise. (Thank you for your comments.) I cannot help wishing to leave the conservative suburb of Fish Hoek and be in a place where the Buddhadharma is appreciated. It is not easy to practice in a place where there is no Buddhadharma. Yet all is Dharma. And this is home in the present. Somehow, this storm in a teacup, this fracas about prayer flags, is the path of practice.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 09:57:22 +0000