Travels With Buddha 1.5
Travels With Buddha — 1.5 — -Pine House Studio, River district, City of E. — -”We’re on a Road to Nowhere, Come on Inside” — —
It turns out that it is difficult if not impossible to get Buddha to start packing for our up-coming trip. He does not seem to understand the necessity of traveling, the seeing of new places, the exploring of old places for the first time. As far as Buddha is concerned we could easily stay in our warm and comfortable little home, read a travel guide or two and just imagine the whole trip. That seems like the most logical choice for an imaginary companion. I get it. Complacency runs deep in the buddhist spirit. Life based on the enjoyment of the moment, the release of all desire for any different moments, the transcendence of suffering through the avoidance of ambition. You could call this acceptance and peace of mind. I call it couch-potato-hood. I’m leaving for a small adventure. And Buddha is coming with me.
But how do you pack for someone who has nothing? Shove a six-pack of extra breath into a suitcase of mindfulness? Honestly I don’t have time to figure it out. Though there are parts of my mind which I would gladly leave at home, Buddha is not one of them.
Of course then things get more complicated. Out of pretty much nowhere (a simple sublet ad on Craigslist) a young woman suddenly appears in our lives. She is Shannon Donohue, a performance artist recently of Brooklyn, NY. Arriving first by telephone, next by a misplaced text message and finally by a knock on our door. Ms Donohue quickly becomes something akin to a force of nature. I like her, but Buddha REALLY likes her. In fact Buddha likes her so much that he would certainly rather live here with her than go traveling with me. Again, I see his point. Anyway we end up renting our little Pine studio to her for three months, and after she pays all of the rent and deposit up front…well…Buddha and I are ready to go.
Not so fast. Before I can get his imaginary baggage and his imaginary self into the van I am faced with the storm of his desire and I must say it is not very Buddha-like. That part of the human male brain that is shared with reptiles won’t be quiet and Buddha insists that he is in love and will stay home to see it through.
Don’t get your hopes up I tell him. We will be long gone before she moves in.
What if I refuse to go? Buddha replies. Just because I am imaginary doesn’t mean I have no feelings.
Believe me, I say, I know your feelings only too well. They are nothing but the manifestation of the reptile brain within. Your body is nearly 65, your mind thinks it is 29.
You, Buddha says, might be 65, but I was only born yesterday.
He is still pouting as we head out the driveway. I realize then that while endeavoring to manifest a spiritual traveling companion, I have in fact only created….
My inner child. Oh well. Bon voyage…
