Bodhi Day (Part 2)

He soon met a wonderful young woman from a prominent family and they married. Within two years, they had a healthy baby boy. Everything in Siddhartha’s life seemed absolutely perfect. He seemed to be living the charmed life of privilege and power that everyone dreams of.

And yet every night he would spend hours lying awake contemplating the fact that he was one day closer to his death and he still had no idea what he really was and what life was really about, if anything at all. Although Siddhartha had it all, he couldn’t enjoy it, as his ongoing existential despair was a barrier between him and his life of privilege. Finally, he decided to do something about it.

Siddhartha began reading all of the books and attending all of the seminars and trainings by all those considered to be the best spiritual teachers around such as Adyashanti, Deepak Chopra, Eckhart Tolle, Ken Wilber, Gangaji, and the Dalai Lama. He went on retreat in India, Japan, and Costa Rica. He learned to meditate, chant powerful mantras, be present, create his own reality, and generate powerful, positive attractor fields.

Because he was a quick study, came from a well-known family and was a bit of a celebrity himself, he began to be asked to teach with the famous teachers. He wrote introductions to their books, appeared on TV shows with them, and sat at their side during satsang. Everyone assumed he was enlightened, because he was so charming and knowledgeable and could even sit quietly during meditation.

And yet something was still wrong. The overlay of spiritual knowledge and experience stopped working after the novelty of it all wore off. The existential despair returned, worse than ever. Siddhartha knew all of the popular spiritual answers, practices and truths, but they were clearly not it. What to do? Where to go? Who to be? Now what?

Late one evening, Siddhartha spontaneously left his gated community and caught the last night flight to Boston. He didn’t use the family jet, as he didn’t want anyone to know where he was going.

Early the next morning, he drove out to the little meditation center in the country. The teacher was home all alone. Once again, Siddhartha told him his story and once again the teacher listened with great attention and interest. When he finished, the teacher simply said, “There is nothing you can do and there is nothing you need to do. How hard is it to be what you are? Let everything fall away that can fall away. Let everything die that can die. And then see what is always here — unborn, deathless.”

Siddhartha went out into the woods behind the meditation center and sat under an old oak tree. Somehow, all seeking stopped. Everything fell away. The center pole that had propped up his whole house of cards collapsed. The dream of separation ended. Truth awakened to itself. Siddhartha was no longer Siddhartha, but Buddha, the Awakened One. Only One.

After awhile, Siddhartha got up and went back inside the meditation center. He sat quietly with the teacher in the meditation room for quite some time. Finally, the teacher said, “Come. Let’s eat.” They went into kitchen. Silence prevailed as they ate together. After the meal, they went outside to enjoy the cool New England weather and look out into the vastness of the night.

Siddhartha turned to the meditation teacher. He had to say it, deep from his heart, even though he knew it wasn’t necessary.

“Thank you. Thank you very much.”

The teacher smiled and replied, “De nada.” And then the teacher said to Siddhartha, “You know, teaching will begin to happen through you soon.”

“But this can’t be taught!” said Siddhartha. “There is nothing to teach! Teaching would be like selling water to fish in the middle of a lake.”

“Yes, yes, and it will all happen anyway. Spontaneously. And the teaching will be misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misrepresented from the very beginning. What to do? And yet, somehow, some will see it and awaken anyway.”

Eventually, Siddhartha left the center and returned home. His wife and parents thought he had had a complete mental breakdown because he just wasn’t himself any more. He eventually left the family business and the gated community that had been his home throughout his life.

Teaching did begin to happen through him and he was roughly criticized from all corners, as his teaching was nothing like those being sold in the marketplace. A few of his old teachers understood what had happened to him, nodded their heads, and kept their mouths shut. There was really nothing to say.

Compassionately, that which cannot be taught continued to be taught through Siddhartha for the rest of his long life. And over time, those who wanted to know the truth more than anything else eventually found their way to Siddhartha only to discover that they too are Buddhas. They, too, are awake. They, too, are unborn, deathless, and free. And so are you!

Happy Bodhi Day to you!

Namu Amida Butsu!

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