Kinda Cool Story

"If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him"

(Old Buddhist Saying)

 

Okay, so here's the story.  My friend Kelley sent me a link to a youtube video which I had seen before, but worth watching again - Unmistaken Child, the story of Tenzin Zopa's quest for his reincarnating teacher, Lama Konchok.

  

In the beginning of the movie, they are showing the cremation of the Lama, after which they collect little 'Pearl Relics' from the ashes. Called Shariras, these little pearl like items are considered to be spiritually potent leftovers from some enlightened beings.  Watching the movie, I thought, "Cool, I want a little spiritual relic", as if I don't have enough already.

 

So, about half way through the movie, I pause it to go sit on my porch and have a smoke. I'm gazing around on the ground next to me, and something catches my eye amidst the dust and pebbles, and it looks like.... a Buddha head.  "No way," I think. It's probably some chicken doo that just looks like a buddha head. You know, like Jesus in Toast, or Mother Mary in an oil slick.  Anyway, that wasn't the case. I got closer, and lo and behold, it WAS a Buddha head.

 

Okay, for full disclosure, I must admit, I had seen it before. Another friend, Katie, (Yes, most of my friends names begin with 'K' or the k sound), had given me this little Buddha statue from which the head had broken off. We had tried to glue it several times, but it kept falling off, and we kept it in the garden.  However, at some point the head was lost and my wife threw the body out. (Is that sacrilegious? - I mean, it was plastic!)  So, the head was missing and the body was gone.  Months ago!!!   Now, in the midst of watching this movie and thinking I want a spiritual relic (okay, even a plastic one), I sit down on my porch where I often spend HOURS every day, and whoop de doo, a magic, plastic, Buddha head, relic! 

 

 IT'S A MIRACLE!!!