So for breakfast I went to the boulangerie and bought myself a nice fresh baguette and a pain au chocolat. I ate the baguette at home and, because I was running a little late, took the pain au chocolat to eat on the metro on the way to work.
Now I don't know if Buddhist folklore talks of deities sent by the heavens to test ordinary folks' compassion and wisdom, but it seemed like there were at least two of them on the metro wanting a bit of my snack!
First, a small child next to me was fixated on the pain au chocolat in that unselfconscious way that children stare. I stuck my tongue out and pulled a face or two, to no avail. She wanted the chocolate. Her mother eventually told her not to be rude, but I could still feel her eyes boring into me, willing the chocolatey goodness to slip out of my hands and into hers. Finally, she settled for a puppy-dog look to try to pull on my heart strings. I was on the point of giving in when the train arrived at their stop and they left. Phew.
Talking of puppy dogs, next to covet my breakfast was a small, stinky one of this species, who got on the metro with its owner, who also looked fairly small and stinky. I'm not a fan of dogs at the best of times, and when they're dribbling on the floor with food-induced lust I find them even less appealing. Its owner was distracted, talking on her mobile phone, so it was between the dog and me. A staring contest ensued. Another woman noticed the silent struggle between me and my canine admirer, smiled, and immediately took the dog's side, both of them batting their eyelashes and pouting. She said "Can't you give him just a little bit?" I said "well, it's got chocolate in, which isn't good for dogs, is it?", to which she replied "can't you find a bit without chocolate?" I couldn't really say no. Goodbye nice crunchy bit of my pain au chocolat!
I've got a hell of a long way to go before I live up to the ideal in that Buddhist story about the Buddha, in a former life, sacrificing his body to a mother lion to feed her cubs.
The tale of the Tigress and her cubs is beautifully reflected in a commentary attributed to Chih-I of the T'ien T'ai tradition (538-597 CE) where he's expounding on the first practice of the Bodhisattva Mahasattva:
ReplyDeleteIn every direction where there is poverty or need, by the spiritual power of their vows they will go and produce great wealth and inexhaustible treasure. In thought after thought there will be limitless, countless living beings coming up to them and saying:
"Benevolent one, we are poor and without resources or food. We are weak, tired and suffering and our lives are near an end. We only pray that you have mercy upon us and give us your flesh to eat so that we may live." The Bodhisattvas will give it to them, making them rejoice and be fulfilled. Hundreds of thousands of living beings will come to them begging and seeking their flesh like this. The Bodhisattvas will not turn and retreat, but rather will only increase the mercy and compassion in their hearts. Because these living beings come from everywhere begging and seeking their flesh, the Bodhisattvas become more joyful. Upon seeing them, making this thought:
"I will attain excellent benefits from this, for these living beings are my field of blessings. They are my good friends - without my asking them, they have come to me and taught me how to enter into enlightenment. I should cultivate and train like this without denying the wishes of a single living being."
Further they will make this thought:
"I pray that all the good spiritual roots that I have made, am making now, and will make in the future will result in me receiving a enormous body that pervades all the worlds and will be among all the living beings of the future. With this body of flesh I will be able to fulfill the hunger of all living beings.