july 4: ven tenzin kalsang, tibetan buddhist monk

i watched fireworks over the hudson river by a man dressed in robes, who was friendly and had an openness and kindness about him that was immediately disarming.  by the end of the night, he was friends with almost everyone in our area.  somehow for him, it seemed ordinary and natural, and without even looking like he was trying, he left everyone with smiles on their faces.

this new friend of mine is a wise and a kind man.  though he had little himself, he was very generous with the things that he did have, buying me frozen yogurt and a juice, and giving me a card with a quote by the dalai lama on it, as well as a stone from india.

i watched him show love and kindness and goodness throughout the night, and especially on our walk back uptown (we were both headed in the same direction, so we walked and talked together, which is when he bought me the frozen yogurt, and later, juice).  he stopped and showed sympathy for a homeless man on the street, sharing wisdom and love, and a bit of money, and wished him luck.  he saw a pair of glasses on the ground, and he picked them up and laid them to the side, where people wouldn't step on them, but where they could be found if someone went back looking for them.  he talked to people that were around us, and sincerely cared about the things they had to say, which is how he made me feel throughout our conversations as well.

because he was always looking out for the needs of those around him, he was very attentive to the moment.  that is perhaps the biggest lesson that he taught me that night (though it was never said out loud, only taught by example).


{"by their fruits ye shall know them" --- that is what kept coming to my mind as i watched the way he interacted with the world} 
 

the quote that is on the card that he gave me is very interesting to consider:

THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE

We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgement;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness;
We've been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet
the new neighbor.
We build more computers to hold more
information to produce more copies then ever,
but have less communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods
but slow digestion;
Tall men but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It's a time when there is much in the window,
but nothing in the room.

-The 14th Dalai Lama