Where the Buddha Meets the Road

 

“Release the Bees!” by Kiley Jon Clark

 

When I worked at the State Hospital with folks that were Mentally Challenged, people always told me, “God bless you, son. You’re going to have “Rewards in Heaven” for you work!” But when I would tell them about all the volunteer opportunities there, it seemed they didn’t care much for these rewards in Heaven themselves.

Then, when I went to work at a Children’s Home as a Houseparent to twelve teenage boys, they all agreed that I was one “Wonderful person.” When I told them about all the volunteer opportunities there, it seemed they would have to pass on being “Wonderful.”

Now that I work full-time and teach meditation three times a week at a Homeless facility, the praise never stops. One fella told me, “You create more positive Merit in one day than most folks do in an entire life-time.” So, I told him, “Cool. Come spend a day with me.” He maintained a Noble Silence.

As for me, I have this funny feeling. See, I teach an ‘On the Job’ Training Course in the Custodial Arts to the Homeless. And on our list of things to do, is a trash route consisting of thirty two big, outside trash cans.

We take the full bags of trash out of the can, throw it into a Trash Buggy on wheels, and put a new bag in the can. Many of these trash bags are full of Honey Bees. You don’t see them at first. They are way down in the bottom dinning on all the goodies.

But, by the time we get the buggy to the huge Trash Compactor, they’re all buzzing around the air pockets near the top of these bags.

 So, what do we do before throwing these bags into the Hydralic, Crushing Monster? We untie each bag and release the bees, of course.

If there is a “Life Review” in the Bardo after death, I don’t think it will focus so much on the Mentally Challenged, the teenagers at the Children’s Home, or the Homeless folk that I’ve had the great pleasure to befriend. Like I said, I got this funny feeling,

I think it’s just going to be a short film about some really happy Bees.