‘ They’re my fucking Buddhas’
Old man disturbed whilst making tea
There was once on old man, a radical Buddhist of the old school who lived in a hut in the woods where he spent his time contemplating nothing in particular. One day, it is said, a passing Saddhu noticed to his consternation that the old man was chopping up some ancient wooden Buddhas to boil himself a cup of tea. The Saddhu remonstrated with him saying: ‘Although these Buddhas are intrinsically only pieces of wood, they nevertheless represent the principle by which we may transcend human suffering; therefore you should desist from treating them so.’
…. ‘They’re my fucking Buddhas,’ replied the old man, ‘I’ll do what I like with them.’
Dave Tomlin