Dokusan with Bob Roshi
Meet Bob.
Bob is my housemate. Bob is 25. Bob's from Ohio. He likes to fix cars and do yard work and home repairs and referees soccer. He's got a hell of a farmer's tan and I tell him to get some sun on that shit. He's got 20-30 snakes at any point in time and keeps rodents in the freezer. Like me, Bob studies genetics and loves biology. He's a chill guy and a friend, and had a room for rent when I needed one. So several months ago, I moved in.
I noticed a funny thing about him though. Bob LIVES LIFE SKILLFULLY. Which is weird to see in real life and kinda cool. Bob pays his bills and washes his dishes and doesn't eat out much and gets stuff done and remains chill the whole time. Dude is so even tempered it's ridiculous.
Bob's a fucking zen master and he doesn't even know it. --well he knows now, since I told him. Not that it makes any difference to him. He just laughs at me, Roshi-like :P
And he IS my Roshi. Bob Roshi.
I watch him and notice how he lives. I benefit from the influence.
I told him once that I was a nihilist and asked him what his philosophy was. You know what he told me? Hakuna Matata. I shit you not. So goddamned simple and yet spot on.
Today I came home and told him how damned hard my life was and bitched about not being able to keep my shit together and my day was awful and why couldn't I control my stupid brain blah, blah, blah. He tells me that I'm having a bad day. It's normal. Go take a nap.
I cry about my perceived inadequacies and say "Oh Zen master, Bob, what I should improve in myself?" He thinks, and says, "at work?"
--No anywhere, I say. In my life total, what do I need to fix?!
He thinks some more and finally says: "Nothing".
Nothing?!
"Yeah. Nothing. You're fine."
[enter my stunned silence]
"Was that Buddhist?" he asks later.
Yeah, Bob Roshi, that's perfect.
Bob is my housemate. Bob is 25. Bob's from Ohio. He likes to fix cars and do yard work and home repairs and referees soccer. He's got a hell of a farmer's tan and I tell him to get some sun on that shit. He's got 20-30 snakes at any point in time and keeps rodents in the freezer. Like me, Bob studies genetics and loves biology. He's a chill guy and a friend, and had a room for rent when I needed one. So several months ago, I moved in.
I noticed a funny thing about him though. Bob LIVES LIFE SKILLFULLY. Which is weird to see in real life and kinda cool. Bob pays his bills and washes his dishes and doesn't eat out much and gets stuff done and remains chill the whole time. Dude is so even tempered it's ridiculous.
Bob's a fucking zen master and he doesn't even know it. --well he knows now, since I told him. Not that it makes any difference to him. He just laughs at me, Roshi-like :P
And he IS my Roshi. Bob Roshi.
I watch him and notice how he lives. I benefit from the influence.
I told him once that I was a nihilist and asked him what his philosophy was. You know what he told me? Hakuna Matata. I shit you not. So goddamned simple and yet spot on.
Today I came home and told him how damned hard my life was and bitched about not being able to keep my shit together and my day was awful and why couldn't I control my stupid brain blah, blah, blah. He tells me that I'm having a bad day. It's normal. Go take a nap.
I cry about my perceived inadequacies and say "Oh Zen master, Bob, what I should improve in myself?" He thinks, and says, "at work?"
--No anywhere, I say. In my life total, what do I need to fix?!
He thinks some more and finally says: "Nothing".
Nothing?!
"Yeah. Nothing. You're fine."
[enter my stunned silence]
"Was that Buddhist?" he asks later.
Yeah, Bob Roshi, that's perfect.