Backseat Buddha

Earlier this week, Lisa was sharing with me some of her views on a shared acquaintance who seems more comfortable living on the high-drama side of the tracks. As she went on, I commented that some of her observations were less kind than others, and she agreed, noting wryly that I had pointed it out rather easily. My offhand response was that it was easy to be a backseat Buddha.

Since then, I've thought about that response. Backseat Buddha. Y'know, it really IS easy to sit back and make note of when others don't clear the bar of the Four Noble Truths, but is that observation itself stark evidence of my own lack of enlightenment? The Eight-Fold Noble Path points out that if we can control our body and mind in a way that we help others instead of doing them harm, while generating wisdom in our own mind, we can end our suffering and problems.

Did I exhibit correct thought, correct speech, and correct understanding in this case? I'm not so sure. This isn't major league baseball, where going 4 for 8 gets you into the Hall of Fame. So I've taken this as something on which to reflect, revisit, and review, so that I'm better prepared the next time I'm in a similar situation.

Be here now. Be somewhere else later. Is that so hard?