Good Karma Music Stories

I work in my school library and saw a student looking through the stacks. I was moved by the book she was holding, it being one of my favorites and I led her to other books in a similar vein. A week or so later, I found her once again in the library and she was exctatic about the book.This may not be saving a life or anything like that but books are a huge part of my life and are extremely experiential. I gave this girl an entirely unique experience through something I am passionate about.

I will recite the Buddha’s name whenever I see an accident, dead animal corpse, a truck load of chicken/cows/goats on the way to the slaughter house , ambulance passing by, hoping that by doing so I can help them plant some good seeds 🙂

At Costco a guest Vegamitc vendor had free samples. People quickly gathered around to try, a mother and child in back late and maybe not going to get his. Giving him my spot, made my 6 year old self come to mind. As his eyes focused on the tray, waiting, I let him go. Mom smiled sincerely, and he got his cup of fresh fruit juice. Priceless? Well, it was free, meant more to him than me. I don’t compare to saving a life, but felt better in a way unexpected.

a customer shared with me his concerns about his daughter and her possible abusive partner. she had a black eye he said when he last visited her in the U.K. he had his doubts but did share his daughters partner was a good guy who worked hard.i listened without offering opinion but did empathise with him. i let him voice his concerns as i felt he needed to share his worries without me offering a knee jerk reaction.he left my workplace saying he would ask family members to check on his daughter and would re-assess his feelings and concerns when he next visited her.peace

Across the street from my home lives an old woman in a small cottage home. She is almost 80 years old, she has lived a long life full of friendship, dreams, losses, travels, many jobs, many homes, she has felt a lot, experienced a LOT. She still does experience, and love, and care for the world, and suffer; and live alone in a small cottage home.Now, she is ignored by her neighbors, her family, her community, she feels alienated, isolated–alone. Her wisdom is not valued. Like so many elders in our community she is safely kept away in a distant, remote dwelling, where her feelings and perspectives will not disturb our comfortable care-free existences.She wants, needs, TRIES to approach her neighbors to talk with them. But, they do not have time. We do not have time. I do not have time. Do not have time for her, do not have time simply to listen to her, so she can be heard, recognized, valued, loved.So I asked myself: “What do I have time for? What do I not have time for? What can I learn from this old woman? What can she learn from me? How do I want my neighborhood community to feel? I talk to the old woman across the street frequently, I stop when I am hurrying to get somewhere, I stop for her, and I stop for myself. She has taught me a lot, she is very wise, and has many stories she wants to share to illuminate truths about life, she is a Buddha. I wonder, “How many Buddhas are on my block?” I am grateful that I have met one of them, and I am grateful that she is my friend.This story is dedicated to my friend and neighbor–the old woman who lives in a cottage alone.

The other weekend I was at Tilden park with my family. When we were on our way out of the park, I saw a women struggling to carry a folded table and serval boxes all at the same time, I offered her help, and carried the large table to picnic area, she then asked if I could go to her car and carry a package of bottled water to her. She was exhausted as she was setting up a picnic by herself and apparently had first set everything up in the wrong area and then had to move it. It was a pleasure to help her.

I remember spending a Friday morning at the United Cerebral Palsy organization with children suffering from paralysis and slurred speech. Reading to them and teaching them to fold flowers was an enjoyable experience. When my time was up, i walked to the bus stop thinking of a hibiscus flower. When the bus stopped, an advertisement with a red hibiscus flower appeared on the side of the bus. That’s when I realized mind and matter are one.