Windshield?

 

Living Zen can sometimes be a challenge. Take yesterday for instance.  I had ordered a very expensive windshield for my CanAm motorcycle and had made an appointment with the dealer to have it installed. I arrived early, checked in and began to wait. I was told it would be an hour. I brought with me a copy of Hesse’s book, Siddhartha, and began to read. An hour and a half later I asked about the progress. I was told after a bit that the mechanic had trouble locating the thing in the parts department, but he had found it. So, another hour was projected. I waited. I began to sit in Zazen.

 

                One of the service reps asked me what I was doing, I told him and we chatted a bit about Zen. I gave him my card and went back to practice. Sometime passed and I finally asked for the service department manager. After a while longer he and the parts department manager came out to talk with me. It seems they ordered the wrong windshield, and I needed to select another one that would fit my bike. I had been at the shop for two and a half hours already.  I ordered another windshield as both men profusely apologized.

 

                I felt for the two men in their embarrassment.  Sitting Zazen had helped me through this experience. I was extremely frustrated and quite irritated.  As I rode home without the windshield, knowing it would be another week before the replacement arrived, I felt it all fall away. Riding a motorcycle has been a lifelong Zen practice for me. After telling Shukke all about it, sitting outside, then sipping a cold Mexican beer, all was forgiven. 

 

May we each be at peace,

 

Daiho