monk story
the monk near my house was teaching me about impermanence, telling me a good story about his friend who was also a monk. when this monk was younger he had spent all his money buying a mercedes benz, and altnough he wouldnt buy it now, he still liked driving it. anyway, earlier this year, the monk was buying groceries at karinyup shopping center and when he got back to the carpark, there were skidmarks everywhere/ his car was gone. at first he was very upset but then he remembered his training, that everything is impermanent and attachment is suffering, so he just said, ah well, i hope they enjoy their new car, and he caught the bus back home to the monastery. a week later he got a phonecall from his friend who was also another monk. he had found his car at karinyup, right where the monk had left it! he’d just gotten out at the wrong floor of the elevator. and although the monk had gotten over his loss and had learned his lesson, he was very relieved to get it back, but when he got there to retrieve it, the windscreen was covered in tickets. four hundred dollars! at first he was very upset, but then he remembered that everything is impermanent and attachment is suffering. he left the car and the fines and caught the bus back to the monastery.