It was 1989, and I was feeling ready for life to move forward for me after a series of very challenging years. I asked an old friend named Bill, while sharing thoughts on life and spiritual growth, “What do I need to do to begin the process of change in my life in a profound way?” Bill was one of the most trusted and supportive men in my life when I was beginning this process of spiritual development. He was a wise, gentle, and loving person who made a great life for himself after a messy beginning. You could always count on “Old Bill” to offer a warm hug and caring advice. At this point in my life, I did not trust many people and took even less advice. Asking for help was not one of my strengths....
I began working with the
Urban League of Greater Madison in October of 2003 as a Social Worker serving adolescents' mental, emotional, social, cultural, and academic needs of the student population in Madison, Wisconsin. I loved the work and the kids.
Spiritual Teachings on Smiling and Humility
After being at the school for a little while, I began to build a relationship with one of the janitors. His name is Oscar, and he is a beautiful man born and raised in Costa Rica. He has a dark complexion often seen on the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rican with a graying beard, sideburns, and short, wavy, balding hair. He typically wears bright-colored T-shirts. Oscar’s brown eyes are full and deep. He moved to the States as an adult several years ago. He is friendly in such a warm and genuine way that it is hard not to want to be around him. His smile beams greater than almost anyone I’ve ever seen, radiating the hallway during casual conversation. Oscar always finds a minute to engage in brief interactions, each filled with his presence and sweetness.
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“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” Ezra Taft Benson
Spiritual Training on Humility: The Janitor Part I
It was the Winter of 1993-1994. I had only once visited the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center, Labsum Shedrup Ling, in Washington, New Jersey. A good friend and I decided we’d spend New Year's together on a retreat at the center. The retreat focused on The Buddhist Lineage, which I had no idea what that meant upon arrival. Before I dive in, I would like to mention that I knew very little about Buddhism or Tibetan Buddhism in general when we signed up to take part; my friend did. I just knew that I had an Inner Connection with Buddhism.
The first time I noticed
him was during the first shared meal. He sat somewhat distant from most guests, but I could tell he lived there. He wore plain grey pants and a shirt that most janitors wear. He seemed almost disinterested in the events and happenings around him. The man appeared to be enjoying his meal as if content and grateful just to be there. The first thought I had while watching him was, "WOW! If this is what their janitors are like, I can't wait to see the monks! I am going to become a Buddhist." He helped clean up as if he does it every day, and part of what he does there. He showed people where to find things as a typical worker would do at any place else. But there was something very different about
this janitor. He was simple and radiant in his way of being, smiling simply but beautifully with sincerity. I noticed myself staring and observing him beyond what is socially acceptable, but I couldn't stop myself. He was exceptional in a way that I had not known before. I was in awe of how this man carried himself and the Inner contentment that was his being. I remember thinking, "Where do they find janitors like this in Tibet?" Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, he was an older Tibetan man, possibly in his sixties, with those facial features that only men and women who have walked this earth for a while and have learned more than the rest of us express. The lines on their faces seem more profound and richer, as if each one is telling a story.
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