Buddhism?

To say that life is suffering is bullshit.

A Buddhist with balls would have the guts to say

That life seems to be suffering.

In a Buddhist world, there are two choices.

Either life is suffering

Or life isn’t suffering.

It’s no different than

The person who stands outside of Trader Joe’s

Fundraising money

And asking the self-righteous question,

“Do you want to help homeless children!”

The shaming is implicit.

To semantically position and poison you

By asking you whether life is suffering

Or isn’t.

It’s bullshit.

Both statements are bullshit.

A more honest statement is that

“Life seems to be suffering.”

Pain and suffering is built into the system.

It is not there to be valorized.

I know it is not there

To be a driver

That promotes a religion

Rooted in a time

Where there wasn’t enough to go around for everyone

Because of that

It is inherent in Buddhism

To make us doubt

That a good life lived well.

A life that also includes

Joy,

Love,

Satisfaction,

Contentment,

And swinging blues songs by Big Joe Turner;

A life where there is enough to go around

Is always to be distrusted.

It is not enough.

And if life is not enough

Then you are not enough.

That is bullshit!

Buddhism is inherently cynical

And inherently disassociative

From experience.

It’s a world of

“I don’t fucking know!”

So just show up.

You’ve got to have the balls to say this.

You’ve got to have the balls and you’re going to say it.

“Life seems to be suffering”

And so many people

Are going to be angry with you

And so many people

Are going to point at you

And say,

“Who do you think you are?”

“How dare you!”

And so many people are going to point out to the rest of the world

To prove their point.

And you’re going to see

What seems to be suffering.

“Those people are suffering!”

“Those people are this!”

“These people are that!”

And the thing is

You’re not going to have an answer for them.

You’re not going to have an answer for them.

You’re not going to

Because there isn’t a fucking answer.

There it is.

The only thing to do

Is to stand your ground,

Hold your line

And say,

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!”

“Fuck you!”

That’s all that you can say is

“Fuck you!”

Because there is something inherent

In you saying that

That’s just

SOLID

AND GOOD

AND ALIVE

AND PRESENT!

There’s something present in that

Because the answer is

You don’t know the fucking answer.

You don’t know the answer.

You don’t.

So all you can say is

“Fuck you!”

From all of your mighty heart.

People who say,

“What about that?”

“Who do you think you are?”

“How dare you?”

They already have the answers.

You don’t!

Ryan Mitchell,

Everywhere Buddha: Barcelona,

woodfired stoneware with urethane