Not too long ago, I saw a brief video showing five or six traditional Buddhist monks, with their shorn heads and saffron robes. They were wandering alongside a lake-shore edged with blossoming cherry trees. The weather was gorgeous, the scenery breathtaking. And what were these monks—every single one of them—doing?
Gazing at their smart phones.
It seems that even the enlightened among us are concerned about missing an instant message.
I will say that, thank the Buddha, they did not appear to be taking selfies. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what drew their individual attentions away from the natural beauty they meandered through. Were they checking emails, or maybe Facebook? Was there breaking news at the lamasery? Did they follow the Dalai Lama’s blogposts, or bid on eBay auctions?
I suppose anything is possible. This scene, though, prompted me to re-imagine Zen’s most famous koan:
What is the sound of one hand texting?