bingo for buddha 7/22/07

Each Sunday, I try to take a slightly different path from my home to the farmers' market. I pretend I live in an era in which I belong to a community. I pretend the rare passersby (very few people walk in suburbia) are real neighbors. How might I get to know these someones? People all around me and not a friend to drink.

Today I struck gold. There is a Buddhist temple a block or two away. A gigantic Buddhist temple, surrounded by a fence. The backside of the temple and its many outbuildings are fenced-in and unwelcoming. It looked so dull to me before this morning. I actually thought it was some kind of storage facility for the City of Mountain View.

Today, all the gates were wide open and all the expansive grounds hidden behind the usual fence were covered with booths for a fair. People selling all kinds of crafts, gim-cracks, Buddhist stuff like books and Buddhas and, of course, food booths galore.

'My' temple was having a festival. I could play bingo for the Buddha! I strolled all the way through it. It's crowded. Just like any other festival, people go there with clusters of friends and family and they hang out with the clusters they arrived with. I long to ask people to gather in a circle and have a dialogue amongst us all. Everyone was friendly. I mean, Buddhists.  Most folks were Asian. Lots of immigrants, based on all the accents and unfamiliar languages I overheard. Lots of friendly nods, smiling eyes.

There was only so much conversation I could squeeze out while paying for the teriyaki chicken. The price list for the teriyaki chicken lists the price per piece. One piece equals $3.50 (it is a fundraiser for Buddha). Two pieces equals $7.00. The price list goes all the way up to thirty pieces for $105.00. I asked the lady if anyone had bought thirty pieces. She laughed and said "You first one? We are ready!" A nice moment but I left as lonely as ever. How funny that they listed the price for one piece, two piece, three pieces and all the way up to 100. I guess whoever made that price sign wanted it to be easy for the workers at that booth to tally sales.  If you wanted 53 pieces, no problem. Just look it up on the price list. Easy peasy.

People so near, still so far from me. Sigh.

I like having a Buddhist temple in my little world. That has to be good karma.