My friend Maryam muses: would a Buddhist enjoy a job as a waitress?

Would a Buddhist enjoy a job as a waitress? How would a Buddhist approach a job as a waitress? Since I have been seeking enlightenment, and have room to grow, I believe I know the answers. Let’s say I was a fully enlightened Buddha. I would enjoy a job as a waitress. I would not think about what the job would be like, I would not think about acceptance and what others may think. I would not worry about the money or the status of the work. In fact, work and worth are so unrelated to a Buddhist I would stay away from the topic completely. Where is the right place to waitress? A Buddhist wouldn’t care. How much would I make in tips? A Buddhist would take it moment by moment and live in the present, table by table, moment by moment. A Buddhist would know reality does not exist and money is nothing, wealth is meaningless. She knows living is to be lived and that is all there is. She knows a job with people, on her feet moving, and around good food she might like. In an Iranian reastaurant she could use her Persian language skills. A Buddhist would know not to grasp at the idea for pleasure, that only when one ceases to seek pleasure can it really be found. A Buddhist would put away her pride and go forth where she has never gone before. She knows a path is winding and makes turns, that change is inevitable and learning is all there is. She knows there is no “me” and no “success” and that results are not important. A Buddhist would watch the process and stabilize the mind, so that there is emptiness and stillness. Go forth Buddhist, use your wisdom and apply for a job as a waitress.

categorized in: dharma