Diligently, Once Again

I sat down on the barber's chair. To his enquiring look, I said, "Semua pendek" (all short), as I always do. He asked, "Semua pendek?" and I nodded. As I comforted myself on the chair, about to proceed to dreamland or wherever people go when they sit on the barber's chair, I felt him shave off both sides of my head.

The next thing I knew, he was starting to shave off the rest of my hair too. As I came to conciousness, I realized the whole right half is gone. Too late.

I am bald.

Surprisingly, I felt a certain Buddha-like calmness as this weight was lifted off my head -- like the stress of these couple of weeks have been done away with, ready for a new beginning, for a new phase of life, cause I certainly am -- and I sat there doing what I only could do then. I smiled. I've never seen the purpose of having much hair anyway.

And then I woke up this morning and realized. Since entering university, I've helped out less -- much too little -- at the temple during Wesak celebrations. Perhaps, this is Lord Buddha's way of reminding me to remember, contemplate and practise his teachings... diligently, once again.