PIZZA OR BUST

If a superior man abandon virtue,

how can he fulfill the requirements of that name?

The superior man does not,

even for the space of a single meal,

act contrary to virtue.

—Analects of Confucius - Book 4, Chapter 5

Sometimes, timing in life is just too perfect.

I was in the float tank last night, meditating on these recent posts about seeing others in yourself and yourself in others. Here are some of the insights that came through:

~ I have been darkness, and now I am light. Be the light for those around me.

~ Recognize the inner child within everyone else as if it were me.

~ No longer seek others to fulfill my needs; instead, be the one others seek.

~ Be open and accepting to anyone who comes my way.

The moment I walked out of the studio with that meditative high, a man approached me, asking for food. He mentioned that he had been trying to turn over a new leaf, attempting to make an honest living, but had been having trouble landing steady work.

Often, when people ask for money, I don’t give because I assume it’s going to drugs or alcohol. But this man asked for food, and I could see the sobriety in his eyes. Plus, we were standing next to a pizza shop that sold slices with a glowing OPEN sign. There was nothing else I could do.

I bought a couple of slices and sat down with him while he ate, listening to his story: a former cocaine dealer with theft and felony charges on his record, but he acknowledged that he was young and foolish then.

He seemed sincere, even saving a slice for the friend who was letting him stay at his house. I pointed him toward a place I saw was hiring recently and he thanked me. Before we parted ways, he said, “I knew God was gonna send someone my way this evening.”

Had I abandoned virtue, even for the space of a single meal, I would not have experienced the satisfaction that statement brought me.

I have been darkness, and now I am light.

Be the one others seek.