Catch 22

One day in 2012 I was just about to travel to Samye Ling in the UK to teach the 3rd Karmapa’s Profound Inner Principles at the retreat centre there. A few days before, I took a borrowed copy of the text to a photocopy shop. The lady behind the counter promised that she’d have a copy ready in time for me to take to the UK.

When I went to collect it on the day of my flight, the text was not ready, and the lady didn’t seem very concerned. I explained how important it was and how she’d promised it would be ready, and, as is my tendency, I gave her a piece of my mind. She did not appreciate this and called her husband to tell him that a customer was harassing her.

The husband rushed over and, without warning, slapped me in the face. I was rather surprised, which made me smile. But then seeing him look at me with such fury in his eyes, any annoyance I felt quickly dissipated and my heart went out to him. I thought, ‘He just hit a monk! This will not turn out well for him.’ And as I started to worry for him as he continued to glare at me, I suddenly caught myself with the thought, ‘Oh no, I shouldn’t think like a bodhisattva. Hitting someone with bodhicitta in their mind will produce even heavier karma.’ Then I realised I was only making the situation worse.

Funnily, years later the photocopy lady encouraged another relative of hers to do retreat at the retreat centre here, as she had heard it was a good place. She brought her relative to meet me but didn’t recognise me (it had been quite a few years since our last meeting.) I didn’t say anything and her relative did come to stay in the retreat centre, although he has no idea what happened that day.