THE MYSTERY OF THE OLD TREE
Love is (not) Blind...
“Ssst... Who the hell?” nikita asked Noval, her boyfriend. “Ssst... don't be hard, later he was horrified,” said Noval while asking Nikita to sit in the living room for a moment. “I change clothes first yes, we have dinner,” said Noval.
Noval disappeared into his boarding room. Nikita who sat in the living room still continued to watch the guy who was holding a plate containing rice and a piece of potato parchment while continuing to knock on the plate. “Come ants... move here huh?” said the guy while cutting off the end of the parchment swarming with ants. The pieces of the parchment are placed in the corner of the terrace. His hands were still tapping on the edge of the plate to let the ants leave the parchment and the plate.
It's kind of tilted this guy's brain, Nikita's inner. The man then stood up, smiled at Nikita and walked into her room.
Noval came out of her room in neat clothes. “Yuk... we have dinner now,” Noval told Nikita.
When it was a bit far from the boarding place, Nikita could not wait to ask, “Who the hell was that guy talking about ants? Ants dear, move here huh?” Kontan Noval laughed loudly. “Richard. New kid, he's been boarding for a week. His studies in Economics. The child is good, even too late and is considered lebay and ‘agak tilting’ the same other hostess residents,” said Noval while putting her index finger on the forehead.
Just a week he was at the boarding house, his strange behavior was enough. Yeah, like, talking ants. You know yourself ‘kan, in my hostel a lot of ants. If you put a glass of sweet tea on the table, forget to put it on a plate or bowl that has been given water, for a while it has been invaded by ants,” Noval story.
“Semut only behind his side. If I, the food plate is fused, the choice is only two: put the plate on the lid of the pot that is being used to cook hot water or just throw everything and buy new. Males waited and told the ants to move. The fastest way, just put the plate on the lid of the hot pot, the ant kocarkacir, when down to the lid of the pot, flounder for a while, die... Everything is fine, don't take long,” Noval laughs. Nikita also smiled, “My girlfriend is great.”
* * * * * * * * * * *
There was a long table, on top of which was a plate containing an emping pack, shrimp crackers, then there was roll tissue, a toothpick place, and a spoon and fork place. This is the atmosphere of a tent stall at the foot of five that serves a menu of catfish pecel, tofu, and fried tempeh, fried chicken, fried duck, and chicken soto.
Vicko sits on a long bench on the far right. On the left side there are 2 fathers who are enjoying their dinner. The cold air of Bandung City makes the atmosphere of dinner more delicious.
“Excuse me..” the voice of a young man distracts Vicko. Vicko turned his head, uh apparently there was a young man who also wanted to eat. Vicko shifted his seat slightly to the left so that the young man could sit down. It is rather difficult to sit in the middle of this long bench because just behind Vicko, the fabric of the stall cover tent is attached to the back. So if there are new visitors who come, visitors who have sat first, usually shifted to the middle.
After the young man sat down, the mother of the owner of the pecel lele stall served two cups of tea, one glass for Vicko and one glass for the young man.
“What message Dik?” ask the shop owner's mother. The young man who just came directly called “Nasi white and pecel catfish Bu. The sad sambel huh?” “If sister?” ask the shop owner's mother to Vicko. “White rice and fried chicken Bu,” Vicko said.
“Aduh forgot...,” said the young man next to Vicko as if to say to himself. “Apologies Mom, the catfish is big or small?” ask the young man. “Please select Dik, some are big and some are small. Still soon, everything is alive. Here see for yourself in the bucket, want to choose which one?” the owner of the shop said it was friendly.
“Ehm. The shop owner's mother looked gawking at this young man's words. The two eating fathers turned their heads and looked at the young man with confused eyes.
A moment later the dish came, Vicko and the young man were immersed in their respective preoccupations, enjoying dinner at the tent stall of five feet in this city dubbed Paris van Java.
Actually Vicko also felt strange with the behavior of this young man.Time came so excited message pecel lele, uh. suddenly changed his mind and follow-up order fried chicken.
Vicko looked at the pile of books that the young man had placed on the table. From the pile of his books, Vicko guessed he was a student. Wow... there is a book “Si Worms and Her Beloved Dirt” by Ajahn Brahm. Could he be a Buddhist, Inner Vicko.
“You're a student huh?” Vicko started the conversation. “Ya, Brother,” replied the young man. Vicko had a hard time finding out what sentence he had to say to ascertain if this young man was really a Buddhist. Of course it is not very ethical, when’ just knew, immediately asked: what religion are you? After all, those who read Buddhist books, let alone the work of Ajahn Brahm are not necessarily Buddhist.
“Asli Bandung?” Vicko stalls time looking for the right sentence to find out what the hell is his religion. Hehehe... kepo huh?
“Not, I am from Palembang,” he replied.
“Wah. The Worm and its Beloved Dirt by Ajahn Brahm. I'm a best seller read the best seller book. A lot of friends say it's good, but I haven't read it. In the monastery library there, but I have not had time to borrow,” Vicko found the right sentence to find out his religion. He deliberately put emphasis on the word library vihara.
“Buddhist Brother?” he was immediately enthusiastic.
Vicko just nodded.
“I'm Richard,” said the young man. “Whose sister?” “I Vicko,” replied Vicko.
That was the beginning of Vicko's meeting with the first-term Buddhist students, who are now Vicko's discussion friends about the Dhamma. Richard Bryan was formerly a Richard Buddhist activist at Dharmakirti Monastery in Palembang. The age of Vicko and Richard is different from 5 years, so Richard always greeted Ko Vicko when talking to Vicko.
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Lho... wouldn't it violate the first precept of the Buddhist Pancasila if I keep the pecel lele message?” ask Richard.
“We ‘kan didn't kill that catfish?” Vicko asked back.
“Ko Vicko, in the Dhamma, the terms of the murder: the existence of living beings, we know that the creature is alive, there is an intention, there is an attempt to kill, the creature died as a result of murder. Indeed we did not kill directly, but because we ordered, then the catfish was killed,” Richard put forward his argument.
“Oh... is it?” Vicko was silent for a moment. “Wah... if so, all this time Ko Vicko wrong dong. Cuek just order pecel lele. Never thought of getting that far,” Vicko said.
“I used to be so Ko. Once I ordered a catfish pecel, trus suddenly heard a loud voice followed by a sound like a floundering fish. It turned out that the loud sound was hitting the beam onto the catfish head,” Richard paused for a moment as if imagining the incident back then.
“My feeling is not good, because I ordered a catfish pecel, a catfish was killed. Then when Bhante gave Dhammadesana at Dharmakirti Vihara, I asked Bhante. Finally I understand more about the meaning of the second precept of Buddhist Pancasila. So, if you still like to eat meat, buy or order food with animal elements, which were originally dead when we went there. If my mother went to the market, I also ordered her to buy sea fish only. Sea fish ‘kan already dead when sold? If river fish or farmed fish such as goldfish, catfish, carp, usually sold in living conditions. Buy chicken also chicken that is displayed in a state of death and has been cleaned. It does not violate the precepts. Instead of choosing a chicken in a cage, then ask the seller to cut,” Richard told me at length.
“Makanya since then, if I order pecel catfish, I find out first, whether the catfish is dead or not. Yes, like yesterday, pretend to ask the catfish big or small. At my tent shop in Palembang, the catfish is dead and has been soaked with spices. Customers come, stay fried. When I first met Ko Vicko, I completely forgot. So directly order pecel lele,” continued Richard.
“I often get strange gazes from visitors to tent stalls when I change the message fried chicken or fried duck precisely when the seller says his catfish is still fresh, still alive,” Richard laughed.
“Lays, must have looked strangely at Buddhists when this happened. Other people actually do not become the message that the catfish is dead, he wants fresh, still alive and just cut after we order. We as Buddhists, it is exactly the opposite,” said Richard.
That's not how much. “I am often considered insane because it saves a swarm of ants that swarm my food. I slowly repel the ants, while others prefer to put their plates on top of the hot lid of the pan so that all the ants die,“ Richard said, glaring away.
“Let it alone... Sometimes even boarding friends who cheat and give assignments to me. Richard, please remove the ants from my plate, otherwise I put them on a hot pot. Overall too, our goodness is the material of olokolok. But never mind, we accept it with a chest. Is it not a fertile field for planting virtue? I was able to several times the task of cleaning ants from their food that was invaded by ants. No matter what people say, if we feel good according to the Dhamma, just do it,”.
“But because of the behavior of boarding friends who have been outrageous, I decided to move the boarding only. For a moment, someone shouted, I told you to save ants. Richard, this is a lot of ants in my room, please move in or I spray Baygon... Richard, in the living room there are many larons whose wings have been removed and the way to and fro. If you do not move, everyone will die stepped on,” shouted another boarding boy.
“But I have to be wiser in a new boarding house, I will not show how I care for the lives of other living beings so as not to be misused by a hostel friend,” Richard ends his story.
Vicko listened intently as Richard told the story. Vicko is older, but when it comes to Dhamma knowledge, Vicko is far below Richard. Vicko was born a Buddhist, but at first he did not know the Dhamma. Only while dating Vita does Vicko begin to get to know the Dhamma.
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Love is (not) blind, because BMX and BMW are clearly different,” that sentence is written in Vicko diary. That's what Vicko wrote when he broke up with Stella, who betrayed him after a year of dating. Without a fight, without any problems, suddenly Stella has the same path Steven, a transfer guy from another High School. Vicko did lose everything to Steven, losing handsome, losing rich, losing high.
Vicko smiled rereading the note he wrote so many years ago. There's nothing to regret, it's all a part of the past that can't be erased. Now Vicko already has Vita, his future life partner. Much better than Stella's matre. Vita's turning Vicko closer to the Dhamma. Vita is loyal, affectionate, and attentive.
Vita and Richard, you two are the ones who deserve my thanks, Vicko said. Richard, who is considered to be Vicko's younger brother, is Vicko's best friend. It was from Richard that Vicko learned much about the Dhamma. Richard was a very pleasant discussion companion, his knowledge of the Dhamma was extensive. And Vita, Vicko's excellent would-be life companion, is always there for Vicko.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Three months ago, Richard gave a YouTube video link and asked Vicko to watch it if he could. Thanks to a video with a link www.tiny.cc/metta given Richard that finally Vicko solidified his intention to start vegetarian, following Richard and Vita who first became vegan. Previously, Vicko had no intention to try vegetarian, there is an uncomfortable feeling every eating dishes that come from animals, although it is not a violation of the precepts. But since watching the video of Gary Yourofsky's speech, Vicko has steadily become vegan until now.
But Vicko is also not a fanatic about vegetarians. When there is no vegetarian menu, only: rendang, fried chicken, and capchay, Vicko will choose capchay and only eat vegetables. In essence, as much as possible Vicko will avoid eating foods that come from animals. Similarly, when still like to eat meat, Vicko prefers fried chicken rather than pecel catfish so as not to violate the precepts.
Being vegan is not a religious excuse. The Buddha never forbade his people to eat meat and advocated vegetarianism. Everything is a choice. A love for all the creatures that made Vicko drop the option of going vegan. How can we enjoy food and swallow it when we know that before it is for us, the creature suffered a lot of torture until finally the creature who also has the right to live was killed to satisfy our appetite???
All beings in this world want and have the right to live happily. Don't take away their rights, don't hurt them. Can you imagine how scared the cows that were brought to the slaughterhouse were, how the pain of the chicken necks was cut, while they wanted to stay alive yet helpless against the power of man.
What we do in this world is like a shadow. Whatever we do, the shadow always produces the same movement. It is a reflection of what we plant, that is what we will pick.
Vicko picked up the pen, then scratched the note in his diary. “Love is supposed to be (not) blind because fried chicken and pecel catfish are obviously different. But... I prefer to preserve this life without having to deprive other beings of the right to life.”
