Matt has been hired by a plumbing company to sell toilets. His old man who works for the same company got him the job. What could Matt do but accept? He was good at nothing else.
Larry, a hotshot salesman goes out with him one day and lays it on the line: “I don’t tolerate laziness. It’s a form of treason,” he says.
Matt says it’s not his fault he’s not pulling in big figures. He has no sales experience and no one is willing to train him.
Larry shoots back, “Baptism by fire.”
But Matt whines and says it’s been over a year and he still has no idea what he’s doing.
Then Larry comes back with this: “Your job is to go out there every day and get your face kicked in. It’s the only path to Enlightenment.”
I don’t know if Larry and the Buddha were talking about the same kind of Enlightenment and if they were would the Buddha have agreed with Larry’s method?
Is Larry right? Or can’t you find Enlightenment through the toilet trade?
Are some trades/professions more inimical to Enlightenment than others? Can a politician find Enlightenment? would it help him in his job?
John Malone 
Hmm, I’ve never thought about the ‘toilet trade’ and any possible connected insights regarding enlightenment, John. I’d love some further insight on the matter, if possible.
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These are very serious questions, John. I will give you my opinions in the order I received them :p :
A. According to legend, buddha started out as a wealthy prince in a palace and ended up a hermit in the wilderness. He and Larry might have butted heads about the necessities of life but probably not the path to enlightenment.
B. If Larry and Buddha agree, then the toilet trade is one path of many to enlightenment.
C. If enlightenment requires face-kicks on a regular basis, I would say the retail industry is perfect for those seeking to follow Buddha’s path.
As for politicians, I’d say no. Enlightenment requires a certain amount of detachment of worldly concerns and that is not an option for the average elected office holder. But if said politician had a history of working in retail, his/her perspective might be one of benefit to the political world and the citizens they serve.
That’s my opinion, anyway. Thanks for the opportunity for a rant, John. Until next time! 🙂
-Beth
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thanks Beth; a full and precise answer. I have referred Carolyn to your comment as it is a better answer than I could come up with
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rather than ne answer your question, Carolyn, you couldn’t do better than refer to Beth’s answer above; her blog is worth checking out too 🙂
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Thanks John.I shall investigate further, re Beth and her blog!
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That got me thinking sir. I must admit I can’t argue with your line of reasoning
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I reckon it got Matt thinking too 🙂 I wonder if he’s sorted it out by now
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