Waiting

Welcoming Nee to her new job - a "hands on" experience. 

Om, my great friend, has a sister Nee who, having finished her studies, started her career this week with the Thai government.   For this joyous occasion, Om asked me to join him in welcoming his sister to her new position.  So I happily went along, not realizing the whole impact of the day. 

Unexpectedly, I was introduced to another aspect of Thai culture, a culture so family centred.  So what happened?   

Nee was joined by her family and associated friends in Bangkok on her first big day at work.  What unravelled or unfolded featured a high level of family ritual.  It entailed accompanying her to introductions with local government leaders as well as to her workplace.  It centred on lunch, paying respect to the Buddha and settling her into her new desk, complete with gifts.  It was all done together with great respect and a good sense of fun.  For me, it was an honored experience for a foreigner; another insight into the gracious side of Thai culture.  

For me, it all unravelled as another key part of this Thai experience was that nothing goes according to a schedule.  You just go and when you are there, it all takes time.  For a good westerner, what arises is impatience as there are so many other things to do.  From experience, this time I told myself just relax, go with the flow and do not react.  In doing so, there naturally arose for me a real revelation.  

It was a revelation into waiting.  On the day, we were ever waiting - getting ready, traffic, government meetings, buying gift and food.  I was asking myself - How good am I at waiting?  I was thinking all the time I hear people from outside, even the Pope, talk of the gift of the East to the West as being meditation.  That means stopping.  What hit me this day was that it means more - stopping and waiting - two things we are not good at in the West, or I am not. 

My experience with my good Thai friends told me why the East is so receptive to meditation.  Simply put, the people here know how to wait and be with each other.  Where I come from, we do not like waiting.  Waiting is the key to being with which is at heart of meditation. 

And, of course, I discovered that, in waiting, I was fertile ground for learning from the experience.  

What stays with me is a comment by Om about his other sister, Nuch, who joined in the day.  She was there from the beginning and just spent it by Nee's side, literally. Om said, "Nuch is being such a good sister by being with Nee."  Therein lies the key for meditation or a meditative approach to life - wait and be with.  Simple but not easy.