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I receive Ch’an (Zen) Lineage Discipleship

Ch’an Lineage Discipleship

It was official: I had just landed on another planet.

Got off from my late Friday shift at St. Mary’s ER in West Palm Beach, drove up to Hobe Sound, cleaned up and drove back down to Jupiter to have a drink before the bars closed. It was a full moon and I braided my hair myself, something I rarely have the coordination to do. It was already an odd night.

Walking in to the bar shortly after midnight the place was still crowded and noisy, and everyone was already pretty well lit. Noticed I was the only hippie in the place but had ties to the area that went back decades and had been living there for over a year. I was working at two hospitals, I belonged as much as anyone else in the land of transplants and tourists. I figured it was home.

Bellied up to as good of a space as there was to get a drink, which was behind a couple seated at the bar. Had to reach around the guy to make the transaction and he seemed a little tense. I got my drink and stood a little to the side and backed away from him, but the space was tight. I kept aware of him because he seemed to be continuing to be agitated over something.

After a couple minutes he suddenly put both hands on the edge of the bar and pushed his chair back forcefully, trying to knock into me. I thought for a flash about putting my foot at the base of his chair and watching him go over backwards and brain himself on the floor, but just shifted the few inches it took to get out of the way and turned to face him. He was standing and appeared to be ready to fight. His partner said something to him and grabbed his arm as I moved away to the wall on the other side of the bar, which I should have done minutes before.

OK – this is another world from New Mexico alright, and I don’t fit in. Gonna finish this drink and get the hell outta here and never come back to this place… hope that jerk isn’t out in the parking lot……

“Excuse me, but you’re not from around here, are you?”  I turn at the sound of a female voice and look into the clear, bright eyes of a woman about my age, maybe a few years older. We connect. Maybe she will get it, and if not, I am out of here anyway.  “No – I’m from Arcturus. Tell me – do Earthlings use that line a lot?”.  She does get it, and laughs. We learn we share an interest in Asian Martial and Healing Arts. She is a massage therapist and studies T’ai Chi under a Lineage Master and would be happy to introduce me to him. The night, rather than being a bust, is turning into a jackpot……

To Be Continued: Next Installment – The Er Mei Lineage and Master Fu, Wei – Zhong.

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