David Bruce

The Most Interesting People in Religion David Bruce

This books contains 250 anecdotes, some funny and some thought-provoking. For example:1) Some charities send free gifts to people they hope will donate or will continue to donate money to them. (These are known as "guilt gifts.") However, as you would expect, sometimes these gifts backfire and get the recipients angry at the charity. An actress friend of 'Guardian' columnist Michelle Hanson received a gift of slippers from a charity she supported. Angry, she sent the slippers back. When she received a letter asking if she had received the slippers, she grew angrier and sent the letter back. Then they sent her a gift of gloves. This didn't help; after all, the actress had been hoping that the money she had given the charity would be spent on helping the needy, not on providing her with slippers and gloves that she didn't want or need. 2) Zen master Bankei was preparing to leave a certain spot, when a messenger of a nobleman arrived, asking him to remain for another day, so that the nobleman could confer with him about a certain matter. Bankei agreed to stay, but at the time appointed for the conference with the nobleman, a messenger arrived, saying that the nobleman had been detained but had said that the messenger could convey Bankei's advice to him. Bankei declined to do this, saying, "This matter of Zen is difficult to convey even by direct question and direct answer; it is all the more difficult to convey by messenger." 3) Some parents have different priorities for their children than other parents. Elementary schoolteacher Penelope H. Bevan once had a conference with a parent who was a follower of the Sikh religion. The man's daughter was brilliant, and Ms. Bevan showed him some samples of her work, but he was interested in something else. He told Ms. Bevan, "Yes, yes, I know she is quite smart, but I want to know how her soul is developing." 4) King Wej was depressed and unable to enjoy life, so he said to Si-tien, a Buddhist priest, "I am troubled, I am pained, and nothing gives me pleasure. What shall I do?" Si-tien took King Wej to see King Hsu, who sat on his mat, talking, smiling, laughing, eating, and drinking with other people. Si-tien then told King Wej, "Sit down near him, and do as he does. Joy is something to be learned." 5) Lessons can be learned in strange ways. John Wesley and Samuel Bradburn once witnessed an angry quarrel between two women who used bad language but who used it passionately and well and with their whole being. Mr. Bradburn was disgusted by the language and wanted to leave, but Mr. Wesley told him, "Stay - and learn how to preach."