The High Road

The Case

Tricycle Magazine today, via Twitter, pointed followers to responses by Genpo Roshi and others to a question by Gweneth Paltrow on her own blog.

Please do read the selection for yourself, but, for expediency, here is a synopsis: Ms. Paltrow discovered that a supposed-friend was intent on doing her harm. Ms. Paltrow restrained herself from fighting back, taking the High Road. Later, Ms. Paltrow was retrospectively saddened in feeling delight in finding that some misfortune had befallen the supposed friend. She solicited the opinions of several well-known sages for advice.

The question posed to the sages may well have been somewhat divorced from Ms. Paltrow's situation---it is not clear from the presentation; however, reading through the responses, I am curious: Do even these celebrity gurus have an image to uphold?

Perhaps one would have to ask an ordinary student of Zen to hear this answer:

Sometimes, a punch in the nose is the correct response.

Discussion

We do not have perfect sight into Ms. Paltrow's situation. Consider, for instance, that we do not know if the former friend is acting clearly and with a just cause---we only have Ms. Paltrow's limited account, which is hardly a full description of what led everyone to this moment. All we do know is what we are told: In choosing the High Road, Ms. Paltrow experienced personal grief; and, when her former friend experienced misfortune, Ms. Paltrow felt pleasure and subsequent shame in feeling that pleasure.

The situation itself---all of the players, all of their individual tendencies, all of what went into bringing the pieces together, and all of the momentum the situation has---is as good a definition of karma as any. This is not to say that bad things happen because you were bad in the past, for instance; consider instead the example that I spotted Tricycle Magazine's citation, followed the link, examined the situation, and was inspired to comment, and you were inclined to read my commentary. Who knows how we came to this point? Yet, here we are. This is karma too.

When karma is such that you are being attacked, however it is presented, there can be a powerful stimulus to respond, and this often inspires quite an instinctual response. Sometimes there is time for a strategically considered (or perhaps spiritually considered) response, and sometimes there is not. When you make this response, though, are you awake? If so, then toward what end to you construct your response?

Let's consider a Low Road response: After being punched in the nose repeatedly, hopefully one learns to avoid the punch. This avoiding may manifest itself in any number of presentations, from avoiding all potentially similar situations in which a punch might be thrown, blocking the punch, ducking and weaving, or perhaps even striking the other person first. It's even possible that being hit by the punch is right depending upon the situation. All of these options are available, but do we believe that one option is right for every encounter? If we do, then more likely than not, our responses are preconditioned and instinctual. In such a case, the outcome is essentially predestined. The karmic cycle thus continues.

Now let's consider the High Road, a response rooted in intellectual or spiritual consideration. We read the scriptures, listen to the gurus, meditate and pray, determine our roles and responsibilities in society, and eventually we decide for ourselves that the High Road is the right path. What have we done? We may have once again preconditioned our response. If in the moment we only have the preconditioned instinctual response, the outcome is again essentially predestined. The karmic cycle thus continues.

You are who you are---perhaps like that fellow who said "I am who am"---but above this are years of conditioning: assumptions, memories, beliefs, and so forth. Absent practice, all of these layers affect how you experience life. Absent practice, all of these layers affect your responses to stimuli as well. Then what is the practice that frees us from this pre-programmed life? In some sense, it is nothing more than the continual exercise of Free Will in every situation. But this is often not trivial. Seeing how you have limited yourself with nothing but thoughts and beliefs and then freeing yourself from them can take serious effort---again, depending upon your karma.

So, what are this Low Road and this High Road anyway? Where do you see them? Who built them? Are you standing firmly on one or the other? Which one have you chosen?

The High Road and the Low Road: are they the same or different? If you asked me, I would answer as one of our old masters did when presented with a similar question: “When the partridge is cold, it climbs to the top of the tree; when the duck is cold, it plunges underwater.”

Now tell me: are you cold?