KPO by Matthew G. Cohen (best book clubs .TXT) 📕

energy.
“How about that for a twist of irony?” Will chuckled to himself.
He quickly discovered the reason for the floor’s brightness. The entire rear wall of “S” was a transparent and frameless glass wall. Meeting him as he began to enter the main doorway was a small sign that read, please remove footwear. Beneath that, a few other languages stating most likely the same thing. Removing his docksiders, Will’s bare feet felt the warm exotic bamboo wood beneath his toes. Taking it upon himself, he ventured about the massive room with intentions to explore its artwork and sample some of the inviting furniture. Ambient, earthy tunes or soundscapes echoed throughout the room enhancing the earthy feel Will was soaking in. Admiring a small familiar looking statue, he’d forgotten that he was in KPO altogether. Bringing him back to reality was the startling yet humble greeting, “Namaste” a man called emerging from a room that looked like a library.
“Well, hello.” Will returned, slightly surprised
“I was told you would be arriving today, and I can see you’ve met Buddha.” the robe wearing man stated
Taking a step away from the statue Will now had learned was Buddha, he sheepishly returned, “Oh, he just looked familiar, that’s all.”
“Namaste” the man repeated once again. He was a small man of Asian decent with a haircut close to his scalp. Donning a robe and moving gracefully barefooted, he seemed to float across the room to welcome Will to “S”. His voice was warm and affable, and William could tell that when this man spoke, the words mattered. Yes, this was a sage man, Will decided as he seemed to perk up a little bit.
Meekly, Will muttered, “I, uh… I’m not sure I know what to say”
Smiling the man revealed, “The divine light in me sees the divine light in you. If you wish, you could simply return the same words by stating, “Namaste”
Sheepishly, Will announced, “Nah-mstay” struggling with the pronunciation of such a foreign word. “What is that? Japanese?” Will asked not meaning to be the slightest bit offensive.
“Actually, it is Sanskrit. You may have seen it on the sign as you arrived” the sage man answered placing his hand comfortingly on Will’s back. “I’m Thich Athet Paulu” he stated introducing himself. “Let’s have a seat he directed offering Will to lead the way. Will and Thich walked across the floor of “S” towards a small teak coffee table with comfortable natural looking mats with a small white flower sewn on either side. As they knelt across from one another, Will welcomed the wafting smell of incense, and the tranquil tunes as well. Will’s impatience however shortly got the better of him when he asked, “So Thich, may I ask… what is “S” and what is my purpose here?”
“Oh forgive me. I haven’t a clue what “S” is, I am only here for one day, that being today.” Thich maintained.

Will was now very confused. From Irony to “F”, and now to “S” all blindly lead to each destination. His hastiness was beginning to get the better of him. Thoughts and questions scurried in his head like fruit in a blender. “What am I doing with this strange man? I need to be hunting down the current stock trends. Am I here to learn another language? Does “S” stand for Sanskrit?” he thought to himself looking over at Thich across the table with hasty eyes. Kneeling there, Thich wasn’t speaking. He didn’t seem to be thinking, only breathing. Finally he spoke slowly and clearly, “KPO” contacted me at my monastery in France revealing that they had a client that was in need of some guiding means.”
“Are you some sort of Zen master or something like that?” Will asked.
Smiling, Thich returned most modestly, “William, some people have called me such, but I like to think of myself as an author and a poet. I am originally from Vietnam and a Buddhist monk but don’t preach any one doctrine. I am hoping that after our time spent together today that you will heed some of the wisdom offered.”
“As Mr. Slim downstairs told me, Will began, “I’ve got much to learn.”
“We have all got much to learn” Thich placidly preached. He continued, I know very little about you William, and I don’t know this Mr. Slim that you speak of, but I can sense your energy and spirit. It’s almost tangible. From our brief interactions this morning, I can also sense that you are a man who likes to look ahead, a man who is always seeking answers. Would you say that is a fair assessment?” Will nodded wondering what was so wrong with this.
“There is nothing wrong with this William.” Thich continued as if reading Will’s mind, “It’s just that constantly futurizing can lead discontentment.”
“I’m not sure I understand.” Will muttered half embarrassed.
Thich paused, and then offered, “Foresight forever is harmful.
“Now you’ve really lost me.” Will cried, the impatience evident in his tone.
To this, Thich did not respond. No words were spoken for a long time. His eyes were closed and nostrils were flaring. Very subtly, he finally spoke, “I’d like you to repeat after me and simulate the actions I prescribe.” Will nodded approvingly. Thich began pantomiming as he spoke:
“Inhaling fresh air I calm my body” he stated holding both hands on his soft belly
“Exhaling, I smile” he stated showcasing a pearly white ear to ear smile
“Enjoying the present moment” he continued with open palms as if he were embracing the air in front of him
“I can feel this wonderful moment” he finished while making a circular gesture with his left hand.

Thich patiently watched and waited with compassionate eyes for William to begin. On his own accord, Will took a massive inhale, smiling a big belly breath as he exhaled. Seeming to internalize the current setting: The softness of his mat, the peacefulness of the music, and the musky scent of incense, Will smiled. Without instruction, he tried this series again, this time smiling about another facet with this moment he decided was indeed wonderful. Several more series of breathing occurred before Thich inquired, “How do you feel?”
Smiling, William returned, “Content”
“When do you feel this?” Thich requested patiently.
A series of seconds passed before Will responded.
“Right now… during this very moment.” Will whispered for no real reason as if he was having a revelation.
“For this, this here… Thich began, is the only moment that is real. To be here and now, living and enjoying the present moment is our most meaningful task. What you have done has lead to this. Calming, Smiling, Present Moment, Wonderful Moment.” he prescribed. His words were not fancy. The request was simple and didn’t cost a thing. Thich’s words seemed to resonate with Will as he continued breathing on his mat. “Our thoughts are like a light bulb, but to do this effectively concentration is needed. Think of it as a lampshade that helps narrow our focus.” Thich stated from behind Will whose eyes were now closed.
Will thought about how invaluable these words were, yet how overwhelmingly elementary it all was. Thich poured hot water from an ornamental ceramic pitcher into Will’s mug. No, mug isn’t the right word. A mug has a handle and this had none. Pulling a tea bag from a corked jar, Thich offered the same to Will. Admiring the sea turtle painted upon the pitcher, Will asked inquiringly, What kind of tea do you drink?” For anyone with such sage wisdom and such gentle words surely knows a thing or two about tea. William thought to himself while waiting for Thich to respond. “I usually drink Earl Grey tea before meditating in the mornings and Oolong tea with dinner each night.” Thich answered while pouring his own cup. Dunking the Earl Grey tea into the small cup without a handle, Will warmed up to it, embracing it with both hands. He decided that not only did he like his tea, you could tell that from the smile on his face, but was most decisive about something. This was a wonderful moment. He had decided such. Thich and William drank tea and they talked. They talked of critical contemporary issues, music, and world peace. They talked about life and the family, divine intervention, and earth. Minutes melted into hours as their conversation flowed freely. William, a sponge trying to absorb as much wisdom as he could from Thich shifted gears like he was on a racecourse. During a lull in their conversation, Will erupted with a series of questions perhaps all rooted in grief. Grief from his current state of affairs. “What will I do now? I have failed my family! I’m penniless after working so hard, how did this happen? How can I rebound from such a disaster?” Will panicked. For a moment, Thich seemed unsure how to respond.
His uncertainty soon transcended into resourceful wisdom as be began, “The wheel of appearances revolves quickly…”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Will pleaded
To have endured so many evils and suffered though so many vices you’ve wheeled yourself back to the assiduous years of your youth.” Thich deduced. More importantly, things aren’t always what they seem.” Thich’s voice deadpanning into silence. Will looked more confused than ever.
Hoping to cure the confusion, Thich explained, “You can start fresh and new with your new found wisdom. Ostensibly, you’ve become a child again. You’ve a golden opportunity to start fresh again looking at the world with a fresh pair of lenses.” Golden Opportunity? He had heard those words before… Saddened by this harsh reality that had suddenly fallen upon him, Will impatiently interjected, “But I’ve lost all my wealth!”
A pause followed, a moment’s silence, then another. It was almost as if Will had learned nothing. Irony, “F” and now “S” had fallen upon deaf ears. Close-mindedness, Greed, Neglect, and Lust once again resounded in Will’s spirit. The candle of sins continued to glow, a flame that would not go out. Both patience and tolerance seemed to have escaped Will. Thich remained steadfast in his pursuit to awaken Will’s spirit while squashing his evils. He replied in a most confident manner, “Have you lost your wealth, or has it lost you?”
Thich’s simple play on words once again demonstrated his sage wisdom. He refused to allow William to drink his potion of sorrow. William had once heard that the first step towards rebounding from a problem was to recognize it. Through ironic circumstances and lessons learned from the past, he now felt he was scratching the surface toward transcendence. Transcending to the future by living, learning, and enjoying the present. Thich nodded his head approvingly for he now knew William’s time had come.
Rising from his cross-legged position on his mat, Thich gestured for William to follow him. Together they walked to the rear wall of S. The floor had gotten considerably darker as many conversational hours had elapsed. “There is something I’d like you to see.” Thich offered leading the way. “This wall really is remarkable.” Will praised pointing toward the rear wall of S’s floor. “Totally