#mastodharma
bert: ernie, what are you doing with that flashlight?
ernie: i'm being the buddha, bert!
bert: you're standing on the couch in your bathrobe.
ernie: okay so the buddha knows he can't stay forever, right? so he does this big amazing light show, tongue to the heavens, light from every pore, the whole deal
bert: why?
ernie: because he's saying goodbye! he's handing the lotus sutra to all the bodhisattvas and saying, take this everywhere. keep it going when i'm gone
bert: that's sad, ernie
ernie: no no no, see, here's the thing! wherever someone reads it or teaches it or even just tries to live it. he's already there. the sutra IS him now
bert: like he turned into a book?
ernie: no, bert. more like you know when you teach someone your favorite song and they hum it when you're not around?
bert: yeah
ernie: that's what he did. he put his whole song in them. so it's never really goodbye
bert: that's really nice, ernie
ernie: i know. also the buddha didn't need pants to achieve enlightenment
bert: please get off my couch