M E T R OAC T I V E . C O M | SA N J O S E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 2 2-2 8, 2 0 1 0 | M E T R O S I L I C O N VA L L E Y
Felipe B Buitrago uitrago
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SILICON SILICON ALLEYS ALLEYS
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8JK N<<B# k_\ LiYXe 8JK N<<B# k_\ LiYXe 9c`^_k <ogcfiXk`fe 9c`^ _k <ogcfiXk`fe Aleb`\ i\cXgj\[ Xk k_\ Aleb b`\ i\cXgj\[ Xk k_\ ile[fne j_fgg`e^ ile[ [fne j_fgg`e^ ZZ\ek\i befne Xj ?XZ`\e[X \ek\i befne Xj ?XZ`\e[X >Xi[\ej `e JXe Afj\% >\kk`e^ >Xi[\ej `e e JXe Afj\% >\kk`e^ Zc\Xe X]k\i jlZ_ X [\jkilZk`m\ Zc\Xe X]k\i jlZ_ X [\jkilZk`m\ ii\cXgj\ `j f]k\e hl`k\ [`]ÓZlck# \cXgj\ `j f]k\e hl`k\ [`]ÓZlck# \jg\Z`Xccp [li`e^ k_\ _fc`[Xpj# \ jg\Z`Xccp [li`e^ k_\ _fc`[Xpj# Ylk k_`j n\\b# k_\ Aleb`\ Ylk k_`j n\ \\b# k_\ Aleb`\ Y\c`\m\j _\ `j fe k_\ ifX[ kf Y\c`\m\j _\ \ `j fe k_\ ifX[ kf ii\Zfm\ip% \Zfm\ip% The late Indian Indian mystic mystic y and spiritual teacher Bhag Bhagwan gwan Shree Shree Rajneesh, llater ater k known nown as as Osho, Osho, provided provided all alll the inspiratio inspiration on the junkie needed.
Among A mong other other things, things, Osho Osho advocated advocated an n aalchemical lchemicall synthesis synthesis manifested man nifested ass ““Zorba Zorba tthe he Buddha, Buddha,” combining combining the the sp piritualitty of Buddha with the zest zesst spirituality ffor or llife ife embodied embodied by by the the title title character charrac acter from fr rom the no novel vel e Zorba Zorb o a the Greek. Grreeek. Z orba iiss p layfulness; B uddha iiss Zorba playfulness; Buddha rreverence. everence. O sho believed believed the the two two Osho w wer agonistic to each other. otheer. weree not ant antagonistic Sc cience and spiritualit ty, matter matttter and d Science spirituality, sspirit, pirit, should should eembrace mbrace eeach ach o ther other ra ather than reject reject each other. other. They They rather w ill eventually eventually fuse fuse into into one, one, with with art art will b eing tthe he b ridge b etween tthe he ttwo, wo, aall ll being bridge between o hich w ill ffurther urther tthe he eevolution volution o off w which will off humanity. h uman nity. The The new new man, man, the the complete complete m , will b man, orba the Buddha. bee Z Zorba In that sense Osho’s teachings sense,, Osho’s p rovided v an opp ortunitty for fo or the provided opportunity U rban Blight Junkie Junkie to face face his Urban negativee dualistic conditionings, n negativ conditionings,
overcome overcome feelings feeelings of loneliness lo oneliness and and transcend transcend his his polarizing polarizing inner inner conflicts. conflicts. To To improve improve his his life, life, to to let let go go of of guilt guilt and and shame shame and and get get past past the the feelings feelings of of failure, failure, he he decided decided to to manifest maniffest e Zorba Zorba the Buddha Bu uddha within himself, himself, and and in in ways ways only only a native native San San n Jose Jose blight junkie can can do. do. His experience experience began begaan at the uninspiring uninspiring intersection intersection of of Bascom Basscom Avenue Avenue and and Southwest Southwest Expressway Expressway in in that that no-man’s no -man’s land land somewhere somewhere between between Campbell Campbell and an nd San Jose, Jose, a crossroads crossroad ds no no one one would would even even notice notice if if not not for for the the light light rail, rail, which which began began n to to push push through through five five years years ago. ago. The The neighborhood neighborhood features feeatures e mundane apartment aparrtment complexes complexes and and mobile mobile home home parks parks with with characteristically characteristically suburban names like like Sequoia S Glen and Quail Hollow. Hollow w. Highlighting Highlighting the the area area is is Dick’s Dick’s Center, Center, formerly formerly the the locale locale of of a Dick’s Dick’s Supermarket Supermarket chain decades deccades ago, ago, and and now now an an ancient an ncient shopping shopping mall malll fo orever e on its itts last legs, legs, seemingly forever the the stunning stunning anchor an nchor of of which which is is the the long-abandoned Zorba Zorbaa the Greek Greek restaurant. restaurant.
Once a tthriving hriving 110,000-square-foot 0,000-square-foot Once a dining facilit ty op erated banquet and facility operated by a famili ial arm oyees, by familial armyy of emplo employees, Zorba’’s sshut hut d own ffor or ggood ood eexactly xactly Zorba’s down 10 yyears ears aago. go. IItt n ow ssits its aalone lone att tthe he 10 now back off tthe parking decrepit back o he p arrking llot, ot, d ecrepit aand nd faded, with doors up faded, w ith iits ts ffront ront d oors cchained hained u p and cir circular barbed wiree surr surrounding culaar barb ed wir ounding some of th the building.. It he rrest est of the building looks likee a b beached buffalo,, looks lik eached white buffalo ad dead off a p playful, ead rreminder eminder o layful, ffestive estive and San no an nd zzestful estful S an JJose ose tthat hat n o llonger onger exists. The appears exists. T he sscene cene ap ppears aalmost lmost symbolic, San symbolic, aass iiff ssomething omething aabout bout S an Jose has decimated Zorba within Jose h as d ecimated tthe he Z orba w ithin every every singl single le one of us us.. From From tthere, here, tthe he jjunkie unkie ttraveled raveled over over to F Fifth ift fth and Jackson Jackson in order order to contemplate contemplate the the San San Jose Jose Buddhist Buddhist Church Church Betsuin. Betsuin. For For more more than than a century, century, this this pristine pristine building building has hass anchored anchored San S Jose’s Jose’s Japantown, Japantown, exuding exuding a certain certain contemplative contemplative spiritual beauty. beaut e ty. One One feels feels inundated inundated with with a sense sense of of serenity immediately meediately upon upon entering entering.. Quite a few social social components components interconnectt vvia ia tthe he ffacility—Boy aaccility—Boy Scouts, a choir, oirr, a Japanese Japanese language school and a Buddhist Buddhist Women’s Women’s Association. The The small smalll Japanese Japan nese garden garden outside provides vid des a tranquil setting, setttting, ideal for fo or spiritual sp piritu ual contemplation, contemplation, meditation meditation and and achieving achieving a heightened heightened sense of awareness. awaareness. Normally, Normally, such such aan n ae aesthetically estheticallly pleasing pleassing scenario scenarrio would would constitute constitute a polar polar opp opposition position to the blighted wreckage old Zorba Greek wreckage of of tthe he o ld Z orba tthe he G reek restaurant restaurantt on Bascom, Bascom,, but the blight junkie junkie now now realizes, realizes, thanks thanks to to Osho’s Osho’s teachings, teachings, that that both both are arre opposite opposite sides off tthe There no sides o he ssame am me ccoin. oin. T here iiss n o distinction. distinction n. Each one cannot cannot exist exist without the th he other. other. Like Lik ke yin and yang, yang, they theey are are complementary. complement o ary. The experience exp perience elicited and ratified Zorba Buddha, percolating Zorba the the B uddha, aalready lread dy p ercolating within within the the Urban Urban Blight Blight Junkie. Junkie. He He now now has has enough enough confidence confidence to to begin begin his his journey journey to to recovery. recovery. The The art art of of writing writing this this column column is is the the bridge bridge between between Zorba Zorba and and Buddha. Buddha. Thanks Than nks to to Osho Osho and and San San Jose, Jose, the the Urban Urban Blight now has Blight Exploration Exploration JJunkie unkie n ow h as tthe he support he needs to carry support network neettwork w carry on.
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