"I can see why you'd be concerned about the dream," said Dr. Beach. "Anyone would be."
I nodded.
I think you've met Beach already. In case you haven't had the pleasure, she's my therapist.
"You described the dream as mysterious but not unpleasant."
"Right," I said. "It's full of symbolism and a bit dark, but not troubling."
"No?" she said.
"Why," I said, "do you think I should be concerned? I dreamed recently about a squirrel in a UNC baseball cap fighting over a peanut with a dove wearing an NC State t-shirt. Now that was a dark, troubling dream."
"But you are Buddhist, right?"
"So?" I said. "What's that got to do with it?"
"Well, I remember hearing somewhere that one should never do anything to cause harm to another human being nor should one allow another to be harmed through inaction."
"And your point is?" I said.
"The Buddha said that I think, and I thought being a Buddhist, you would hold the same opinion."
"Isaac Asimov wrote that," I said. "It comes from his book, I, Robot. What you just described is the First Law of Robotics."
"Still, it's a very Buddhist-like concept, right?"
"Yeah, sure, I guess," I said.
"So, shouldn't you follow that law?" she said.
"First of all," I said, "there are no laws in Buddhism."
"Are you sure?" she said. "You know, sometimes I think you make up the Buddhist stuff as you go along."
I shrugged in a manner that said, works for me. She sighed deeply and gave me one of those looks that said she'd like to slap me silly.
"Well, you may not have directly harmed him in your dream," she said, "but you supplied the brick."
"It was half a brick," I said. "Half bricks are the preferred blunt instruments for beating someone's brains out."
"What I'm saying is that Buddhists always strive to do no harm. At least that's my understanding."
I didn't immediately respond. I'm not sure why but the lyrics to ELO's Don't Bring Me Down were running through my mind.
"Well?" she said and I felt that she deserved a thoughtful answer germane to the topic.
"Buddhist monks invented Kung Fu," I said.
Probably not one of my best comebacks but I didn't have time to compose something quotable.