Cattāri Brahmavihārā

I lost my cool this afternoon and almost got in a fight with someone. My son and I were walking home and we were paying ways as he went to our apartment and I went to find the car and move it (alternate side street parking) when he passed a man with a dog. The dog was a large Rottweiler and the man mumble something to him about not riding his skateboard near him. My son either didn’t hear or didn’t care as he was going very slowly anyway. Next thing I know the dog is lunging at my son while the man is struggling to keep the dog under control.

I was across the street at this point and I watched it all go down. I don’t recall if it was something the man said to my son or loudly yelled about non to no one in particular but the next thing I knew I was yelling and approaching him. I began by telling us call animal control on him and asked his name. Basically he wouldn’t give it to me and I stayed calling him a punk and told him to control his animal. He was one of those guys who have a mouth but, when push comes to shove, won’t back it up (and thank goodness for that). He complained loudly to no one in particular that he was just warming the kid and I told him to shut up and control his animal.

How’s that for compassion practice? How’s that for loving all beings unconditionally? I feel like a failure but it was such a spectacular fail that it’s almost funny.

I have so far to go and it now seems that I need to circle back and make metta and karuna myain practices again.