Living in the Present
Dear friends,
We have all heard the ideal of living in the present. But what does it really mean and why is it so strongly advocated?
Virtually every human being wants to feel joy and avoid pain. It is one of the few truly universal truths about humans. But we have attitudes and beliefs stuck in our heads that leave us unable to get what we so much desire. I will start with a story...
There was a pair of Buddhist monks walking through the woods. They came upon a young woman who needed to cross the shallow stream that lay in front of them, as they also did. Upon seeing her trying to hoist her dress, the monk offered to help. He picked her up and carried her across the stream as his fellow monk followed along.
The two monks continued on their walk, but after a time the other monk could no longer hold it in. "What did you do?" he shouted. You know very well we are not supposed to touch women!" The other monk replied, "Yes, my friend, but I put her down over an hour ago—you are clearly still carrying her!"
We hold on to the past, even when it accomplishes absolutely nothing, and most especially those things that cause pain or regret. We also worry about the future most often without even the slightest benefit.
Most people probably know what "being in the zone" is in sports. You are so involved with what you are doing at the moment that you do not hear the crowd, you do not know the score, and you are not worried about success or failure. You simply do the task you have set for yourself in a fully-present way. It is a glorious feeling.
Why not be in the zone in your life? It's not about not caring (you are trying hard to score in the sport, after all). It is not about ignoring adversity (best to avoid that guy trying to tackle you, whether you are in the zone or not!). It is about being fully present and focused.
May we each see the beauty of the world around us in every moment, and try to live each moment completely.
Blessings,
David G., manager
For the staff at East West