Meditation Point #73
A Zen ThingThe best things in life are nearest. Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you.
– – Robert Louis Stevenson
Why is it that we so often forget that which is near for that which is far off? Perhaps it is our desire to explore and pursue the unknown, more often it is the desire to have that which we do not. Thus is the human condition. If you stop looking at what is nearest to you; you will often trip over it. Then you will look at it like it is new and wonder at the treasure you have just found! Usually the tripping is some illness or tragic event. The problem with this type of discovery is often what we have found no longer is ours to claim, to long left unattended.
This lesson is most dramatically illustrated in the physical world. Did you know that your body can forget basic functions like eating or walking or going to the bathroom? It is true, don’t ask how I know. The body can even forget to heal a wound if it is left in an injured state for to long. So if this is true for basic life/body functions why do we always assume that which we cherish can be taken for granted and still be ours tomorrow? By now most of you probably think I am talking about love. While everything said definitely applies to love I was actually talking about our bodies and minds. To often and to easily people put off exercise or mental work for another time. Some would call this lazy however the problem is far to wide spread to label the majority of people lazy for they are not. I think it is a function of our extremely busy lives. Most of us work very hard and typically long hours to make ends meat. Then we get caught up in the myriad of activities our families and ourselves are involved in. That leave precious few moments to “relax”. And this non-active activity based lifestyle drains us. So what do we do? We eat to much, sleep to little and retreat mentally. What we should do is exercise physically which will increase our mental awareness and ability. Try it and see if I am wrong, try it before you are to out of shape, to old or just lose your will for self-improvement.
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