An ancient Zen story talks about Dok Sahn, who was a famous sacred scripture master from the North. One day he heard that the monks of the South were spending lots of time meditating, just practicing mindful breathing and somehow they got enlightenment. Dok Sahn was confused. “How come they understand the way to peace without studying the scriptures? I’ll go there and teach them!”
On his arrival he got hungry and he stopped at a tea house. The owner of the place, an old lady who also meditated, was honored to receive such a great expert on the scriptures. But knowing he opposed her meditation practice, she offered him a challenge: “If you answer my question I will give you lunch for free. If you don’t, you will go hungry.”
“How do you dare to challenge me, old woman,” the proud Dok Sahn replied. The old lady smiled, and asked him the question: “In the scriptures it is said that you can’t get enlightenment with a mind from the past, the present or the future. With what kind of mind will you eat your lunch?”
Dok Sahn was shocked. He thought about all the passages in the scriptures but he could not find an answer to the question. To this the old lady added: “If you are attached to the words, how can you understand a melon’s taste?”
In your life, are you attached to the constant bombardment of messages or do you experience the moment? If you are in your phone all the time, or attached to media, how can you experience the truth of being in the present moment, in relationship with others?
Take a moment to practice mindfulness:
- In this moment, where are you now?
- Breathing in deep, breathing out slow, return to the present.
- Moment by moment, breathe. Present moment, the moment of peace.
Juan