February 16th, 2018
When You Shouldn't "Carry On"
There is a classic Buddhist tale that tells of two monks on a journey together. One day, the monks come upon a lady standing by the edge of a riverbank, unable to cross on her own. One of the two monks takes the lady on his back and carries her across. Several hours pass.
Finally, the other monk turns to the first monk and asks with reproach and incredulity: "How could you do that?! Do you not know that we both took vows to never touch a woman?!"
The first monk looks at the other monk calmly. He then responds, "Are you still carrying her? I set her down hours ago at the edge of the river.
This story is a perfect metaphorical example of what our minds do all the time when we aren't mindful: we harbor grudges and resentments and upsets long after they have occurred. Similarly, we also carry imaginary worries about the future, letting their loads burden us in the present.
How much of your attention is placed on what is happening right now?
How much does obsessing and ruminating about the past change what happened?
How much does not being present affect what happens in the future negatively? (i.e. We are only guaranteed this moment and what happens in the future is a result of what we are doing and thinking in the present!).
_
When You Shouldn't "Carry On"
There is a classic Buddhist tale that tells of two monks on a journey together. One day, the monks come upon a lady standing by the edge of a riverbank, unable to cross on her own. One of the two monks takes the lady on his back and carries her across. Several hours pass.
Finally, the other monk turns to the first monk and asks with reproach and incredulity: "How could you do that?! Do you not know that we both took vows to never touch a woman?!"
The first monk looks at the other monk calmly. He then responds, "Are you still carrying her? I set her down hours ago at the edge of the river.
This story is a perfect metaphorical example of what our minds do all the time when we aren't mindful: we harbor grudges and resentments and upsets long after they have occurred. Similarly, we also carry imaginary worries about the future, letting their loads burden us in the present.
How much of your attention is placed on what is happening right now?
How much does obsessing and ruminating about the past change what happened?
How much does not being present affect what happens in the future negatively? (i.e. We are only guaranteed this moment and what happens in the future is a result of what we are doing and thinking in the present!).
_
No comments:
Post a Comment