Have you heard the one about the Zen Master who gets thrown off a cliff? On the way down, he notices some strawberries growing in a tiny little crag.
He calmly picks one and eats it during the rest of his decent.
No, I don't know if it's a true story.
It really doesn't matter with Zen Master stories.
Their purpose is to make a point.
In this case, the point is that the Zen Master was able to function totally within the "here and now".
Impending events were not allowed to disrupt his experience of the moment.
Is it actually possible to reach this degree of equanimity? I don't know.
I suspect not.
Can we move in that direction? Sure we can.
There are two major barriers: 1.
) Many people feel that functioning this way would make them less effective - they would become complacent zombies who never accomplished anything.
A change in mind set is necessary to fully realize that it's really quite the opposite.
When we are able to function in the "here and now", we unleash an incredible power within ourselves to function more effectively.
2.
) The other problem is that it's very difficult to stay focused on the present moment.
One of the first things we discover when we undertake learning meditation is how easily we are distracted.
Our minds are very difficult to tame.
Wherever you go...
is not about "formal" meditation, which means setting aside a time do nothing but meditate.
It's about developing a meditative mind set and integrating it into all aspects of our daily lives.
It sounds like it might be a hard thing to explain, but the author, John Kabat-Zinn does a beautiful job.
He explains both why we should do this and how.
I like the fact that he almost completely bypasses any discussion of the spiritual component of meditation.
I do believe something spiritual is going on during a meditative experience.
I also believe that trying to describe or explain it only causes confusion while we are learning.
Kabat-Zinn's writing supports all spiritual beliefs and conflicts with none.
His work stands alone as a method and a rationale for developing a practice of "Mindfulness Meditation".
Also impressive is that Kabat-Zinn's approach was developed on the front lines of clinical practice, working with individuals who were experiencing the extremes of what life offers in the way of tragedy and personal loss.
He does not come to us from the "ivory tower".
As we know, there are lots of self-help books out there.
This is the one that should have been issued to us as our instruction manual for living.
I recommend this book and I would like to have a hundred copies so I could give one away every time I meet someone who could use it.