Life’s Movement in Zen

“There is more to life than increasing it’s speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Doing things quickly is not the problem, doing things so quickly that we are not present creates resistance to what we are attempting to do. Attention can be extremely focused at high speeds. Ask any athlete.

But I think what Gandhi is pointing to is a deeper issue. Wanting whatever your doing right now to hurry along so you can get to the next thing. Like a young child who wants to go to bed early so tomorrow will come. I know when I’m in that mode I miss almost everything that is happening in front of me and usually end up frustrated about what I am attempting to do in natural time.

Sometimes I’m doing a task that I (Socially Conditioned Personality) don’t want to do. So, I’m not there for it, I start zooming into the next thing as though the task is over. You can imagine what happens to the quality of the task I’m doing! Like and dislike has very little to do with living life. All things rise and fall whether I like them or not. What’s important is to bring attention and presence to every moment I can.

On a very serious level we only have so much time. We talk about “spending” it but we aren’t spending it at all. We are using our time to experience whatever life unfolds directly in front of us. In reality, because future is unknown and the amount of time left is a mystery, I don’t fanaticize about having time to engage in life later, nor do I worry about running out of time, what will be will be. But I am very focused on engaging with every moment I can and embracing the exquisite nature of each moment.

Every action is the first and last action of it’s kind. Every moment when it comes to living has as much value as the next. When you find yourself rushing your life’s time, STOP. Just stop. Look around, stretch, go back into the breathing cycle, in/out/in/out, slowly and with intent. What you are able to do right now is precious, things change, things happen, we don’t control this place.

Lock into the moment you have, the ones we expect next are a mystery and no one knows the future.

Smile a little and engage in this moment. I think it you will see a difference in the quality of life.

Be good to you, you are the only one of you there is!

Bryan Wagner