There's No Such Thing As Nothing.
commies Aug 29, 2009 1-07 PM
Originally uploaded by conformerI'm not a real Buddhist in the sense that I'm devout; I just take some of its better ideas and try to apply them practically to my own existence.
One of the tenets from Buddhism that I try to follow as much as possible in the real world, and one that I occasionally repeatedly foist on others, is the idea of living in the moment and being mindful of things. This means, at least in my interpretation and practice, I view the events of each day, past and present, as the frames of a strip of film, each moment blocked off into its own compartment. As each moment comes into the present, I can take it as it comes and either dismiss it or savor it, much like clearing out an inbox fat with e-mails. If the moment isn't relevant, has little to no impact, or brings no joy, I can acknowledge it and move on. The same thing can be done with the moments with merit, but the good moments, the special ones, the rewarding ones can also be held onto and stretched and recalled.
I mention this because I haven't been living in the moment as of late, probably ever since I arrived in India, and it's hampered both my focus at work and in the off-hours. You could call it an obtuse case of clockwatcher's syndrome, only instead of counting down the minutes until five o'clock, I'm especially aware of the days and weeks I have left before I come home; even more so now that I've crossed over halfway hump and have started to feel the pull of gravity from the other side of the hill.
Ideally, I should be still concentrating on the task at hand, keeping to the mission plan, staying on target; and being more mindful of the time I have left. Eight weeks? Okay, fine. Twenty days? Noted. Forty-eight hours? Let me just finish this and I'll be right with you.
Home isn't going anywhere, and neither am I for a while yet. Still plenty of things to see, pictures to take, and dinners to expense.
⎋