In The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh said: “Consider the example of a table. The table’s existence is possible due to the existence of things which we might call the “non-table world”: the forest where the wood grew and was cut, the carpenter, the iron ore which became the nails and screws, and countless other things which have relation to the table, the parents and ancestors of the carpenter, the sun and rain which made it possible for the trees to grow.
If you grasp the table’s reality then you see that in the table itself are present all those things which we normally think of as the non-table world. If you took away any of those non-table elements and returned them to their sources -- the nails back to the iron ore, the wood to the forest, the carpenter to his parents -- the table would no longer exist.
A person who looks at the table and can see the universe is a person who can see the way.”
In today's society filled with disconnect and suffering, how can we see the universe in everything? How do we cultivate that understanding within to see that we are interdependent beings living in an interdependent world?
The Zen Buddhist tradition of Mindfulness is one way. As I practice focusing on driving mindfully every day, being fully aware that I am driving instead of arriving at my destination with no idea as to how I got there because I was distracted by my own thoughts, I may actually see that the person who cuts me off is somehow connected to me. And that the engineers and mechanics who painstakingly designed and built my beloved car are all driving with me somehow. It's wild to think that way, but perhaps if we did we may all slow down a little and be more cautious when we drive.
Lately, the freeway signs in my neck of the woods remind drivers to "slow down to save a life." It's sad that our world has come to this. We must remind one another to slow down. But, you know, that's good advice. How can we all slow down to save our own lives and the lives of our loved ones? How can we slow down from the hustle and bustle of commerce during this holiday season? How can we be more mindful of what we are purchasing, and how each person who created that item of clothing that we wear, the electronic that we use, the toy that we play with, is with us -- somehow?
To be mindful is to be one with the whole universe. Perhaps, this may be the time to reflect on this concept more. You could meditate, pray or practice being mindful more -- being present in every moment. Or you could go back to scurrying from store to store to find that perfect gift, honking at cars that cut you off, and scowling at those who upset you -- not enjoying the gifts of the season. We all struggle with anger and anxiety at this time more than perhaps other months in the year. But what if we vowed to slow down this December?
For me, I want to practice being more mindful this December. It is something I feel called to do -- need to do. Perhaps, in so doing, I will truly realize that we are all connected in this interdependent universe. I will see "the way" that Thich Nhat Hanh speaks about. Then when I mindfully slow down, I might save my own life. And that may just be the best gift I can give myself this holiday season.
May you find your perfect gift this December,
Rev. Summer
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