Sunday 16 August 2009

Zen and the Art of Drinking Coffee

09:00 AM

Just spent five minutes drinking coffee. Did my very best during that five minutes to do nothing but drink coffee, and experience all the coffee-related input delivered by my senses: the complex aroma of the stuff, the warmth and the taste in my mouth, what it feels like as the coffee goes down the tubes, the heat of the cup, the sound of one lip slurping... all that Zen business.

It's not easy. In fact, it's really hard to shut down what the Buddhists call 'the monkey mind' - to stop that constant internal chatter.

Time for another cup so I can get some more practice.

11:03 AM

All that coffee got me thinking about Zen (which I guess is almost a contradiction in terms). A friend of mine sent me a link recently to a talk by Eckhart Tolle that I found interesting. If you have an hour and a half to spare (yes. it is that long) and you fancy watching and listening, the talk is here.

Try to ignore the slightly cheesy opening scene and Tolle's annoying (at first) ultra-slow delivery. If you stick with it, you might find it both informative and relaxing - which is a pretty rare combination.

Thanks for the link, Robyn.

07:20 PM

Pleasant day today. Rose and I went to Snipe Dales for a walk in the woods. Took Kate the Dog. At one point, the Red Arrows flew overhead, no doubt on their way to a display somewhere. Sun shone. Birds sang. The few people we met looked happy in the sunshine. Rose took pics.

Life can be pretty good sometimes.
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2 comments:

  1. Terry Proffer29 August 2009 at 17:12

    Thanks a lot, John! I'm trying to stop drinking coffee in the interest of saving time. It takes time to make it, to drink it, to clean the pot. And then I have to visit the restroom during class. Someday I will relax with coffee on the deck again, but for now it's O-U-T out!

    How do I relax when my mind is constantly listing the eleven systems of the body and silently explaining the difference between ionic bonds and covalent? Can one be a student and also live in the moment? I'm afraid of the answer. I'm hoping I will learn to turn off one thing and turn on another.

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  2. John Ravenscroft30 August 2009 at 08:58

    Hi, Terry. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

    I drink far too much coffee. Have done for years. Probably bad for me, but what the hell... nobody gets out of life alive! As for being a student and living in the moment - you'll find a way. I have faith in you!

    Great news about the decision to become a nurse. If I ever fall sick, I shall send for Nurse Terry and her Healing Hands.

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