Remember the moment you first touched the smooth skin of a new born baby, or the soft fur of a kitten or a puppy. In that moment the mind began to move quickly into a place of joy. Remember that winter moment when you saw the snow falling and its softness and silence swept you off to another place and time. Or remember the moment you walked on the beach and saw the beauty of the sun rising quietly over the horizon or when you saw the harvest moon hanging like a helium balloon in the heavens so close you could reach out and touch it.
Some say that people “touch” us in various ways as well. Some touch our hearts with joy, others with sadness, and others may raise in us fear, anger, or animosity. But touch us they do. It is through the power of touch that we live whether it is a verbal, physical, emotional, or mental touch we are affected by it. How are you affecting others with your touch? How are you affecting yourself? How are others affecting you?
Learning how to be “mindful” in all situations is a great way to discover how we touch ourselves and how we touch others. Let’s do an experiment today. How about taking the time to really focus on how we touch others (people/animals/plants) and things (objects) and how they touch us. When you touch your dog or cat how do they respond to your touch? How do you respond to them? When you speak to another with kindness and love how does that feel? When you speak to another with anger or condemnation how does that feel?
What does the spoon actually feel like when you take it from the drawer or raise it to your mouth to eat the food you have placed on it? Is it cold, hard, smooth, carved with a design? Are you being touched by the music you listen to each day? If so, how? Is it fun, fast, happy, sad, melodic, or disconcerting? Or have you paid so little attention to it that you cannot even answer the question?
I once heard a young comedian say that his father always listened to the music from the 60’s and it was so “happy” all the time. “Lollipop, lollipop oh lolly, lollipop, lollipop!” It was way too happy for him! Have you been “way too happy” recently? Have you been touched by your music in a positive way? If not, try listening to something that makes you happy! Life is too short to be touched by negative thoughts and feelings.
In Buddhism we work to stay in the moment and not grasp on to anything good, bad, or indifferent. Discover how you are being “touched” in each moment. Then accept the moment and move on as Buson writes:
Such a moon—
Even the thief
Pauses to sing [1].
Touch life, pause, and move on to the next adventure in the now moment. Let me know how that works for you.
In gassho,
Shokai
[1] Mascetti, M. D. (2001) The Little Book of Zen. Fall River Press: NY, NY.
