It’s a familiar refrain. We’ve all heard it, said it, and possibly didn’t give much meaning to the words. Maybe the first time we pleaded for an answer to that question was while we were in the back seat of the family car. Mom and dad up front, Dad driving, Mom trying her best to keep the kids in the back busy enough not to notice the time and the long winding road that was still ahead of us. There were only so many car games the parents could think of— the license plate game and its limited variations, singing dumb camp songs like “how many bottles of beer on the wall” or bribing the child who can stay quiet the longest with a cash reward. That was then.

Now, here we are in this world of high technology, where more often than not, the kids in the back seat are more computer literate than the parents up front. They are looking at their phones or tablets, texting or perusing social media without a care about how long the ride is or how beautiful the nature surrounding them is. Their concern is wifi coverage.  Of course, the younger the parents these days, the better the chance they can still outsmart the kids on everything, computer skills included. But still, it takes quite a bit of magic to get the electronic devices out of the hands of the kids.

But in terms of the higher meaning of Are we there yet? What does that mean? Is there a finite There- are we all supposed to be There? Is there one universal There? or does each single person on the planet have their own There to reach? That’s my feeling. We are each taking our own journey in this lifetime. We all need our own answers to that question.

It’s the journey, not the destination. We’ve all heard that a million times, but it is still true. How many times have we started to hike a hilly trail with the promise of the most awesome mind-blowing view at the peak? I remember those hikes as much as I remember asking how much longer to the top. My understanding of nature and life had not reached the level of knowing the reward was in each step. The journey was the gift. Each step through the forest had its own unique opportunity to marvel at nature if we were not too busy complaining and thinking about the view point.

Life is like that as a whole. If we don’t realize that every single day, every experience we have, every obstacle that confronts us are all the main ingredients in the kind of life we will have, we will miss out on what this life is all about. Thinking only about the destination is like taking a ski lift up to the top of a mountain with a blindfold on. You miss the best part. Sure, it’s fun and exciting racing down the hill, but that was only part of the trip. 

If we don’t want to walk through life with a blindfold on, we have to realize that every breath is a gift and that we have to make the most of it. We have to embrace new experiences, listen with an open mind to new ideas. Times change and it’s important to change with them. 

The zen of life. There are many great Zen teachers out there, just as there are many great yoga teachers, philosophers, and experts on how to get all you want out of your time on earth. For the most part, they all say the same thing with different words. The ones who say those words in the most appealing and inspiring way have the most followers and believers. 

The story of the Chinese Farmer, is a sweet zen story from Alan Watts that teaches a valuable lesson. It’s about a young man in the field who has an accident and breaks his leg. He limps home complaining to his father that he can’t believe the bad luck he just encountered. He is forlorn and depressed and mopes around his father’s house. The next day, a Chinese general and his soldiers knock on the front door. The father opens the door and the General says, “we are here to take your son to serve in our army for the big battle. He must come now. The father calls for his son to come to the door and when he limps to where the General is standing, the General asks, “Why are you limping? “I broke my leg,” the son says. The General shows a look of disgust and says the son if of no use to his army for the big battle. They leave without him. A few days later word spread through the village that the General’s army was killed in a great battle. No survivors.

So what was at first thought to be bad news, turned out to be good news, life saving news. That is life in a nutshell if we master it. If we learn to accept with gratitude all that happens in our life, just as if we learn to enjoy the journey without thoughts of the destination, we find a balance and inner happiness that keeps our hearts open and negative thoughts at bay. 

Peace, Love, and Namaste

The story of the Chinese Farmer is on YouTube