First Lesson: Mindfulness
I can barely sleep on the night before my travel to Negros island in the Philippines. My life is about to change dramatically, unlike I have ever known it before. 5am and I’m up. Was I ever really sleeping? My family packs me a lunch of spam sandwich stacked with three slices of bread instead of two in Philippine’s most charming white “Wonder” bread. They must think the extra slice will fill me up better, but I don’t eat it. One of the most hated processed meats in the States is a common meal: SPAM. Siao Pao (Chinese steamed bun with meat filling) makes its way into the plastic lunch bag. Two fresh eggs from the chickens my uncle owns, and three tangerines. I know this will be the last time I eat meat again for the next four months. Maybe longer. Who knows if I’ll keep this up?
The ride is surprisingly easy, but long. A simple one hour bus ride to Cebu City followed by a two hour bus ride to the Toledo docks where a ferry boat boards land transportation and people to the neighboring island, another two hour fare. Transportation in the Philippines isn’t fast, and after the ferry lands, we’re faced with another two hour adventure across Negros’ mountainous terrain along the windiest roads I have ever been on. At least we have air conditioner. The bus slowly lugs along up and around and up and around, with no railing along cliffs and barely a shoulder outlooking my right side window. The dizzying, ear-shifting altitude is worth it as we near lush green rice fields; one of the prettiest sites I’ve seen in the Philippines yet.
My travel companion, Beau and I discuss our histories, past relationships, non-conformism. We’re different and we know it. That’s why we’re here, I guess. Looking for different experiences. Looking for questions. Looking for answers. Wondering what truth is. The parallels in our lives intersect in this moment and we’ve got synchronicity. I assume that’s what binds us all together in the next coming months.
A Chinese woman comes to pick us up from the bus station not long after our final arrival. We’re whisked away in an air conditioned van with two female monks, an older Chinese woman, and a young man in his early twenties, Dave, who has helped coordinate and gather all the students to the program. Six plus hours of straight travel and I am tired. It’s dinnertime and I graciously accept my first vegetarian meal. Noodles, rice and a leafy soup. Four straight months of this vegetarianism and Chan (Zen) Buddhist lifestyle. The world is a trip.
I eagerly bite into a vibrant looking baby carrot floating in the soup. I love carrots and this one tastes especially feisty. So feisty that its burning my mouth and making my eyes water. In my tired, post-trip daze, I had eaten a red jalepeño! For someone who hates spicy food and tries to avoid it whenever possible, this was my first experience with a red pepper. They told us one of the cultural customs here at the temple is to finish everything on your plate, so make sure you dish out exactly what you need. I graciously tried to swallow down the pepper and offered a grimaced smile while I grabbed for my glass of water. My first day and I was already getting a Buddhist lesson: mindfulness. Be mindful of the food you eat and put into your mouth. Know that a carrot is actually a carrot, and not a pepper. A tired body is no excuse for a tired mind.
Leave a Reply
17 Responses to “First Lesson: Mindfulness”
TrackBack URL :
I am curious why you are not eating meat for 4 months? Is it a cleansing ritual?
.-= reyjr´s last blog ..How will you choose your next President? =-.
ah, good blog topic, thanks
but the short of it is that vegetarianism is part of the Buddhist lifestyle and so its also part of the program.
AAAHHHH I am so in love with this story and your life and all the amazing things you are going to learn! Oh do keep blogging it, I am in raptures.
.-= Kirsty´s last blog ..Sketches from France =-.
aww i love this comment! i’ll try to keep blogging it. not good with events as they happen. i’m more of a mood writer, i guess..
now if only this could add a bit of romance sometime… I like a good love story
Haha, yay Floreta is back! And both informative and amusing. I’m sorry about the accidental spicyness — I probably would have freaked, I’m such a spice wuss — but it was a cute anecdote.
.-= Kristan´s last blog ..Author Interview: Todd Newton, Part 2 =-.
Oh gosh that sounds painful. I had a similar experience once and my mouth was on FIRE!!
.-= Emily Jane´s last blog ..My (Literally) Naked Fear =-.
I really enjoyed reading about your journey. Your words really pull us into the experience. Love the lesson on mindfulness.
.-= Write Girl´s last blog ..Not Your Cup of Tea =-.
haha, I love spicy foods! Good luck with this program, I look forward to more stories here
.-= rika´s last blog ..Apprehensive April =-.
oh the program is on.. im glad i visited just in time for the 1st lesson. Good luck on the journey!
Sounds like you have embarked on a wonderful adventure. First night there and you have already picked up on a lesson of mindfullness in all that we do. Excellent!
yes, it was excellent! though, i was simply trying to make positive light on a situation i didn’t like. if i hadn’t already known about core concepts like “mindfulness”, it may not have crossed my mind!
Nice to hear from you. You’re not completely cut off? How’s it going so far?
.-= Photo Cache´s last blog ..I kept Shooting =-.
We actually have a lot of free time where we can go on our laptops, take naps, handwash our clothes or shower..
It’s going great!
yikes, watch them peppers, crazy lady. They’ll killya.
.-= Chase´s last blog ..Friday Morning Mind Candy, and a Shoutout to the 20SB Crew =-.
“A tired body is no excuse for a tired mind.”
I like this. Sorry about the pepper.
Your experience sounds so fantastic. I’m jealous.
.-= One of The Guys´s last blog ..The Dance of Compromise =-.
I started blogging again and your website is one I always visit when I start writing
It’s funny that spam is so frowned upon in the States. In Hawaii, it’s a staple food! If you close your eyes, it doesn’t taste that bad. I promise. At least it’s not spicy like a jalapeno!
.-= Kristel´s last blog ..Settling In =-.
aww, hey! nice to see you back! and haha, i actually do like SPAM to an extent.. it’s Filipino.