In a small village by the sea, there lived a man named Joan. He was a man who seemed to never have time. He was always rushing from one place to another, busy with his work, his family commitments, and the little problems that arose every day. His friends often told him he needed to take a break, but he always replied, “I can’t, I don’t have time.”
Over the years, Joan realized he was becoming more and more tired. Even though he worked hard, he never felt satisfied. The nights grew long, as his mind wouldn’t allow him to rest. His body craved calm, but his head wouldn’t stop. Until one day, while walking along the beach, he came across an old man, sitting on the sand, gazing at the sea.
—What are you doing? —Joan asked, curious.
—I’m meditating —the old man replied in a calm voice.
Joan smiled with a hint of skepticism.
—I don’t have time for things like that —he said with a sigh.
The old man looked at him with a serene expression.
—It’s precisely when you think you don’t have time that you need it the most. We all have the same time; the secret is in how we use it.
Try meditation
Those words resonated within Joan for days. He realized that he had always been too busy for himself. One morning, he decided to try it. He sat on the beach, like the old man, and tried to calm his mind. At first, it was difficult. Thoughts flew, worries filled his head, but little by little, as he kept practicing every day, he began to feel something different.
After weeks of meditation, Joan realized that, for the first time in years, he felt calm. He discovered that in that silence, he found himself, his own essence, a peace he had never known in the midst of his hectic life. Curiously, time seemed to expand. Despite having the same obligations, he found moments to enjoy small pleasures: the sound of the waves, the song of the birds, or a quiet conversation with a friend.
Time to meditate
Surely this story is very similar to what happens to many of us these days. After returning from vacation, we resume our activities, and the commitments start piling up, the schedule fills up, and in the end, it seems like we no longer have time to meditate.
Living with stress
At the same time, this life so full of commitments and over-scheduled brings us stress, anxiety, insomnia, and persistent fatigue, making us already think about the next vacation.
It seems contradictory, but it’s the beginning of any ailment. We allow ourselves to be dragged by old habits that lead us towards suffering and unhappiness. And if, on top of that, we think we don’t have time to heal ourselves, that we can’t dedicate any effort to our own healing, we will never get out of it.
One or two days a week
In the end, it’s not that difficult, even if it’s just maintaining one or two days a week, to stop what we are doing and join the meditation with the community of meditators, whether in person or online. Sharing this time of meditation with those who have concerns similar to ours is already a comfort. Giving our time to others for a good cause makes us feel better than any therapy.
Save the planet
The truth is that today’s societal lifestyle pushes us to become consumers—of all kinds of products, services, entertainment, and travel—and we dedicate a large part of our time to earning money so we can consume during the rest of our time. Homo sapiens has given way to Homo Consumptor, and it is this compulsive consumption frenzy that is leading to the destruction of the planet.
Zazen meditate without a spirit of gain
The hours we dedicate to meditation are not only for our own health but also for the health of the entire planet. A person meditating occupies less than a square meter, consumes minimal energy to continue breathing and stay awake.
They need nothing more than the air they breathe. Moreover, meditation reduces their desires and their urge to consume. It is not a renunciation; the meditator does not feel like they lack or have excess of anything to be happy, so why would they chase after things they don’t need?
Meditate more and consume less
If humanity dedicated itself to meditating more instead of consuming so much, the planetary problem would disappear on its own. The more people who dedicate themselves to meditation, the faster the pressure on the planet will decrease. This is something each of us can do to contribute. Meditate more and consume less.
Nansen