Zentravelers Life Secret
A monk was making a presentation to his students and one student raised his hand and said I have been searching all of my life for the real secret to life and it seems to elude me every-time I get close to the answer! I have studied six religions, climbed several mountains, studied underneath a Guru from India and I still feel like I don’t know the secret! He ended with I guess I am not the only one in the Universe who has not found the secret!
The monk said in a calm voice: “If you really want The secret to life you simply need to accept whatever happens.” That seems easy I hope I didn’t throw away thousands of dollars and years of study… plus therapy chasing the elusive dream. He said: “you probably did not… what else would you be doing with your life? It seems you found the secret to life when you least expected it!”
But master if I am at war and have my leg blown off, or I lose all of my money and a super typhoon destroys my house and family… my job is just to accept what happens. That’s quite a task! You didn’t ask for the EASY BUTTON you simply wanted to know the secret to life. You have demonstrated a great desire to learn the secret now your only job is to learn acceptance.
In my travels I spent an entire day with a man in Costa Rica who had discovered his secret to life. It was the Coconut Tree! His smile told everything as he whispered to me: “Of course I am happy and you know mon I has the secret to life.” He certainly got my attention as he drew his machete from his weathered leather sheathe crisply cutting the top of the coconut and shook with delight as he served me one of natures best kept secret: “The Coconut” After drinking the coconut water, he cut a small scoop from the coconut and had me eat the white meat which was excellent.
At this point he told me to take a look around his small but simple coconut ranch which consisted of many large coconut trees, a small hut built from the coconut tree with a thatched roof and several small out buildings. Then he shaved several cups of coconut and vigorously clapped his hands while sitting on a homemade bench. Seconds later chickens of all sizes and a few rather large ducks came running over and gobbled up the fresh coconut. He then walked over to a fenced in piggery and feed the pigs coconut.
Laughing out loud with a twinkle in his eye he said he didn’t use money as he traded palm oil to the local hardware for a few western staples that he needed from time to time. He pointed out his two crop farm which consisted of maize and sweet potatoes and showed me his taut line tied to two coconut trees where he catches his daily fish and huge crabs. “Look at my view… best in the world I imagine.” He placed a colorful Costa Rican flag extending over the aqua blue ocean mounted from a bent coconut tree hanging over the bright shimmering waters as a statement to the world.
He went on to say he cooks daily by burning dried coconut husks and serves up delicious chicken breasts, chicken soup with rice, fish head soup and grilled fresh fish. My relatives landed here from Saint Vincent during a tropical storm where they were shipwrecked and miraculously washed ashore and they simply put several stakes in the ground to claim our paradise. YOU MEAN NO LAND SURVEYS, LITIGATION REAL ESTATE ATTORNEYS WITH A THIRTY TWO PAGE LAND CONTRACT…No wonder you found the secret to life… you kept it simple and avoided life’s costly entanglements.
He then served the delicious native dish “Arroz con Pollo” and went on to say how much he loved the coconut and his life. After spending nearly a full day with this wizened man, I myself began to slow down and felt as if this was a lesson from the gods. As I waved goodbye I saw him get into his hammock and swing in the breeze looking outward toward the sea.
So there you have it! If you want to discover the secret to life… look no further than the words printed on this page.
QUOTE: “One of the secrets to life, is to find your gifts and focus on those. Leave your liabilities in the dust of the road not taken. The world is an imperfect place. Everyone struggles. Successful people see trials as growth experiences, rather than stumbling blocks. You have everything you need for success. You’re a beautiful person, and you’re strong, and you have a clever mind. If you let anyone convince you otherwise, you steal from yourself.” -Lisa Windgate, Dandelion Summer
THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW: People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE: Life’s Secret…have it tattooed on your body “I ACCEPT WHATEVER HAPPENS”
ZENTRAVELER SAYS: If you want the secret to life you must accept whatever happens…don’t feel bad grasshopper if you get a chocolate coating it may just be dress up or the real thing…accept
From here to Infinity and Beyond is a relatively short ride! The next leg takes eons and eons as you fly through the Barycentric Dynamical Time Zone! …and on and on and on. Follow the Zentraveler Blog often for Travel, Health and Zen-like stories and such. Where else can you get a three in one blog for the price of free.
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