Two days ago I got up from the couch and had a pain in my foot that I couldn’t explain. No basketball injury. No assault. No random obstacle I accidentally tripped over. I just got up to get a glass of water. Now I’m walking with crutches.
I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but I’m sure it’s some kind of tear in my plantar fascia.
This is what 42 is like I guess.
I’m reminded of The Five Daily Remembrances taught by the Buddha.
I say them like this:
1. We all will grow old.
2. We all will have ill health.
3. We all will die.
4. There’s nothing we can do to keep what we love from separating from us.
5. The only thing that we truly own is our actions.
Contemplating on these things are both, somewhat morbid and completely liberating.
The Buddha was always teaching about non-attachment to stuff. So much so, he required his Bhikkhu disciples to shave their hair, eat one meal a day and give up sex, owning anything, having a home and eating more than once a day. Extreme much.
(side note: he was known as the least strict spiritual teacher of his day - lol)
So it’s important to take note whenever he talks to lay practitioners - cause you know… a brother’s gotta eat. On this day, he was talking to a king that was aging and worrying about what would happen with his kingdom, here’s a paraphrase of how it went down.
He said:
Imagine four massive mountains were closing in on you and all you love. They are coming toward your kingdom from all directions. They are headed for your people, your family, your homes, your food and you.Not armies, not hills. Mountains.
Mountains so big nothing could stop them.
They’re crushing villages, people, animals and all. Everything in their path.
No army can hold them back. No money can bribe them. No bombs. No pleading, no democracy, no strategy works—nothing will stop them.
What would you do? He asked.
The king said - in essence,
There wouldn’t be much to do except live well.
Live in peace. Live well. Be good to those around me.
And enjoy what’s left.
The Buddha replied,
Those mountains are already coming.
They are:
Aging.
Illness.
Death.
And losing everything we love.
They’re closing in on all of us.
Kings included.
Sit with that for a second.
There is nothing we can do to hold off these mountains.
I think the point of the story and these great remembrances is that anxiety is here, yes. Danger is here, yes. Hard times are coming, yes. But what we have left is what we have left.
Enjoy it.
Why waste time trying to hold onto my youth? Why waste time arguing with those that don’t want me? Why continue to grieve a love that is lost? Why waste time quivering about the pain in my foot, and grieving the foot I used to have?
Care for the pain. Heal to the health that is still possible. Love this body. This Foot. This life. This middle-aged madman. These two kids. This three-story house. This small circle of friends and family.
If my only possessions are my actions, I want to own treasures of love, kindness, bravery in the face of oppression, stillness in the face of hustle and recovery in the face of addiction.
I’ll stand ten toes on that dharma.
PS. I was writing this post, when my sons challenged me to make an animation in three hours. Just as I was about to tell them to ‘scram,’ I thought I’d take the opportunity to make the Pixar-worthy animation above, telling of the story.
PS-PS.
For those that find themselves alone on Valentines Day, I just released a song about the joy and pain of being home by yourself, for yourself, with yourself, to yourself.
I really enjoyed reading this, the animation and the song!
I really enjoyed reading this post, and the cartoon was wonderful. I think you would really enjoy the book 4000 Weeks: Time Management For Mortals. It shares a lot of this wisdom. Thank you for helping me to slow down and reflect on the joy that is present.