When I go for my regular early morning walks at the park, I don't bring my phone. I enjoy being disconnected. I feel the cool air, and I hear the birds and insects. I enjoy the peace and quiet. One thing I cannot stand is joggers or walkers who play music aloud, spoiling the morning tranquility. One day when I had my walk, I met an uncle playing aloud a Buddhist chant. His speed was about the same as mine, and we were on the same path. That meant I would be stuck with him unless I stopped to let him go ahead, or I walked faster to get away from him. I did the latter, speeding up, until I could no longer hear him. However after a while, I noticed the faint Buddhist chant again. After I returned to my normal speed, he gradually closed the distance. I had to speed up a little again. This ebb and flow went on for a while, the steady chant chasing me as I kept myself moving forward. It was then I had a revelation and a chuckle. I associate Buddhist chants with funerals and deaths. So here I was, being chased by death, while I worked hard to stay ahead. Is this a metaphor for life? JRR Tolkien through his work Lord of the Rings explored death and mortality. We are all mortal. But many live like we have forever. We don't have forever. The Buddhist chant can be here in 20 years. It can be here tomorrow. So every day we choose how we live. Choose to live in way that you can tell yourself, yes, I have lived.
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