Mike

“Life begins with a single breath. The moment we’re born and leave the womb of our mother, we start the lifelong process of inhale-exhale that continues until the moment we die. Nothing is more basic, more vital to our lives, than breathing. Yet rarely do we give it a thought. A zen teacher once made that point dramatically before an assembled group of monks. The teacher asked, “What’s the most important thing in life?” “Food,” said one. “Work,” said another. “The pursuit of truth,” said a third. The teacher signaled for a monk to step forward. Grabbing the monk’s head, he dunked it in a tub of water and held it down until the monk came up gasping for breath. The assembly got the message: We can live days without food, years without work, or a lifetime without truth, but we cannot go more than minutes without a breath. When you awake in the morning, stretch your arms to the sky and breathe deeply. Fill your insides with the emptiness around you. Breathe easy. You’re alive.”
― Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen 24/7: All Zen, All the Time