Surviving a current.
Once I read this incredible story. Which I do not know from where, but it gives a strong message about the perspective of mindfulness. Story is about a swimmer, I will narrate it with a fresh perspective as I am not entirely sure about the exact location, but I can assure it is real.
"One day I went for swimming in the nearby bay, with my dad. While my dad was relaxing in the sun. I got bored and went for a swim. It was a sunny day and not a sunday. So there were not much people on the beach. The lifeguard was on the watch few hundred meters away. And I was swmiming. I started to float. With the sun bathing my front, I drifted on the cool water, until I realised something was wrong. I noticed I do not hear the sound of the waves. And I looked back, "Oh my god, I was so far away from the beach" Maybe about a mile maybe more. I have Drifted. I did not realise, what happened, as I did not swim. It was ten minutes ago I went for a swim. And second by second I am drifting further away. And I am being washed away from an ocean current. It was slow but steady and strong current. I am threatened with never seeing my father or my family again. It is hardly possible anyone to notice me in the sea, from the beach. As nobody would. Its so far away to see the tiny floating head of mine above the surface, and the lifeguards were not actively watching.
"I thought about my options. I can try to swim, and overswim the current. I thought about it. I had time for eternity. Then I realised, that was not a good option. Even an olympic swimmer would not make it agianst this current. So, I decided to float as long as I can. Maybe someone would miss me and start looking for me. Maybe the lifeguard would see me from his little telescope. And I did. I did preserve my energy and contemplated all my life, prayed for god. And the rescue came. Rescue came not from the beach but from the sea. A surfer bike noticed me and came closer to inspect and helped me out of the water and out of danger. If that would not happened, that would have been the end of my short span of life."
Why mindfulness has nothing to do with your life.
There one strong message about looking at life from the story. I would not advice you on what to do when you are faced with an ocean current. Although this perticular stratergy worked for the guy in the story, it would not be the best option for everyone. And it is unlikely we ever face such a situation.
But, what would you do if you are faced with a current that you surely know that you cannot out swim?
Dylan and Catherine
Life is like an ocean current. Slowly drifting towards the sea, dragging everyone of us to the bottom over time. This is why Dylon once said, the most scariest thing for him is "The unstoppable march of the time slowly guiding us towards the death". Even if you agree, with me or not it happens. We have two choices to make. One is to be scared like little Catherine. Not about the inevitable march of time, but about the messangers of truth or "Dylan" in this case. We can be scared about everyone who reminds us death. We can be scared about TV advertisements, corpses, war, famine and disease. We can live all our lives with fear and pray.
Or other choice is to be mindful. Mindful about the current, the floating life and the meanining of life. Infact mindfulness is just understanding there is no point trying to swim. And exert ourselves. Help is not going to arrive from the beach or the sea, as we all are just floating jelly fish in the current of the universe. We just have to understand it and let it be, as it is. Whe we understand this fact who might know we will float enough time in the universe until we are permenently away from such currents of the nature. So, there is hope after all. And it is effortless. So, mindfulness has nothing to do with your life. Its just letting it float without disturbing the flow.
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