Memory and salt
I arrive in Madrid at eight o’clock in the morning. I will only be here a few hours, so it’s not worth phoning friends and arranging to see them. I decide to go for a walk alone in my favourite places, and I end up sitting smoking a cigarette on a bench in the Retiro Park.
‘You look miles away,’ says an old man, joining me on the bench.
‘Oh, I’m here,’ I say, ‘but I’m sitting on this same bench with a painter friend of mine, Anastasio Ranchal, twelve years ago in 1986. We are both watching my wife, Christina, who has had a bit too much to drink and is trying to dance the flamenco.’
‘Enjoy your memories,’ says the old man. ‘But don’t forget that memory is like salt: the right amount brings out the flavour in food, too much ruins it. If you live in the past all the time, you’ll find yourself with no present to remember.’
Lotus reads so many books and her book reviews are splendid. She inspired me greatly to read new books. I always used to pick up the books from libraries and have hardly chosen a random book from the store to read. It was fine till now. But recently when the parameters of time and resources are being abundantly favoured on me, I thought it was time to move a step further…
This article was written by diyadear. Please, visit the site DreamGalz Nest to continue to read the article.
Interesting how God always leads me to read books in season like Paulo Coelho’s Alchemist. I’ve been hearing about this book since ages but have no urge to real when I finally pick up a copy and read thru last week, God spoke so clearly to me. Like what PC wrote “When you are really serious about something, the whole world conspires to lead you towards your destiny”…
This article was written by Cynt. Please, visit the site theprodigalme to continue to read the article.
Where is the umbrella?
After ten years of study, Zenno believed that he was ready to be made a Zen master. One rainy day, he went to visit the famous teacher Nan-in.
When Zenno went into the house, Nan-in asked:
‘Did you leave your umbrella and your shoes outside?’
‘Of course, I did,’ replied Zenno. ‘It’s only polite. I would do the same thing anywhere.’
‘Then tell me this: did you place your umbrella to the right or to the left of your shoes?’
‘I haven’t the slightest idea, master.’
‘Zen Buddhism is the art of being totally aware of one’s every action,’ said Nan-in.
‘Lack of attention to apparently minor details can completely destroy a man’s life. A father hurrying out of his house must never leave a dagger within reach of his small son. A Samurai who does not polish his sword every day will find that when most he needs it, the sword has grown rusty. A young man who forgets to give flowers to his beloved will end up losing her.’
And Zenno understood that, although he had a good knowledge of Zen techniques when applied to the spiritual world, he had forgotten to apply them to the world of men.
