I awoke late, made some tea, and ate an apple. I decided to relax before tackling my daily activities, so I pulled out my small TV and dumped some cookies into a bowl. Switching on a soap opera, I immersed myself in someone else's problems. As I watched, mesmerized by the drama, I reached for another cookie and discovered that the bowl was empty. Could I have eaten all those cookies? Later that morning, I went running around Edwards Field. There I met Dwight, who worked up at the Lawrence Hall of Science in the Berkeley Hills. I had to ask his name a second time, because I “didn't catch it” the first time; another reminder of my feeble attention and wandering mind. After a few laps, Dwight remarked about the cloudless blue sky. I had been so lost in thought, I hadn't even noticed the sky. Then he headed for the hills. He was a marathon runner--and I returned home, thinking about my mind a self-defeating activity if ever there was one. I observed that in the gym I kept my attention focused precisely on every action, but when I stopped soaring, my thoughts would again obscure my perception.
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