Why spend time on meditation?
Why spend time on meditation?
Thanks to Praveen. This is the question he had put to me last year after I came back from a 20 days course of Vipassana. I had not answered because I myself had not reflected. However last week the question came back to me and I myself was ruminating over it.
By law of nature I came across an old issue of ‘Aha Zindegi’ where I read the following story.
A person say Dinu skilled in woodcutting went to a wood trader and asked for job. He got the job and was happy with his employer and his salary. So he made up his mind to do the work diligently and sincerely. The Employer gave him the axe and showed the place of work. On the first day of his work he did cut 18 logs. The employer praised him.
Inspired by the appreciation Dinu worked very hard the next day, but he could cut 15 logs. Next day he worked even harder but could manage to cut only 10 logs. And this process continued on the fourth day when he could bring only 8 logs.
He was clueless about the diminishing output despite his increased effort and sincerity and felt very depressed. He went to his employer with tears in his eyes for seeking forgiveness and said, “I am completely clueless why this is happening to me?”
The employer asked, “when was last you sharpened your axe?”
“Sharpening the axe? I did not have time for that. I was busy in cutting the logs so that I can give you more and more output.” Dinu said.
We all are busy in cutting the logs—busy in our work coz we want to ‘contribute to the society’. What about sharpening the axe? We use our mind and body for our work. Generally we do not reflect back on the sharpening of these.
People spend time and money in sharpening their skill, but the stress and fatigue still creeps in. And this wearing of mind and body does not remain confined to the individual only. It reflects in the group work as well -misgivings among colleagues, the insecurities of competition, the disharmony in the team and the general feeling of isolation.
Taking time off for meditating to improve the health of both mind and body helps in improvement of self and thereby of the collective.
Thanks to Praveen. This is the question he had put to me last year after I came back from a 20 days course of Vipassana. I had not answered because I myself had not reflected. However last week the question came back to me and I myself was ruminating over it.
By law of nature I came across an old issue of ‘Aha Zindegi’ where I read the following story.
A person say Dinu skilled in woodcutting went to a wood trader and asked for job. He got the job and was happy with his employer and his salary. So he made up his mind to do the work diligently and sincerely. The Employer gave him the axe and showed the place of work. On the first day of his work he did cut 18 logs. The employer praised him.
Inspired by the appreciation Dinu worked very hard the next day, but he could cut 15 logs. Next day he worked even harder but could manage to cut only 10 logs. And this process continued on the fourth day when he could bring only 8 logs.
He was clueless about the diminishing output despite his increased effort and sincerity and felt very depressed. He went to his employer with tears in his eyes for seeking forgiveness and said, “I am completely clueless why this is happening to me?”
The employer asked, “when was last you sharpened your axe?”
“Sharpening the axe? I did not have time for that. I was busy in cutting the logs so that I can give you more and more output.” Dinu said.
We all are busy in cutting the logs—busy in our work coz we want to ‘contribute to the society’. What about sharpening the axe? We use our mind and body for our work. Generally we do not reflect back on the sharpening of these.
People spend time and money in sharpening their skill, but the stress and fatigue still creeps in. And this wearing of mind and body does not remain confined to the individual only. It reflects in the group work as well -misgivings among colleagues, the insecurities of competition, the disharmony in the team and the general feeling of isolation.
Taking time off for meditating to improve the health of both mind and body helps in improvement of self and thereby of the collective.
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