Lizards
mosquitoes
frogs
grasshoppers
and of late,
scorpion (yes, just one)
fed my numbers
of beings
that is of non-human
that I am acutely aware off.
Not that they are uncommon
or unusual to my field of experience
but they become succinctly obvious
when the senses of experience
are put to bare minimum.
No tv
no news
no handphone
no movies
no music
no food of my choice
except what is being given
no thick mattresses
no driving
no going anywhere
except what is within
the four walls of the retreat centre
tho there are days where I venture out
to follow the monks alms round
even that seems to me
everything stripped to minimum
except my dear laptop
to entertain me
and my camera which I seldom use
which at times become
an obstacle
to my practice.
Whatever it is
wherever I am
there is always something the mind holds on to
like those “non-humans” I seem
to frequently see
or the dogs and cats
roaming in the compound
of course not to mention
the practitioners, monks and nuns
who are just like me!
This was written during my retreat and I became aware that the mind grasp on to practically everything that comes to its domain, irrelevant whether there is more or less objects. Its job is just to grab!