Monday, November 17, 2008

The Duck with a Human Mind

As i was reading i came across this very interesting and meaningful passage from the book 'The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle' i must share with you guys, here goes...

I mentioned that after two ducks get into a fight, which never last long, they will spearate and float off in opposite directions. Then each duck will flap its wings vigorously a few times, thus releasing the surplus energy that built up during the fight. After they flap their wings, they float on peacefully, as if nothing has ever happened..

'IF' the duck had a human mind, it would keep the fight alive by thinking, by story-making. This would probably be the duck's story: "I don't believe what he just did. He came to within five inches of me. He thinks he owns this pond? He has no consideration for my private space. I'll never trust him again. Next time he'll try something else just to annoy me. Im sure he's plotting something already. But I'm not going to stand for this. I'll teach him a lesson he won't forget." And on and on the mind spins its tales, still thinking and talking about it days, months, and years later. As far as the body is concerned, the fight is still continuing, and the energy it generates in response to all those thoughts is emotion, which in turn generates more thinking. This becomes the emotional thinking of the ego. You can seee how problematic the duck's life would become if it had a human mind. But this is how most humans live all the time. No situation or event is ever really finished. The mind and the mind-made "me and my story" keep it going.

We are a species that has lost its way. Everything natural, every flower or tree, and every animal have important lessons to teach us if we could only Stop, Look, and Listen. Our duck's lession is this: Flap your wings - Which translates as "let go of the story" and return to peace..

So think about it, why do we always have these obsessive thinking?

Is it even healthy to resent someone?