Zen 24/7 - Zen breath

Quote:

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Life begins with a single breath. The moment we're born and leave the womb of our mother, we start the lifelong, process of inhale-exhale that continues untl the moment we die. Nothing is more basic, more vital to our lives, than breathing. Yet rarely do we give it a thought.
A zen teacher once made that point dramaticly before an assembled group of monks. The teacher asked,
"Whats the most important thing in life?"
"Food," said one.
"Work," said another.
"The pusuit of truth," said a third.
The teacher signaled for a monk to step foward.
Grabbing the monks head, he dunked it in a tub of water and held it down until the monk came up gasping for breath.
The assembly got the message: We can live days without food, years without work, or a lifetime without truth, but we cannot go for more than a few minutes without a breath.
When you awake in the morning, stretch your arms to the sky and breath deeply. Fill your insides with the emptiness around you.
Breath easy, Your alive.

-Philip Toshio Sudo

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Ps, Im sorry it took so long because I said I would post these weekly, I lost the book down the side of my bed when I fell asleep reading it and only found it yesterday.

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