There were these two guys in a bar, which was on the 20th floor of a building. The first man said, "I bet you $100 I can jump out that window and come straight back in.
The second man says, "Ok, sure."
And the barman holds the bet.
The first man jumps out the window and disappears for a second before jumping straight back in.
Disappointed about losing the $100, the second man says, " I'll bet you another $100 you can't do it again."
So the barman holds the bet.
Sure enough, the first man jumps out the window, disappears for a second, then jumps straight back in.
Thinking he must have caught a freak gust of wind, the second man says, "Ok, I bet you $300 I can jump out the window and come straight back in."
The first man says" Ok, sure."
The second man jumps out the window and falls to the footpath below. He is dead.
Back up in the bar, the barman says to the first man, " Gee, you can be a bastard when you're pissed, Superman."
It was an unexpected bonanza. And what a treat it was. Yesterday evening I casually wanted to go for a 5 mile ride in search of a school. But somewhere I lost track of the school and got on to another road that took me to the countryside. With the cool evening breeze blowing in my face, and the area totally devoid of pollution, I decided to forget about the school and kept pedalling till I thought I would be tired. And turn back afterwards. I pedalled for an hour and a half and reached a pilgrimage centre on the other end of the city. And which was connected to the city fro the other end. It was a cool 25 mile ride. And what made it all the more memorable was the fact that I did some speed biking so that my meditation would run deeper than normal. And the experience can't be explained in words. I intend to repeat the performance very soon. And as many times as possible.
To cash in on the 25-mile bike ride, I went for the three-hour spiritual triathlon -- 10 mile running, 10 mile biking and an hour of meditation -- this morning. I thought I would have body pains because of yesterday's bike ride, but my system seems to have got used to the gruelling runs and the rides. It was not out of tiredness that I stopped, but out of the feeling that it might be a strain on my body. I will tend to get rid of this notion and bike till I drop dead.
PS: Wanna bike/run a 100 miles in a day. Any suggestions on how to go about it?
My mission
To jog-bicycle around the world, climb the mountains, swim the seas and soar the skies. Since they are not remotely possible, I settled for a daily dose of spiritual triathlon -- jogging, cycling and meditation -- necessarily in that order. My idea of a spiritual triathlon is 10 miles of jogging and 10 miles of cycling followed by an hour of meditation. I sincerely feel that not less than a spiritual marathon can tame the mind and mould it the way you want it to. So go ahead and have fun taking a dekko at my spiritual athleticism. But don't forget to drop in a word or two on how you feel about my blog and my way of life. Your advice is always valuable to go that extra length to the Garden of Eden
Food for cycling thought
A Zen Teacher saw five of his students return from the market, riding their bicycles. When they had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"
The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the student, saying, "You are a smart boy. When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over, as I do."
The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path." The teacher commended the student, "Your eyes are open and you see the world."
The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant, nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."
The fourth student answered, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all beings." The teacher was pleased and said, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."
The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher went and sat at the feet of the fifth student, and said, "I am your disciple."
Sunday, April 22, 2007
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