Today's talk focused on the luxury of doing nothing. We are so busy that we rarely make time to just sit. When we are given the opportunity to do nothing, many of us aren't able to take advantage of this time, and instead allow our habit energies to keep us moving, doing, struggling - unable to truly stop.
A lively discussion followed on many topics including: western culture's focus on always being productive; the school system creating students who are stressed out with very narrow experiences; the importance of the sangha to support each other in doing nothing.
My favourite story was about one of our sangha members out with some workmates. They all began to discuss what they would have done differently in their lives if they had their time back. As they went around the circle, most of the women said they would have gone to university and become a doctor or a lawyer, but our friend said she would have moved to Hawaii when she turned 18, learned to surf and spent the rest of her life living on the beach teaching surfing lessons. Her workmates dismissed this as a joke. But why not? Would going to university, with all the debt and stress that involves, to get a high-stress, fast-paced job really make your life better? Why is it unimaginable to choose to have low-stress, no debt, live in paradise, and do what you love?
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