Wen Tzu - Verse 139

from Verse One Hundred Thirty-Nine

When vitality is in the eyes, they see clearly. When it is in the ears, they hear keenly. When it is gathered in the mind, then the thoughts are penetrating. Therefore when you shut the gate of the senses, you have no troubles all your life.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

My wife says to me, "Oh darn, I left my glass of juice on the kitchen counter. Would you grab it for me?" "Where on the counter?" I ask. "It's right next to the dish drainer." I look near the dish drainer, but don't see it. I look at the surrounding counter space and I don't see it there either. "I don't see it on the counter," I report.

My wife comes into the kitchen and, in a very exasperated voice, points and says "It's right over there!" Sure enough, her glass of juice is on the counter, but it was several inches away from the drainer.

After it is pointed out, I realize that I did see it there, but it didn't register in my brain as the specific item I was looking for. In other words, my eyes saw the glass; my brain didn't. This type of scenario happens over and over again in my life. I'm certain it has to do with my autistic brain -- I take instructions too literally and, if what I'm looking for is just a tad removed from the given parameters, it simply doesn't register.

This is not to suggest that each time a situation like the one above occurs I can always pin the blame on neurology. Sometimes, my mind is too crammed full of other information and I only half hear the request. With only fuzzy information in hand, it makes the task that much more difficult.

This is what I think Lao Tzu is referring to in this passage; our basic inattention to life, in general. We're so busy going to and fro that we often don't pay attention to what we're doing RIGHT NOW.

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.