Marathon and No-Self Care
Through running, I've had the chance to directly experience the teachings of my beloved teachers on the wooded trails of Blue Mound State Park . There have been moments of vividly recognizing mind, periods of boredom, flashes of inspiration and ample opportunity to use body sensations as the object of meditation. Meditation and running have become inseparable. A couple of weeks ago I completed my first marathon, and in the process I completed my longest-ever running-meditation session. As in my shorter long runs (15 - 20 miles), calm abiding and clear seeing were interspersed with periods of boredom and distraction. In addition to experiencing the standard-usual during the marathon, I also experienced protracted periods of ego-clinging. While ego-clinging may sound like a hindrance to recognizing my true nature, it was an eye-opening opportunity to pull back the proverbial curtain on a fundamental source of suffering. When I look into the eyes of this practitioner, I almost