Everything in life–that which we see, taste, touch, hear, and feel–is connected. The great Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh calls this phenomenon Interbeing. So when we look at a mountain, before we separate ourselves from it by naming it, we are that mountain, and that mountain is us. No separation. No duality.
Of course, to live in this world, we must eventually name what we sense or we would have enormous difficulty communicating with each other. Before language, perhaps humans communicated through cave paintings–paintings so exquisite, they needed no language to show what the painter saw and felt.
The Practice of Mindfulness in everyday life
The practice of mindfulness is a way to experience life, even just for a moment, without the burden of naming. We look at a flower and recognize it as part of ourselves. For a moment, we have no need to identify it. And for that moment, we are one with the flower, living fully without fear, without doubt, without separation from that which we see. It is a rare way to live, but, through mindfulness, it’s possible.
