Kaz Tanahashi is a world renowned calligrapher and translator, and friend. He’s also one of the most content, happy, and productive people I know. Kaz travels throughout the world teaching calligraphy and leading Zen retreats. We were having lunch one day when he told me that someone asked him about his travels and what his favorite city was. He thought it was a strange question; if he named a favorite city, then when traveling to a city he didn’t name, he wondered if he would enjoy that city less. He answered by saying, “There are things I like about all the cities I visit.”
Of course, we are assessing, discerning, and “picking and choosing” all the time. We have to. At the same time, what Kaz is suggesting is that we not fall into the trap of measuring, of reducing the value of our experience by pitting a “favorite” against something that doesn’t qualify as a favorite.
I’m reminded of a story that is sometimes told in Zen circles. A man is walking on a path when he meets a lion. He runs fast as lion is chasing him. He comes to a cliff and has no choice but to jump over the edge. He grabs onto a vine coming from the side of the cliff. He then notices a mouse, beginning to gnaw on the vine. At that moment he sees a wild strawberry, growing out of the side of the cliff. He reaches, picks the strawberry, puts it in his mouth, and thoroughly enjoys and savors it.
Faced with a dire life and death situation, this person just appreciates the moment, appreciates what is right in front of him. Yes, this is Zen humor. And the point is, how can we appreciate each moment, each situation. How can we bring each moment alive?