Sunday, March 16, 2014

The Tao of Distance Running - #19





It is more important
to see the simplicity ,
to realize one's true nature,
to cast off selfishness
and temper desire.
                                      *


~
Every mile gained is layer lost of self and a step towards our
original nature. Our running is prayer expressed as
motion. We turn to road and trail to
strip the mind- thought by thought- of life's complexities and
move towards the sole desire of a
quiet mind.

This is the simplicity of running - to give ourselves away in
measured steps. And gain the immeasurable world
within.
  • Running returns us to our original nature - even past the primitive to the primordial. It's not a choice of motion to survive but the spontaneous joy of our expansion. We move as a communion with the natural world. That's simplicity. Some runs have specific training purposes to reach certain goals - and yet every goal and all our desires stem from a singular urge to belong to something greater than ourselves, to rejoin a community of spirit and know that our soul is matched to the soul of the world. Often there is no realization of this until our mind grows quiet in distant miles and we feel the soul's longing for something unknown yet achingly familiar. Our bodies know. The stillness of our soul knows. And that's the drive that keeps on the path - a knowing beyond the mind. Keep the goals and train hard and accordingly - but don't lose sight of the true simplicity of why we run. To return. Always to return. 


Peace,
Eric


Portion of the Tao Te Ching translated by Wayne Dyer

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