I once thought it was enough to see and feel my world in three dimensions. It was wonderful. Now I know there is more. No, I don’t mean another dimension, like the fourth dimension. I simply understand that there is something beyond sensory. I am learning to touch and see that something with my mind and body.
My days are different now. Last evening, I dipped my hand into the bag and pulled out a handful of tasty chips, the multigrain type with salt and a rich nutty flavor. I slowly put the chips into my mouth, one by one. I chewed each chip, feeling it break apart slowly in my mouth. Each chip got more than 20 chews of my attention. Each chip was all I was aware of until I swallowed it and moved a new chip in its place.
It took me quite a while to eat a small handful of chips, but I think I must have tasted and felt each one of them with my whole body. When I had eaten the last one, that was enough. Each chip had made its full presence felt. I tasted more than the salt and nutty flavor. I went way beyond the sensory impressions. I was aware what I was doing in a very intimate way.
Other nights, I would have had many more than one handful, munching through each chip as I put another in my mouth. The taste demanded more and more chips, and I distractedly shoveled them in. The salt wanted the sensation of more salt. Finally, I would stop, mainly when I realized that my taste hunger had filled my stomach with chips. Eating had become, at best, simple entertainment.
I want each chip encounter of my life to stir that same intimate, penetrating awareness. I want the distinction between me and each chip to melt away. I want to penetrate the distinction between me and every chip I see or touch. I want to savor not only what I put into my mouth, but every other being or thing I touch or see.
I want to know the slimy bodies of the fish I see when I feed them each morning. I want to be absorbed by the hardness of the pavement as I walk across the parking lot. I want to experience the living presence of the woman I spoke to as we entered Target.
I love the beauty of the world I see around me. I am also in awe of all that lies beyond what I see. There is more than meets the eye, and it is exciting to explore.