| Be Thankful That You Can BREATHE |
| By Lin Jian-de Compiled and translated by Wu Hsiao-ting Graphic by Su Fang-pei |
People afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or motor neuron disease) endure suffering beyond imagination. An ALS victim once said that if there were 18 levels of hell, with each level more severe than the previous one, patients like him must be living on the 19th level. Another patient had deteriorated to such an extent that he couldn’t move at all. Because he couldn’t breathe on his own, he was put on a ventilator via tracheotomy, which made it difficult for him to speak. His communication with the outside world was thus greatly constrained. He said in an interview, “Be thankful that you can breathe.” How he must have suffered to reach such a poignant conclusion. “Be thankful that you can breathe.” This level of gratitude is something that rarely occurs to us. We often take the simple act of breathing for granted—after all, breathing requires almost no effort at all for most of us. But not everyone can breathe easily. Some can’t breathe easily because of external factors. Underground coal mine workers, for example, might die from a lack of air if a mining disaster happens. Some can’t breathe easily because of health reasons, for example respiratory problems. Life can be very fragile, and death comes when you can’t take in air. If you can still breathe, it means that at least you are still alive. To be alive is itself the greatest blessing. With every breath, there is new opportunity and new hope. As you breathe in and out, feel the joy of life in each breath. Anapanasati, a Pali word meaning “mindfulness of breathing,” is a form of Buddhist meditation. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Breathing is a means of awakening and maintaining full attention in order to…see the nature of all things, and arrive at liberation.” If you practice Anapa-nasati mindfully, you will reap its benefits. If, in doing everything in life, we can constantly return to the fact that we are breathing, if we can be content and grateful for even minor things we have, our life will be very rewarding. Try to reduce your desires to the minimum and return to the basics of life instead of constantly craving for more and more things. Use your breath as an anchor. In so doing, you will be able to feel more deeply the joy of being alive and appreciate more profoundly the gift of life. |
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