A Culture That Preserves Hair and Teeth

Yesterday Scott had just finished working out on his stationary bike when I got to the home gym (read: basement) to pound out a few intervals on the treadmill. He asked if I wanted him to turn off the TV since I was listening to my iPod. Oh no. All manner of distraction is welcome.

The HDTV Smithsonian Channel was showing the National Geographic documentary Light At The Edge Of The World: Himalayas, in which Wade Davis goes on an anthropological and spiritual journey into the Himalayas of Nepal to experience and explore Buddhist practice. It was only a few minutes before I was so drawn in, I could no longer bear the distraction of the iPod and tossed it onto the sofa.

As I watched this gentle, joyous, and powerful unfoldment, the synopsis came in the statement, "Western science and efficiency have made a major contribution to minor needs. We spend much of our time in the West trying to ensure that people live to be 100 without losing their hair or their teeth. The Buddhists spend their time giving meaning to existence. The Buddhists spend their time getting ready for a moment that we pretend does not exist, and that is the moment of death."

Could I hang on to my hair and teeth and still find meaning? They're probably not mutually exclusive, but it is reflective of focus and priority. I meditate regularly—but there are days that I get busy and miss it. I never miss a day of brushing my teeth or doing all I can to make it a good hair day. After Wade Davis' stark statement of contrast and perusing my life values based on where I prioritize my time, it truly gives me pause.