Racing in the Non-Race

As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to live it more and more. - Jules Renard in the Zen Calendar (December 13, 2007).

Day 270. I am posting from Tyler, Texas. Rode the tandem 58 miles today with 11 other teams. Though not a formal "race," the racers all seem to find each another and engage in an interesting form of "non-racing," which feels, curiously, a lot like being in a race. Our EZ rider captain, Randy, who tells us always to "Represent," would have been proud. We decidedly won the non-race against a few prestigious teams who were non-racing with us. I had the strangest feeling I was in a parallel universe with the one I inhabit when I am grappling with my attachment/non-attachment conundrum. Similar to the way my practice of non-attachment facilitated my ability to form deep and meaningful attachments, my attitude of non-racing enabled me to perform spectacularly on the bike. Go figure. My zazen practice manifests in so many facets of my life. There is no way it couldn't, since it permeates my entire being.

I am typing on the single computer of the hotel's "business center" (read: a computer stuck just inside the lobby). Apparently, several teens lurking around my periphery are at risk of spontaneous combustion if they can't get on the computer to check their Facebook status in the near future. In the interest of loving kindness, I will post this blog and continue it in longhand in the privacy of my room. No worries. It gives me more time with the dinosaur when I get home tomorrow.

Gassho,
CycleBuddhaDoc

Translating from Longhand: Hmmmmm, I can't much read my writing. I guess, at last, I have arrived as a doctor -- we are known for our illegible penmanship (penwomanship?) I know I chose the quote for tonight because of the inspiring time I spent with two particular tandem teams today. They consist of two couples slightly older than my captain and I: intelligent, kind, inclusive, evolved people who have tandem cycled throughout the world. It was a privilege to ride alongside them through the lush green meadows of eastern Texas. In addition to being exposed to their cycling expertise, I received another great gift. These four individuals (the four of them are close friends who share extensive history both on and off the bike) model Living Life. They are all professionals with impressive careers and achievements, but their zest is primarily prompted by bike riding and the traveling that accompanies it. The energy that surrounds them is light, playful, fearless and benevolent. From them and others like them, I am learning to Live Life. More and More.

Gassho for the Second Time,
CycleBuddhaDoc