The art of mental traning

As we took a long walk on the coastline near his home I caught myself reflectingon how all the years seemed to have passed by so quickly ever since that lastlesson so many years ago. Leo-tai still had that same effortless stride that hedmade me keep up with so many times before . . . We walked a long time incompanionable silence surrounded by seagulls wind and waves.When we finally stopped Leo-tai sat himself up on a comfortable-looking rockand I leaned up against an even bigger one. He crinkled up his eyes as he lookedout to sea and I noticed for the first time that he looked tired. (How old wasLeo-tai? I wondered; I’d never even asked.)“Look at the waves” he murmured. “Endlessly renewing themselves endlesslyfeeding into each other. There’s no end to them. No just the renewal andwithdrawal over and over again.”A seagull circled over the rocks.“It is the cycle of the earth” said Leo-tai. “We’re here we’re gone. We are bornand we die. The world keeps turning but too slowly for our understanding.”“I hope you’re not intending to die any day soon” I joked a bit uneasily