As Thoreau said: "But, wherever a man goes, men will pursue and paw him with their dirty institutions, and if they can, constrain him to belong to their desperate odd-fellow society." Beginner's Mind I also wondered if my earlier extensive travels jaded me, like a person accustomed to fine wine, suddenly imbibing a rancid vintage. Need I compare everything before me with the best and find it necessarily wanting? Its a matter of course that every waterfall pales when measured to Angel, Iguazu and Victoria. That all temples look small compared to the pyramids of Giza, that all mosques pale in comparison to the Blue Mosque. I lost the magic. Somewhere in Vietnam, I lost the wonderment that travel brings me. I finally realized it's not the external as perceived by my jaded eye; but rather a jaundiced eye which did the misperceiving. I lost what Zen practitioners call the 'beginner's mind, the ability to set aside preconceived notions and judgements and prejudices and open to the purity of feelings and emotions as they arise. Tomorrow, tomorrow The sun shone on Hanoi as my overnight train pulled in. Sleeping to the sound of pitter patter, I awoke to just the clack of the train and tracks. The diffuse late afternoon light reminded my of Washington DC in the Fall, with bare tree branches along the Mall. |
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
My mood changed abruptly. I ran into a old travel friend whom I first met in Turkey, and she shared a similar tale of mild disappointment with Vietnam. I felt vindicated. See, I'm not the only one! I realized at once that I had not been too tough on this country, but rather on myself, and this reflected itself outwardly.
Rather than just observing my emotions, analogous to observing, without controlling, the prevailing weather; I sought to condemn my own feelings, as one curses unfavorable winds. That by denying and denigrating, I hoped to affect some change. It turned out that only by accepting things as they are, we allow change come on its own, at its own pace.
I walked the streets of Hanoi's old quarter, around picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake. The sights, sounds, and smells reminded me of Hong Kong and Chinatowns the world over, filled with lush smells and vivid colors. The hustle and bustle no longer bothered me. I relished the horns and traffic like someone seeing Times Square for the first time. The locals selling trinkets were now eager entrepreneurs, not interlopers.
I rediscovered the beginner's mind.