Zen is simply… that state of centeredness which is here and now. –Alan Watts
There are many activities in life that have that Zen like quality to them; that state of centeredness and being aware in the present moment. One of my favorite at present is mowing the grass. If it's warm and sunny out I usually dress in shorts and may or may not wear a shirt. I like the warmth and feel of the sun on my skin. I open the garage door; pull the lawn mower out, check the gas level and every so often the oil level. After topping off the gas I prime the engine with 10 to 12 pumps of the primer. I make sure the four wheel adjustments are all set at the desired level; today its number 3. I also make sure the two screws on the push bar are tightened; I lost one of those a few years ago. I put my old Twins baseball hat on and push the mower to the yard location I want to start at today.
It's August now, and been very hot out recently, so the grass doesn't need mowing every week like it does in the spring and early summer. I decide to mow just the back and front right side of the yard as I'm facing the house. Earlier this year my neighbor on that side had knee surgery so I was mowing her grass that's on my side along with my own. Our neighbor on the other side would mow the smaller strip closest to him. Even before I knew she had the leg surgery and couldn't get out much I decided to start mowing her grass when I did that side of my yard because if I didn't, whoever had mowed first left the neighbor's grass several inches longer and it just wasn't as appealing to the eye. So after I had done her lawn and mine she came out and thanked me saying she wasn't able to do it herself. Funny how those "coincidences" happen.
Mowing the grass is like being in the zone; in the flow. I am totally focused on the task at hand. Although it's not really a task, it's more like some semi-structured way to be in mindfulness that is not really structured. It sounds like a contradiction but to me it's just an enjoyable time of being totally present…in the moment.
Since I have a self propelled mower I engage the self-propulsion and just allow myself to go with the flow of the mower. Today I decide to start up near the garage and cut a swath down alongside the driveway, then over to my neighbor's driveway. Then I do a 180 and return back to my driveway and continue with that straight pattern; back and forth, back and forth, until I encounter a tree or the basketball pole or the edging near the houses. Then I focus on changing the cutting pattern, sometimes doing circular routes around a tree or overlapping the edging up near the rock alongside the house.
There are times when my mind does wander, I simple notice it and gently return my attention, my awareness, back to the present and what I am doing. Sometimes I start following a train of thought or maybe I will be thinking about something I am working on or my golf game, or whatever. Sometimes I will get lost in a particular train of thought or I might just let myself follow that line of thought for a while before I return to the present and just allow myself to be, totally present, in the moment…of mowing the grass. Always gently returning to the present.
I am aware of the aroma of fresh cut grass, the occasional engine and gasoline smells, the steady drone of the small engine. I see the different shades of grass; notice the trees, the leaves, the flowers and plant, and the occasional car driving into the cul-de-sac. Sometimes I see birds flying by or a toad, frog, tiny turtle or small garden snake hurrying to get out of the way of the noisy machine roaring their way. Earlier this year I came across a small frog while mowing the grass when my 3 year old grandson was visiting. I brought it around front for him to play with in his new wheelbarrow we had just gotten him for his two week visit. He and my wife promptly named the frog; I think it was Freddie but that may be just what I would have named it, I don't remember exactly. They may have come up with some other name that to me didn't seem to fit an animal, like George the goldfish he just got. Or even like Thomas the train in the new DVD's he has been watching. My grandson loves trains (all aboard) and cars and trucks and tractors.
I am nearing finishing up mowing that section of the lawn. The newly mulched cut grass is lying on top and some has been blown into the driveway. The air is fresh, the sun is shinning, the temperature is warm and still humid (we’ve had a very hot, humid spell recently), the lawn looks good. I am ready for a refreshing drink from the refrigerator and a nice leisurely shower to clean up and cool down.
My mind and body are centered, restful and peaceful. I am feeling good, not too tired out, just right after some moderate physical exertion. I have allowed myself to be… as much present as I am able to be… at the present moment and find myself being just more aware of being… in the now moment.
Today is a wonderful day. I wonder what I may notice next time as I am being present...just mowing the grass?
P.S. One of those "basic laws of the Universe" now occurs; this one being the law of unintentional consequences. Whenever my neighbor or her son (when he visits) mows her grass they now also mow my side of the yard so the length stays the same and both yards look good at the same time. So we now mostly end up just taking turns. One week I will mow both and the next she does. Very interesting :).
Zen merely enables us to wake up and become aware. It does not teach, it points. -T.D. Suzuki
