A New Way to Run

I watched a horse race. Now I want to preface the rest of my post by letting you all know that I know next to nothing about horses. I couldn't tell a champion from a nag unless it was painfully obvious. That said, Thoroughbreds are beautiful animals. Especially when they run. As I watched the horses tearing down the track with little guys on their backs urging them on, it felt like a spiritual experience. I love to see a person or animal doing what they seem born to do, whether it's a race-horse running, a football receiver making a great catch, a diver competing in the Olympics, or my wife cooking. Watching the race, however, made me think of something that I hadn't really considered before. Every horse on that track was born to run, even the one that came in last. The slowest horse on the field was absolutely lovely to see in action. Given my wandering mind, that brought up another thought. What if they all could be "winners?" I know; that sounds like New-Agey crap. But let's consider it for a moment. What if there was a new way to run? A different goal than simply being the first to cross the finish line? I'm about to wax metephorical here, so you've been warned. What if we had a race where the goal was to choose the most perfect stride, or the most beautiful gait? Maybe we could award a prize for the one that seemed to enjoy themselves the most. It reminds me of something I read once about the Zen approach to archery. The point was not simply to hit nearest the bulls-eye, but to become one with the target, the bow and the arrow at the same time; to hold perfect form and make the act of shooting an art rather than a science; to experience the action with one's entire being. It was thought that if you became absolutely at one with the action and the apparatus, you may perfect the science of hitting the target, but you would surely be moved spiritually and grow through the experience. I realize that this approach will obviously not work in every situation. Sometimes we need to be sure and hit our target; to be goal-oriented and focused on accomplishing a certain end. But there are times when I feel it would be beneficial to take a very different approach and learn to appreciate the process and the experience from a very different point of view. One application I can see immediately is in peace-making, for instance. If we can let go of our linear, goal-oriented, ego-driven need to be "right," we can begin to make peace with even those who disagree with us fundamentally. Inter-faith dialogue is one area especially where this approach might be found helpful. I am never going to convince a Muslim or a Christian that I can communicate with stones, and they are unlikely to convince me that their version of God is the only valid one, but if we can let go of the drive to "win the race," we might be able to have an intelligent dialogue where we are free to share our ideas and experiences and grow from having shared with another human being without pausing to defend our ideas or beliefs each time the other's opinion seems to contradict our own.