A Matter of Perspective

Lisa gave me a copy of this little reading which apparently was first published in the book Insight Meditation by Joseph Goldstein.

A friend’s son was in the first grade of school, and his teacher asked the class, “What is the color of apples?” Most of the children answered red. A few said green. Kevin, my friend’s son, raised his hand and said white. The teacher tried to explain that apples could be red, green, or sometimes golden, but never white. Kevin was quite insistent and finally said, “Look inside.” Perception without mindfulness keeps us on the surface of things, and we often miss other levels of reality.

For the last couple of years, I’ve been walking to work at least once a week. My perception of downtown has changed. I no longer drive past. I walk inside it. I like South Bend much more from the walker's perspective.