The Flower and the Lunch Break

Today, like I’ve been doing for a while now, instead of going for a walk during my lunch break, I took the bike out.
Nothing “heroic”: 28 minutes, no rain, no impressive watts, plenty of wind. Just a little ride.

As soon as I got outside—silence.
That strange, welcome silence I only seem to find far from emails, phone calls, and all the rest. Few cars, no urgent thoughts. Just legs turning, air sliding past.

At one point, a koan I’ve been sitting with lately came back to me:

The Buddha lifts a flower.
Everyone looks on, silent and puzzled.
Only one person smiles.
The Buddha nods, pleased (I imagine).
That’s it. No explanation.
Mahakashyapa (the one who smiled) had understood everything.

Well. I saw some flowers by the roadside. I looked at them—lots of poppies.
I may not have smiled quite like Mahakashyapa (he wasn’t riding a bike on a bumpy, twisty road), but something clicked.

There’s no need to understand. What’s the point of breaking our heads trying to figure everything out? What can we really understand? Why are we always caught up in our thoughts?

Sometimes all it takes is a ride, a well-carved turn, a deep breath—anything done at 100%.

I came back to my desk a little sweaty, at peace.
The world was/is—just the same.

No grand truth. Just enjoy the flowers. And if you feel like it, smile.