On a recent trip to Thailand I was told by a local that all « good » Thai men will dedicate at least seven days of their life as Buddhist a monk (usually before they marry). What this entails is renouncing to all material things and relying on the generosity of others to feed yourself and clothe yourself. You are asked to spend at least two thirds of your day in prayer and meditation. You are denied any modern comforts like a bed (you sleep on the floor) or an iPod or cell phone. You can watch TV in the evening but only as a group in community. However, the only programs you can watch are news programs (no programs meant to entertain like sitcoms and game shows are allowed)

Shaving your hair, wrapping yourself in an orange robe and walking in sandals bare feet is a very symbolic way of declaring I am just one of you – no more or less important.

As a monk, there are no more outward ways of determining if I am rich or poor, highly educated or street smart, if I am a white collar or a blue collar, etc… All they can rely on to be truly seen and heard is their personality and inner resources.

All this got me thinking… What would happen if we asked North American men to spend at least a week in quiet contemplation relying on the goodness of others to survive? Would that have a positive impact on our fathers, brothers, colleagues? Would that change our cultural mindset of always wanting more and achieving more? Would that help us be more humble and grateful as a society?

What if we could find a way to give everyone that experience even for a moment? What would it change? My hypothesis is that we might, in that moment, experience humanity as it is meant to be experienced - just one human being among countless others trying to make sense of why he is here. For that moment we would just BE not DO. For that moment we would be present.

We are not here to outshine, outperform, outdo, outclass, outcast others. We are here to make a difference as only we can with our own unique set of talents and traits. We are here to help each other achieve their full potential as a human being.

Buddhism (and all religions for that matter) has a lot to teach us. These are two of my favorite Buddhist teachers:

Book by Pema Chödrön – When Things Fall Apart

Book on Mindfulness by Tich-Naht-Hanh