Today's MOZEN: A Little Ahab in All of Us.

F LoBuono

“Swerve me? The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run. Over unsounded gorges, through the rifled hearts of mountains, under torrents' beds, unerringly I rush! Naught's an obstacle, naught's an angle to the iron way!” ― Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

Captain Ahab, the dark, mysterious, brooding main character utters these lines to Ishmael, the narrator of Melville's immortal classic. Melville created the character of Ahab to represent man's indomitable spirit, especially in the face of nature's harsh and cruel realities. These "obstacles" to overcome, as stated by Melville, are chiefly represented by the ferocious white whale, Moby-Dick. Ahab cannot not be swayed from exacting his revenge on the great beast for taking his leg during a previous encounter. Ahab's desire to locate and destroy the whale becomes more than a mere hunt. It becomes an overwhelming obsession that will only be sated with the whales total destruction - or his own.

And, I KNOW Ahab. Even though his darkness frightens me in some ways, his burning desire to overcome appeals to me in others. By my nature, I relate to him very much. I am very competitive and don't like to lose - at anything. And, I have always been this way. Even my birth sign, Taurus, would suggest a certain stubbornness. If I put my mind to something, damn it, I'm going to do it! And, overall, this attitude has served me well. But, it has also hindered me, too.

As I age and study, hopefully, the more I learn. One of the things it has taken me a lifetime to assertain is that there are many paths to enlightenment. It takes courage, tenacity, and fortitude. But, it also takes kindness, compassion and flexibility Not ALL things are as they appear. Not ALL destinations are arrived at by walking a straight road (a fixed purpose is laid with iron rails). Sometimes, the journey involves a detour or two. Yes, it is admirable to pursue a worthy goal with determination and passion. It's OK to be driven. But, it's equally important to not be consumed by the search. We need to experience the fullness of life by also keeping an open heart and an open mind. If we simply charge straight ahead with blinders on we will miss all the other things that lie around us.

Zen Buddhism has taught me a lot about the so-called Middle Path, i.e. the way to enlightenment is through BALANCE. We need to experience ALL things in life on some level in order to understand it on the most important ones. This is achieved through balance. One way to do this is by instead of resisting force through the use of even more power (a fixed purpose is laid on iron rails), we surrender, in a sense, to it. Buddhism uses the analogy of forest being battered by a big storm. All the sturdy trees in the forest stand tall against the raging win. They will not yield. After a time though, the wind proves too powerful and many of the trees are broken in half or toppled. The bamboo trees in the forest are far less stout. The fierce wind bends their thin trunks almost completely to the ground. However, once the wind passes, the bamboo trees bounce back up to the original height and form, none the worse for the wear.

So, be determined. Be fierce in your passion. Keep your eyes on the prize and do not be easily dissuaded. But, also, don't be afraid to get off the rails, too. Be like bamboo in a storm - let the winds of change howl. You'll still be standing when they pass. ;)