A Natural Human Being

We are born into cultures and thus inherit the meaning of what it is to be a human being. But who says this is true human being?

I remember an experience of a time when I contracted poison oak at a music festival. I couldn't sleep due to the itching and the medical tent was not open until the next morning. Consequently, I stayed awake all night practicing Qigong to keep myself distracted. At dawn I climbed to the top of a large outcropping of rock to watch the sun rise. There were small depressions in the rock where the Native Americans had ground acorns.

I was clothed in shorts, sandals and a long-sleeved shirt. It occurred to me that other people might be feeling cold, since the few that were walking around at that time of the morning were in heavy jackets and boots. Yet, I felt perfectly comfortable. (Looking back, the Qigong probably played a significant difference in my metabolic level).

As I watched the sunrise, I became aware of myself as a human animal. The mental chatter was silent. I was just another critter.

It seems to me that civilized life can amount to an enormous distraction from this kind of experience.