Cycling And The Search For Meaning

Every once in a while I'll go and look at the stats for this blog. Just out of curiosity more than anything. I always get a kick out of seeing some of the far off places where people come from to look at my blog. Places like Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand, Utah...

There are other stats as well that are kept track of. One of them is key word searches that direct people to my blog. I get a lot of words searches like Banana Belt, Bike Porn, Focus Bike Review, What to Wear at What Temperature, How to clean your banana hammock and Laser Nose Hair Removal.
Most of these are pretty hum drum searches that make some sense in the context of the content of my blog. And then I ran into this one...

Cycling And The Search For Meaning.

My immediate reaction was. Man! Do I feel bad for this person. They are totally barking up the wrong tree.

But after a while I kind of became flattered. Either this person saw something in their Internet search that peaked their interest about my site. Or the Internet gods found a direct path to me, for them.  Either way I'm sure at that point in my content I was totally unprepared for their query. But now I think I may give it a swing. (Mostly because I want to try. Not so much that I think I can.)

The bike can be anything you want it to be.

Just like you can make anything out of your education, situation or your life that you want (Reasonably so any way). You can get a fantastic education for $200,000 at an ivy league school. Or you can get just as great a one at your local library. It's totally up to you.

The bike is the same way in my opinion.

If you want it as a mode of transportation from point A to point B. It can do that.

If you want to race around with other like minded individuals vying for that ultimate prize. You can do that as well.

You can do it as a form of exercise. To help lose weight and have more energy.

You can even ride to focus your mind down to the singular task at hand. To forget about all the other stuff that's happening in your life.

Or you can just ride a bicycle because it's fun and a wonderful expression of freedom. That's why I do it (Although all those other reasons are in the background too).  It allows me to feel the wind on my face, the sun in the sky (Hopefully.) and chat with my friend's. There isn't anything better than that.

Here is an often recited story that I hope will shed some light on this person in search of meaning...

A Bike

A Zen Teacher saw five of his students return from the market, riding their bicycles. When they had dismounted, the teacher asked the students,

"Why are you riding your bicycles?"

The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!"

The teacher praised the student, saying, "You are a smart boy. When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over, as I do."

The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path."

The teacher commended the student, "Your eyes are open and you see the world."

The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle,  I am content to chant, nam myoho renge kyo."

T

he teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."

The fourth student answered, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all beings."

The teacher was pleased and said, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."

The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle."

The teacher went and sat at the feet of the fifth student, and said, "I am your student."

Ride and live.

Thanks for reading!

Rubber side down,

Big E