Last Updated on December 5, 2020 by Paul Farrell, MRP, JD, PhD
The scene: Zen temple, young monks, sitting meditation, one whispers into a cellphone, “it’s not working!”
The scene, a Zen temple at dawn.
Young monks sitting in meditation. Eyes closed. Legs crossed in the traditional za-zen position. Hands folded lightly in their laps. Fingers pointing to heaven.
It’s Not Working
So peaceful. Serene. Well, that is, all of the young monks are peaceful … except for one anxious beginner. Eyes darting. Fingers tapping. He has a cell phone propped at his ear.
One hand muffles his whispered message: “It’s not working!”
Not working? What’s not working? The meditation? His training? The phone? What?
Not working? The scene is a metaphor, a puzzle … a master zen koan for all of us.
A Quest to Become Whole
His world is not working, it is a moving target. Today we are witness to an historic revolution. Everywhere, new pressures, stresses, increasing anxieties, inner turmoil.
Our world is divided, our souls in conflict, we are suffering.
Thus we begin an exciting quest to become whole, to discover who we really are, to become authentic, the real you, to get rich in spirit, in fact, in love, to achieve our goals, to be happy, at peace, complete … to make your daily life a meditation … all day … every day … every minute.
The young monk with the cell phone, is you, me, each one of us … is your world “working?”
About the Author
Dr. Farrell is a Behavioral Economist. His books include The Millionaire Code; The Millionaire Meditation: Stress Management for Wall Street, Corporate America & Entrepreneurs; The Zen Millionaire; The Winning Portfolio; Expert Investing on The Net; Mutual Funds on The Net; and The Lazy Person’s Guide to Investing.
He also published 1,643 columns on DowJones-MarketWatch and for years was their #1 traffic-generating columnist. Before the Internet, he edited & published FNX: Future News Index, a financial newsletter for stock market traders. Earlier he was a Wall Street investment banker with Morgan Stanley, Executive Vice President of the Financial News Network; and Associate Editor of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner.
He has a Doctorate in Psychology, Juris Doctor, Masters in Regional Planning and Bachelor of Architecture. He worked on the Esalen organic farm and served in the U.S. Marine Corps as Staff Sergeant in aviation computer technology.
