Stop Counting There Are 43
Ok, you may be thinking I have gone off my rocker. But I haven’t, I just thought the title would grab your attention. Actually the title comes from an article I read about the behaviors of ‘lucky’ people versus those of ‘unlucky’ people.
The study looked at a group of people who considered themselves either ‘lucky’ or ‘unlucky’. It was each individual’s choice as to which group they identified themselves, and it was simply their own decision as to which group they placed themselves in. Each group was given a task to count the number of photographs in a newspaper. Simple task.
What the researchers discovered is that the folks who thought they were ‘lucky’ had the answer on average in a matter of seconds where as the ‘unlucky’ ones on average took two minutes. That is a large difference in time.
How did the ‘lucky’ people accomplish this? Well on the second page there was a message that said “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper.”
It turns out that ‘unlucky’ people tend to focus so intently on the task or circumstances that they block out seemingly unrelated things. Whereas, the ‘lucky’ people are more relaxed and open to chance opportunities. As the article points out there are a countless number of possibilities all around us, but we may fail to see them if we are so focused on a specific task or outcome.
“Allow us to renounce the world because it is difficult to see a Buddha, and also because it is difficult to have such a good opportunity as this to see him.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter XXVII)
The opportunities to see the Buddha, to recognize the Buddha around us, to see the Pure Land, are all around us. If we are so narrowly focused on our immediate problems or difficulties it is possible that we will miss these chances.
I like to think of it in this way. When I am tight or so grasping of a specific outcome I tend to be closing myself off to other potentially equally good possibilities. If, however, I can more loosely approach my problems I am more open to different outcomes, which increases the number of possibilities.
It is hard sometimes to have a relaxed attitude when a crisis it confronting us in the face, but part of our Buddhist practice is to practice being prepared for those times. The more we do it on a daily basis the easier it will be to do it naturally.
“I will cause all my children to ride in this vehicle and to enjoy themselves day and night for kalpas.” (Lotus Sutra, Chapter III)
