I Want To Be A Selfless Climber

       Our lives are incredibly fast-paced these days. We have so many things that we tell ourselves we must do everyday.  The Narrator in Zen understands this and he believes many people go through life like ego-filled mountain climbers. This kind of person will miss the little things in life like "a beautiful passage of sunlight through the trees," and "rejects the here, is unhappy with it." An ego-climber is always looking ahead instead of experiencing and taking joy in his surroundings.  (p. 267) 
       In contrast, the Narrator believes that, "Mountains should be climbed with as little effort as possible and without desire...You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion...To live only for some future goal is shallow." (p. 258) Instead of being ego-filled mountain climbers, we should be self-less climbers, aware of what is happening around us and enjoying the moment.

     I was inspired by this idea of becoming a self-less climber. As a musician, I have often found that the final performance of a piece is not as fulfilling as all the time it I spend learning it. I go on a journey with each piece, and each one has its moments of beauty. I love the thrill of learning it, of slowly developing the melody and prhasing, of understanding the emotions I can build into it, and of learning the dynamics. I want to perform well, but the ultimate performance is only a small step in the journey. 

     I disagree with the Narrator about some of his climbing ideas, though. He says, "The reality of your own nature should determine the speed. If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down." (p. 258) Runners often grow tired at the end of races. That doesn't mean they stop running. I have three weeks left of school and I am tired, but that doesn't mean I can slow down. I have to take responsibility. People cannot go through life just acting on whether or not they feel tired or energized. 

      Even more importantly, what would life be like without goals? To live for some future goal is not shallow, is it? Aren't goals what keep us going? I have so many goals for my music and in school. I have to ask myself, though, "Are those the right goals to have?" The goal I should have is to develop my relationships with God, my family, and my friends. My schoolwork and music are important, but if I do not focus on the right things, I will become an ego-climber.
     This is exactly what I think the Narrator is saying. We should have goals, but they need to be the right  ones. We may become tired, but we can keep going. The way to become a selfless climber is to focus on what is here, because there will never be another time like now.