Play

                                                                        Play

 

                         

                                              "Play is the highest form of research."
                                                                      Albert Einstein

Let's take a look at reality through the lens of play and gaming. If we see life as a game in which we are at play it is very liberating, much better than seeing it as work! As Christ encouraged us to; become as a child- innocent, curious, uninhibited, and playful. In Zen the Beginners Mind is a playful, childlike, not knowing, just seeing, hearing, sensing.

It has been said that a child's work is play, but this is bass akwards! Play is not work, it is not competitive, it is not goal oriented, it is purely spontaneous and unpremeditated. Sure, competitive, goal oriented games have playfulness involved, but I'm talking about pure play, which is play for it's own sake. Animals in the wild are not practicing hunting when they're playing with each other, at least they don't think they're practicing (they are in fact training instinctively for hunting, but at the time of their young play, they are just being in the moment and responding spontaneously).

If we take the story line of any give “serious” endeavor in our “civilized, serious, culture,” as the rules, philosophy, and guidelines of a game to be played, we would see politics, science, and religion very differently. I remember the musician Paul Winter was invited to play at the U.N. one afternoon. He had been spending time with his clarinet in the wild in proximity to wolves. Paul has an amazing ability to compose music that mimics animals such as whales, birds, and this time wolves.

Before he began to play he did a couple of sample howlings and invited all the United Nations diplomats from all over the world to give it their best shot and howl to the world! It was amazing to hear all these serious diplomats there to solve world problems playing like little children. I don't know if it helped international diplomacy, but I do know they started that meeting in a different state of mind!

Try a little playfulness today. Remember your childlike silly, curious, spontaneous, creative, powerful, embodied playfulness and try to bring that to bear in your interactions, transitions, and heaviness. Whatever your taking as sooooooo serious, probably isn't.