Eating an orange

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Buddhist monk from Vietnam. This story is taken from his book, A Pebble for Your Pocket (ISBN 1-888375-05-1), published 20 years ago. 

Since 2014 there have been some concerns about his health but no latest word is available. If he is still around, he should be in his 90s.

Here is one of several meaningful gems from his book. Be in the present. The past is gone; the future is yet to come.

When you look deeply at an orange, you realise that an orange - or any fruit - is nothing less than a miracle. Try it. Take an orange and hold it in your palm. Breathe in and out slowly, and look at it as if you were seeing it for the first time. 

When you look at it deeply, you will be able to see many wonderful things - the sun shining and the rain falling on the orange tree, the orange blossoms, the tiny fruit appearing on the branch, the colour of the fruit changing from green to yellow, and then the full-grown orange. Now slowly begin to peel it. Smell the wonderful scent of the orange peel. Break off a section of the orange and put it into your mouth. Taste its wonderful juice.

The orange tree has taken three, four or six months to make such an orange for you. It is a miracle. Now the orange is ready and it says, "I am here for you." But if you are not present, you will not hear it. When you are not looking at the orange in the present moment, then the orange is not present either.

Being fully present while eating an orange, an ice cream cone, or any other food is a delightful experience.