The ZEN of driving
by jcf. Average Reading Time: about a minute.
My wife learnt to drive a car about a year ago. We tend to talk about driving, styles of driving, how to drive etc.
Almost every time you drive, somebody will make a mistake or be deliberately rude on the road. My wife usually get’s nervous and upset when that happens and starts to shout, curse and sound the horn, raise the finger – stuff we all do. However, I have practised something else for many years: I just let it pass.
It’s like trying to find calm when meditating. Thoughts clamor for attention and the art is to just let them pass, let them float away, trying to leave your mind blank. I try to do the same thing when driving. Everything is in flux – if I focus on a particular incident or my anger at the stupidity of someone else (or myself for that matter) when an error happens, I find that I’m driving worse, become more aggressive.
So I just let it pass. I don’t honk, I don’r raise the finger (in general), I don’t shout. I may utter a curse and then promptly forget everything about the incident, making my mind blank again, concentrating on driving.
A couple of days ago, when driving through the city with all the x-mas crazy people around us in cars, we talked about this phenomen and I coined the term “the zen of driving” and that I was going to write a book about it.
Now it’s only an entry in a blog – and I’m not even sure, it deserves this much space – but alas: that’s my zen of driving.
May you drive safe
Ah…the 2nd blog post I’ve read today talking of peace and calm. Almost like the Universe is talking to me :-) …Yup, I have to constantly remind myself to let things pass. Meditation is a BIG help. Calming music in the car CD is another help. The main thing for me that helps (not 100% yet :-) …is to just remain mindful of what is happening and what is really important.
Peace.
I live in two places and have to drive between them about once a week (urgh, it’s awful, but comes of my hubbie’s job in one city, and my job in another). I drive about 10 hours a week. I googled “the zen of driving,” and was happy to find your blog posting. After two years of doing this, I, too, have come to the realization that the best way to stay sane and drive well is to let things just roll off your back. It’s not the easiest thing sometimes, but keeping the attitude consciously in mind really seems to help! Also, I use my commute to learn Spanish (from CDs), which somehow helps relax me a lot — perhaps because I’m not bored.