When our family goes camping, I like to clear all the bindis around the tent so that we can connect with the earth through our bare feet. It takes a good while and I often miss some, which become the painful reminder of the limited control I have over my external world.
It reminds me of some wise musings by the Buddhist teacher Shantideva, who spoke of our tendency to want to ‘cover the world in leather’ so as to avoid pain. He goes on to say, that if you want to protect your feet, wear shoes; and if you want to protect yourself from the worlds provocations, tame your mind. The antidote to misery is to stay present…
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