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Precept 11:
In all things, have no preferences
“As long as we respond predictably to what feels good
and what feels bad, it is easy for others to exploit our
preferences for their own ends.” — Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi
Monk:
In 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte’s massive army invaded Moscow yet
after one month of enduring the harsh Russian winter they were
forced to retreat. Napoleon’s soldiers had a poor diet in the field.
Typhus, diarrhea, and dysentery were common. Soon other illnesses
and injuries took hold and as the campaign continued and
exhaustion set in. Starving, demoralized, and devastated the French
army had no choice but to withdraw from battle, retreating in haste.
As they haphazardly made their way west, the degraded army slowly
froze and starved to death. This retreat was a disaster of astonishing
levels. The troops had no supplies so they had to forage to eat.
Some soldiers killed themselves, others simply collapsed and died
where they fell from exposure to the cold. There is one recorded
instance where Napoleon’s men broke into a local doctor’s office
where they found medical samples of human tissues preserved in
formaldehyde… and they ate the medical samples.
When it comes to food, I’m not picky. I learned early in life to eat
whatever was put before me and I have carried that mindset with
me. I simply am not all that particular. Now I am not suggesting that I
will eat the worst of the worst, I mean the mere thought of eating the
formaldehyde preserved specimens makes me shudder, but it is all
context isn’t it? I have choices, thankfully, but starving men have no
option of having a preference. Most of us have not known hunger or
the desperation of the type that Napoleon’s men had to endure that
winter in 1812. Having preferences is contextual.
Having preferences when you have control of your environment is a
mature act of will. Similarly, having no preference when you have
control of your environment is also an act of will. When placed under
extraordinary circumstances such as living at the lowest level of
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, then fundamental things like air, food,
drink, shelter, and warmth become all that matters.
When Musashi admonishes us to no preferences in all things, the
preferences part resonates but it is hard to accept the idea of, “All
things.” I think it is more mature to say, “In most things...”
It is safe to say that Musashi lived on the margins of life at times, a
margin that most of us will never experience. The level of needs that
Napoleon’s army experienced is unlikely to be our lot as well. For our
needs, we should look at it in the way my family dinner was
presented—some nights it was food I loved, other times less so. My
complaints about what was being served fell on deaf ears, so I ate
what was set before me anyway. Further, in my ignorance of youth
my complaining about the meal disrespected my mother’s hard work,
but she, like all good mothers, did her best to provide a well-rounded
meal and not take insult from my complaints. All the effort my father
put into earning the money necessary to buy the food was also
dismissed in my arrogance too.
What I learned as I grew up was that being appreciative of whatever
is given is a great way to honor the efforts of those that have taken
their time and effort to prepare for our needs. This idea, of course,
can be extended into other aspects of life too...
In having very few preferences, a person can move through life
smoothly and mentally unencumbered. On the outside, the world is
no longer about you. The extreme example of Napoleon Bonaparte’s
men cannibalizing preserved human remains is something that we
all hope to never experience. However, what if you approached your
next meal with just a dusting of Bonaparte’s men? It’d make you
more thankful wouldn’t it? What if you looked at your car as a tool
needed to get from here to there, instead of what your vehicle looked
like or any prestige that might be attached to owning it?
Having no preferences at all is extreme, but having some
preferences managed and held lightly is a better choice.
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