fluttering and gliding

The other day I was watching a butterfly in flight. Many butterflies fly in a rather, let's say spontaneous way, going hither and thither, without a strong direction. This butterfly was like that, but it had another quirk. And that was it would flap its wings rather energetically for a spell, and then simply glide, until it felt the need to flap its wings again. And thus it moved around, alternating between flapping and gliding.

It was curious to watch: not the way most butterflies fly, at least as a normal mode of transport. And watching this butterfly, it made me realise that we humans also need to learn when to make an effort, when to strive and put some energy into getting somewhere, and when simply to relax, and glide like this butterfly does.

There is an art in this: discerning when to make effort and when to relax. If we make effort all the time, we might go somewhere, but it will be a bit too forced. We won't have the feeling that we are in the flow of life. And if we relax all the time, we might find the bliss of a buddha, but on the other hand, we might simply vegetate. So let us find the art that this butterfly has found: of knowing when to make effort, when to flap our wings, and when simply to glide and relax into the flow of life, in an effortless way.