Satori

It's strange how different environments affect us. Yesterday morning on my paper round, for example, it was a clear sky before dawn and you could see the stars perfectly. It was absolutely freezing, but it was good. And then, while looking at the sky, I had a satori. Just to clarify, a satori is a word used in Buddhism to mean a sudden and brief moment of realisation, peace, tranquillity and understanding.

However, this morning, it was about the same temperature (my hands were, once again, freezing), but the sky was overcast. I don't expect to receive enlightenment just like that, but I noticed that I didn't feel anything, even remotely. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but I think that it shows how the environment affects us, perhaps even when we're not expecting it.

As always, suggestions welcome, e-mail jazzphilosophybiscuits@googlemail.com