Saluting Mr. Wrigley

Sitting zazen this morning, I thought about the psychology of repetition that was really pioneered by American entrepeneurs. I'm talking about the people who invented and/or pioneered the marketing of chewing gum, potato chips, popcorn, cigarettes, fast food. My god, what geniuses! They tapped into this physical and psychological process of repetition that is so comforting, so easy, so accessible, so empty. These people definitely deserved to be billionaires!

But could it be that this culture of empty repetition is really killing us? I wonder less about this, and more about my own habit of repetition called "zazen." How different? Every moment of sitting is unique, ever-changing, like chewing on a piece of gum and getting a different taste from every bite. Sometimes you bite into something sour, sometimes something really sweet. But ultimately, the end result is the same. When the bag of chips is empty, and when the sitting is done, we don't cry, it's just time to move on!