The analogy of the Donkey’s Carrot

Humans invented a really smart way to get donkeys to go forward. They would tie a carrot to the end of a rope attached to a stick. The carrot would dangle in front of the donkey, measured so the carrot would be in the donkey’s sight, but not reach. The idea was the donkey would chase the carrot. The faster the donkey went, the further the carrot would go.

This is similar to the momentum of our lives. We are constantly chasing after one thing or another. We want things now, so what do we do? We act. Even when there is nothing we can do really, we are still acting - in our minds. We stress, we worry, we may even lash out. We are constantly doing doing chasing chasing…and we can’t ever seem to catch the carrot of happiness.

We think happiness lies in the things we buy, so we spend so much effort in getting it. Then we get bored of it, or find out it’s not as big as we’ve made it out to be.

We think happiness lies in relationships, but then get disappointed when our fairytale fantasies don’t happen no matter how many times the clock strikes midnight and how many stinky shoes we lose.

We think happiness could be found in our jobs, but how many contented employees are there? How many successful business people are truly happy?

We think happiness existed once in the past, or will exist one day in the future. But far too often we do not think happiness exists right now, at this very moment, in this true reality.

Yet we still keep chasing that carrot that’s dangled in front of us, set up by society, our community, our family, but mostly, by our own expectations and greed.

So is it ever possible to catch that carrot? Yes there is.

There was once a dhamma donkey who cracked the code. This donkey ran, but it did not chase or grasp. It ran and ran, fastest and hardest he can. Then when he has given it all he got, he stopped.

The momentum from his speed coupled with the physics of him abrupt stop made the carrot sour even further from him. But he did not despair. The carrot went up up up, then with even faster speed, it swung back, down down down, right into the mouth of the happy dhamma donkey. (I’m still not sure whether he choked.)

Happiness does not come from the momentum of our lives, but the momentum of the world in which our lives exist in. Happiness does not come from unsatiable desire and chasing, but from learning to do our best and be patient for the seeds we have sown to bloom in full. Most importantly, happiness is not gained from chasing the past that is gone or the whimsical future of dreams; happiness exists in the here and now if you just allow yourself to believe that.

If you are tired of chasing, why not try what the donkey did and stop. Who knows how many things will come to you? After all, if you don’t stop, how will the good things come to you?