Funky Buddha and the Brown Bird

Some people have asked me why I call my blog, as well as my internet shop "The Little Brown Bird". It comes from a book about Buddhism and how we can use the basic principal of living in the moment. I have been looking for the actual quote that I read but I can't find it right now.

It basically says that it is the tiny details that we often miss because we are so hurried and have our minds on our troubles, our dreams, future plans, and things in our past. When we do focus on the moment, the "here and now", it is usually only when something extraordinary happens.

The quote talks about a boy who saw an eagle fly above him with its wings outstretched against the blue sky. The boy then spends the rest of the day talking about how beautiful the eagle was when it flew overhead. His teacher points out that while he was so focused on the eagle in the "past", he has missed all the little brown birds that are flying all around him in the "now".

It's so easy to miss the little brown birds when you are not focused on the present moment. I was reminded of this story when I was at Machu Picchu. We had just had an amazing time exploring the ruins all day and were in a rush to meet up with the rest of our group for the journey back to Cusco, Peru. Just then, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a little brown bird sitting quietly on the edge of one of the rock walls. Even though we were rushed to meet back with our group, I couldn't help but stop and watch his every movement. He reminded me to take one last look around me and realize where I was and how special it was for me to see this magical place. Then I snapped his picture and said goodbye. That picture is the one you see here.