Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to the Jungle
Welcome to Jungle
“Becoming a Watchful Observer”
Costa Rica is famous for its rare and diverse wildlife, so naturally, we wanted to focus our energy on experiencing it while we were here. Our first stop was the cloud forests of Santa Elena, near Monteverde. On our first jungle trek, we started at our usual brisk pace—until we quickly realized we weren’t going to see much that way.
When we finally slowed down, even sitting still for stretches of time, the jungle began to reveal itself. Leaves rustled. Birdsong grew louder. New voices joined the chorus. I whispered to Karl, grinning, “This is kind of like meditation. If you sit quietly long enough, the jungle—of the mind—comes alive… but it’s been there all along.”
The jungle of the mind is ever alive, yet most of us are so used to its constant activity that we barely notice it anymore. The chatter becomes both foreground and background, blurring together until we can’t see the jungle for the trees. When we pause, we start to notice things—and often misinterpret them. We might jump at what we think is a snake in our path, only to look closer and discover it’s just a tree root. Relief washes over us, and we laugh at our own mistake.
Becoming a Watchful Observer
This analogy isn’t new. Indian epistemology and Buddhist philosophy tell a similar story of a monk who, at twilight, mistakes a rope for a snake. In recognizing the illusion, he uncovers a deeper truth about the mind and its perceptions.
Becoming a watchful observer of our own thoughts, feelings, and perceptions can feel like hacking a path through thick jungle with a machete—challenging and messy. But there are tools to help. Meditation can slow us down, allowing us to “be in the jungle, but not of it.” Simply moving at a gentler pace and connecting with our surroundings works too.
This trip has forced me to do just that—slow down. And in that stillness, I’m learning that the wild, rich beauty of life reveals itself only when I return, again and again, to the watchful observer… especially whenever I think I see snakes.
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