A Teaching from Buddhism, A Story From A Ukrainian Doctor & A Lot of Optimism

The breath is very interesting. It is the one thing that unites us all. Every 3.3 seconds, roughly half of us will inhale at the same time and roughly half of us will exhale at the same time.

It doesn’t matter if you’re from Australia, South Africa, Colombia, Mexico, Thailand, India, or Greece, everyone breathes the same way, and give or take a few molecules in the air, everyone breathes the same breath.

So, it’s a big deal and it’s why many ancient traditions have held it such high regard.

Here is a classic teaching from Buddhism that highlights my point:

The Buddha asked a monk: “How do you measure the length of a man’s life?”

The monk answered, “By days.”

The Buddha said: “You do not understand the way.”

The Buddha asked another monk: “How do you measure the length of a man’s life?”

The monk answered, “By the time that passes during a meal.”

The Buddha said: “You do not understand the way.”

The Buddha asked a third monk: “How do you measure the length of a man’s life?”

The monk answered, “By the breath.”

The Buddha said: “Very well, you know the way."

Why?

Why does the breath play such a pivotal role in health?

And can it really help us live longer, more vital lives?

To answer these, I’d like to share a story from a Ukrainian doctor who knew this better than most.