Morning-Glories and Mindfulness: Basho’s Call to Presence
Basho’s simple lines remind us that life’s beauty is not found in grand moments but in the quiet union of the ordinary and the sacred.
I Am One
Basho
I am one
Who eats his breakfast,
Gazing at the morning-glories.
✍️ Reflection
Matsuo Basho’s haiku, “I am one / Who eats his breakfast, / Gazing at the morning-glories,” places us in a moment so ordinary it might escape notice. And yet, Basho elevates it. The act of eating breakfast is universal, everyday, and routine. But when paired with the simple act of gazing at morning-glories, it becomes more than nourishment — it becomes communion.
This small scene teaches us that presence doesn’t require silence in a temple or hours of meditation. Presence can be as near as your first sip of coffee, the light resting on your desk, or the sound of birds outside your window. Basho invites us to see how beauty and the sacred weave through even our most mundane habits. His words remind us that when we slow down enough to notice, ordinary life becomes extraordinary.
What everyday ritual in your life could become sacred if you simply gave it your full attention?