Worse than losing

“Forgetting what you are seeking is worse than losing it.” These words came to me during meditation, prompting another round of self-reflection.

While this situation usually refers to an existential search, I observed it in a more down-to-earth, physical form in the animal world when a sheep lost her memory and could not recognize her newborn lamb. Her maternal instinct was working at full capacity, telling her that she urgently needed to find her lamb. She ran around in circles, desperately calling for her baby, who was right next to her the whole time. Unable to recognize her baby, she would not let him get close to her. Her panic and despair grew exponentially.

A paradox unfolded before my eyes: someone was desperately looking for someone within reach yet unable to find him because he was forgotten and unrecognized. This situation has many analogies related to human life in general, as well as to specific cases where we are unhappy and feel deprived because we are constantly searching for something elsewhere. We are unaware that what we are looking for is right next to us. All we need to do is remember what we are searching for.

Author: Margarita AoteaRa.com ©2025