Completion

Mark is a psychiatrist brother/friend of mine. He is fun, and funny and quite the adventurer. Years ago, he decided to take a vacation to Spain to see the traditional bull fighting. He went alone with a pass for seven major fights. This is the story Mark relates about his experience.

The first fight was shocking. Mark is a peaceful man. He is an animal lover. He waited with bated breath to see the beautiful dance between man and beast. The arena gate opened and out ran the bull. The first bull ran hither and yon, up and back, over and across. The crowd roared. Another gate opened and out ran a picador in pink. He attracted the bull with his cape, flashed it back and forth and watched as the bull threw his head from side to side. Several times he narrowly stepped away from the deadly horns. Then the picador began driving swords into the neck muscles of the bull, three on one side and three on the other. With each sword the bull dropped his head lower and lower. The crowd roared with each lunge and plunge of the sword. When, at last, the bull charged with his head held low and steady, the crowd bellowed for the matador.

Another gate opened and out walked the stately matador adorned in red. The crowd roared again and again. Now began the dance. The matador teased and challenged the bull to charge, and the bull did. The crowd roared again and Mark marveled at their enthusiasm. When the crowd bellowed one final roar, the matador drove his sword deep into the heart of the bull, killing him with one lunge. Mark nearly choked.

Fight after fight, day after day, Mark watched the event with growing sadness and remorse at his plight. He had so wanted this vacation in Spain, and now he longed to run far away from this arena of death. The picadors and the matadors and the crowd seemed insane to him. His heart went out to the innocence of the bulls being slaughtered. Mark decided to forfeit his last ticket and return to the good ole’ USA. However, Mark is a man addicted to completion. Mark stayed for the last fight.

On this day, the crowd called for the bull to be released into the arena. This bull would be like no other. The gate opened and the bull ran headlong into the center of the arena and stood poised towards his fate. His head was unmoving. The crowd went wild.

To Mark’s surprise the picadors were called off and the gate opened to allow the matador to enter the arena. He walked toward the bull undaunted by imminent danger. The matador stood poised before the bull, red cape in hand. He shook it lightly and the bull charged straight toward the cape. The matador moved it only enough to avoid direct contact with the bull. Again and again the bull charged the matador, and repeatedly the matador danced to the side with the bull sliding right beside him. The bull charged straight ahead. He never threw his head. The crowd went berserk. Mark had never seen such excitement. People around him cried with delight and awe. Mark was witnessing a dance of death between man and beast... a dance that held both to supreme precision. The dance was beautiful and fully intimate.

Suddenly, the crowd exploded with applause. The dance was over and the beast was spared his life. The crowd had called for the bull to be saved and retired to a pasture of plenty and pleasure. The matador and his bull would go down in history.

Typically, a bull would approach his death with defiance and erratic behavior. The picador’s job was to steady the head of the bull for the fight with the matador.

After the kill, the crowd would call for certain body parts to be awarded to the matador for his performance—an ear, two ears, a hoof, or more, and sometimes a tail. However, on this day, when the bull faced his hour of death with focus and precision, the picadors were called off. Mark discovered that this dance between bull and matador was the most coveted performance in the life of a matador. The true reward was in being given the bull to procreate future bulls of courage and valor. Had Mark left before the last fight, he would never have fully understood the true tradition of bullfighting.

Each day may we strive to complete what we begin. May we face our destiny with courage, focus, and stillness. May we intimately dance with Spirit and rejoice in the power of "addicted to completion."

And, may we know the true power of this Peace and pass it on to all future generations.