From Zen calligraphy, the enso, circle of infinity, fullness in emptiness, full moon Earlier this week a quote from Thich Nhat Hanh received from the blog One-City : A Buddhist Blog for Everyone:
“To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren't doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in the warm water, it is really quite pleasant. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity,for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. The dishes themselves and that fact that I am here washing them are miracles!.”
Last weekend a garage sale find .. a small book .. “The Living Road” by Milton Moon (Kako). A renowned Australian potter, Moon was on a fellowship in Japan 1974 (studying the relationship between Zen Buddhism, Japanese culture and the visual arts) when he met and became a student of the Zen Master, Kobori Nanrei, Abbot of Ryoko-in, Daitoku-ji, Kyoto. On his first day, of what was to be a one-week period of meditation instruction:
“We had been instructed to leave (our shoes) neatly, in the prescribed manner – placed parallel with the toes pointing outwards. We were to find find that even this simple task was taken with some seriousness”. “Your shoes too are your mind,” we were told. “Do not leave them scattered around in an undisciplined way. Remember, everything you do is a reflection of your Mind”.
Both readings point in the same direction .. it is how we perform the simple tasks of life, the way we walk this earth and in daily activities live our life .. that reflects our mind and in turn has the potential to change the world.
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