Tree at La Purisima Mission
If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it? — Dogen
Before enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. After enlightenment, chopping wood and carrying water. — Hsin Hsin Ming
Two old quotes I constantly refer back to any time I find myself looking elsewhere for a truth. Where am I looking? Why?
And every time I ask, I realize the answer is no where but the present. In my ignorance, I seem to ask this question often and the answer is always the same. Present moment.
For the better part of this year life seems to be speeding by like a bullet train barely hanging on to the track as it makes a turn. Not yet out of control, but sometimes it feels like the track isn’t even there. My saving grace is an amazing group of people I am privileged to call my family and my friends. And my nightly meditation practice. The solitude of my cushion, even though the monkey in my mind just drank a Jolt Cola and is having fun doing back flips on a tightrope, 100 feet above the ground.
Last night I noticed something; the monkey appeared to be tired. And maybe he was tired, but I returned to counting my breath, to present moment, to truth.
And I realized something, I have a lot more wood to chop and water to carry.