Work

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,



My goodness, this morning I woke at a quarter after eight! For me, that is very beyond late. I think my tardiness might have something to do with the fact that we are now past the Opening and Dedication of the Temple. In addition, Saturday is my day off. Whatever the reason, it was a delicious moment to wake up to light coming in through the windows.



I am one of those individuals who feels the need to always be working. Not physical work, mind you, but the sort of work that takes place in one’s heart/mind. It’s a sort of creation thing, like an artist, I suppose. For me life is this creation process and because it is what it is, it resides in every moment. It is very difficult for me to step away from my creation. Why? This question is what I call a ‘practice point.’



It has been said that we create ourselves through our work. If this is true, then it might mean that for me to stop working is for me to stop living. More, that my very self is dependent on my work; without work, the I that is me no longer exists.



So, the problem is that the work which should be for itself becomes something in service to me. A further question arises: What am I doing what I do for? This is also a key question. In a very real way it takes me to the central question of Zen practice: the matter of life and death.



There is hindrance of the mind and there is no hindrance of the mind. When we reside in no hindrance of the mind, there is no fear as we are beyond delusive thinking: no birth, no death. When we reside in hindrance of the mind, we are residing in delusive thinking: there, we reside in fear, because there reside birth and death.



Being awake means we are fully aware of both states of being and that each depend on the other.



At this point in our practice we should let go of it all. Aware that Big Mind requires Small Mind and that Small Mind requires Big Mind is delusion itself.

At this point, we set it all aside, let it all fall away, and just breathe. There is no work; there is no not work.

At this point, there is just the light coming through the window and dogs sleeping at my feet.



Be well