Every morning after zazen I step outside and split wood with my maul. It weighs eight pounds and I am used to the feel of this piece of metal as it splits the twisted rounds of cedar we use to cook with and to heat our Refuge deep in the mountains of southern New Mexico.
I am a zen buddhist monk. A married priest in the Soto tradition, who has just split away from his home Temple to create his own.
Today, however, I am on the road, in a city where there is no wood to chop. My hands are empty.
So, instead, I sit at a friend's computer and create this blog.
I wonder about the nature of this empty hand. Idle, I am suffering. People who live in this world of convenience, who live without moving their bodies much, do they have a sense of the deep and intimate connection of body and mind that hard, concentrated work provides?
I am reminded of the story of an old zen monk who failed to eat one day. He as ill and did not work. Alarmed, his brother monks asked that he eat. He said, "No work, no food." Simple elegance.
May we live in peace.
I have often wondered what It would be like to only communicate in person or by the written word with ink and paper. Spending time in front of the computer allows a person to become unseen and yet seen. Hiding in the shroud of being anonymous on the internet. I was putting on my coat today to go outside as it has been very windy here lately and for a brief moment thought what it would have been like to have to had to make that jacket from scratch? I have been spending much time sewing lately and this thought had crossed my mind today. No work, no food.... a simple thought and one full of rewards. I think folks today would be less inclined to be wasteful if they really follow that rule or if they needed to create their own things. Well , just a few thoughts.. The new Website looks Great!
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Gassho