1,2,3,4,5

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,





“What are the teachings? ‘One, two, three, four, five!’”

“What is practice? ‘In the whole world, it can never be hidden.’”



This teaching comes from Dogen Zenji’s Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions for the Cook).



Here we have a direct lesson in living in the Way. The teachings point to lessons as plain as the nose on our face, the question is, can we see our nose?



We often say, “When washing the dishes, just wash the dishes.” When I wash the dishes it is a great lesson in mindfulness. My left hand, partially paralyzed, refuses to hold things in soapy water. So, I must consciously and deliberately find a way to hold the glass while washing it with my other, “good,” hand.



In this simple everyday task is a very deep teaching: washing the glass is none other than one, two, three, four, five. Practice awareness is “things whether slippery and wet, or dry as a bone, are none other than the universe itself: exercise great care.” The buddha way is nothing more than this.



I am grateful for my paralysis, though at times it is a clear pain in the ass. It is a dharma gate. Without it, I would be able to wash the dishes without putting attention on the dishes. I would be able to put on my kesa without struggling to tie it. I would be able to tie my shoes without feeling like Captain Hook. Things would definitely be easier, but mindlessness would be knocking at my door.





Be well.