With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
The outdoor temperature is 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Here I thought southern New Mexico was ready for spring. Expectations gets me in trouble every time!
We were talking about the section of the Genjokoan yesterday at Temple which addresses firewood being firewood and ash being ash and firewood not becoming ash. Firewood has its own life as firewood; ash has its own life as ash. We might add that the burning itself has its own life as burning, as well.
Dogen’s point is simple: each being has its own past, present and future, and each of these is both separate and empty. Treat your present moment life with great respect. When ash, do not try to recapture yourself as firewood. When firewood, do not worry about becoming ash. Life is the burning, the constant metabolic process we call the cosmos.
When we practice we see this clearly. I am in this moment, there is no other. My memory of my life is just a memory; my concern about tomorrow is just my concern. What is most important is what I do now. Yet, as Okamura-roshi points out, even now is empty. We cannot capture it and hold it. So, in this sense, it is our function in this constant burning that matters most. The present moment gives rise to opportunity for action.
For those caught in the past or worried about the future, release yourselves. Rather than focusing on your thoughts about the past or future, reside in the action of the present. Sounds easy, but it takes a lifetime of practice.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
The outdoor temperature is 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Here I thought southern New Mexico was ready for spring. Expectations gets me in trouble every time!
We were talking about the section of the Genjokoan yesterday at Temple which addresses firewood being firewood and ash being ash and firewood not becoming ash. Firewood has its own life as firewood; ash has its own life as ash. We might add that the burning itself has its own life as burning, as well.
Dogen’s point is simple: each being has its own past, present and future, and each of these is both separate and empty. Treat your present moment life with great respect. When ash, do not try to recapture yourself as firewood. When firewood, do not worry about becoming ash. Life is the burning, the constant metabolic process we call the cosmos.
When we practice we see this clearly. I am in this moment, there is no other. My memory of my life is just a memory; my concern about tomorrow is just my concern. What is most important is what I do now. Yet, as Okamura-roshi points out, even now is empty. We cannot capture it and hold it. So, in this sense, it is our function in this constant burning that matters most. The present moment gives rise to opportunity for action.
For those caught in the past or worried about the future, release yourselves. Rather than focusing on your thoughts about the past or future, reside in the action of the present. Sounds easy, but it takes a lifetime of practice.
Be well.
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