W
e do things like walking, eating – most things these days – never paying attention. Not using our eyes. Not really seeing.
Is it the world we are living in?
Many decisions are made by you and me, without having all the information we need. Some good comes from acting in ignorance. Mostly, it gets us in trouble.
Seeking advice or counsel can help us find the way. The answer is already within our grasp. All we have to do is open our eyes.
In our eyes
There is a Zen story about a student who felt he hadnât really received the deepest essence of his masterâs teaching, and so he went to question him.
His master replied, âOn your way here, did you see the cypress in the courtyard?â
Perhaps the student was not yet very mindful. The master was saying that if, on the way to see our teacher, we go past a cypress tree or a beautiful plum tree in blossom and we donât really see it, then when we arrive in front of our teacher, we wonât see our teacher either.
We shouldnât miss any opportunity to really see our cypress tree. There are wonders of life we walk past every day, and yet we havenât truly seen them. What is the cypress tree on the path you take to work every day?
If you cannot even see the tree, how can you see your loved ones? How can you see God?
– Thich Nhat Hanh
(The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now)
See you next time.
Baadaye and Mata Ne (ăžăă)
Shirley J âĽď¸
Featured image: Bronze Buddha Eyes
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During the spring of 2024, I began a pilgrimage in Japan where I am walking 1200 kilometers or 720 miles on the Shikoku trail from Temple 1 RyĹzenji to Temple 88 Ĺkuboji and beyond. Read my original announcement here.
I am excited, and I am here, still walking. And just know this, I will return to tell the tale!
