Before enlightenment chop wood carry water. After enlightenment chop wood carry water. ~Zen saying Reflecting the wisdom of this saying, Jack Kornfield titled one of his books “After the Ecstasy, the Laundry.” The point of both the saying and the title is that we might have peak mystical experiences of awakening, but then it’s time […]
The Ecstasy Is IN the Laundry Read More »
A koan is a paradoxical statement or question used in Zen Buddhism to confound logical thinking and facilitate enlightenment. For example, what is the sound of one hand clapping? Our brains like to identify, categorize, explain, and evaluate. When they are not able to do this, they get agitated and start scanning more anxiously for
Life, the Ultimate Koan Read More »
The Chinese character for “practice” occurs only once in the entire Dao De Jing. I found that intriguing and thought we could explore the practices suggested in that chapter. Close the mouth – Quietness The first practice is described as closing the mouth. This of course could literally mean not talking. And certainly many of
Our Eternal Practice Read More »
As a person who often advocates “practice,” I’ve been exploring what it means to practice something. We might have lots of practices. I practice martial arts, for example. Some of us practice mindfulness, meditation, yoga, loving-kindness, and more. When we have an intention to cultivate or develop a skill or a habit, we devote time
The Art of Allowing Read More »