My favourite Zen mondo is this:
Monk: "I have just entered the monastery. Please give me some guidance."
Master: "Have you eaten your rice gruel?"
Monk: "Yes. I've eaten."
Master: "Then go wash your bowl."
Like the Monk, sometimes I would like all of life's answers to be given to me at once or have success in an instant. I always tell myself, you can't climb Mount Everest in a day, and on the mountainside you still have to wash your bowl. Even if you're doing something great, you can't escape the quotidian. Washing the bowl is the lesson and it's a part of the journey.
1 comment:
.......it's just up to you to decide how big of a burden to make the bowl-washing necessity. Personally, when I cook, I never let dishes pile up. I run sink after sink of soapy water to do them as I go. I don't find it hard to do. -Fez
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