Fulfillment comes from wholeness, from harmony with the whole. The simple truth is we have no life and no life to live apart from communion with the whole. This is good news, relieving us of the burden of a vain, personal search. We can relax into the huge embrace of Life, and from Life will arise meaning and fulfillment far beyond anything we individually could have gotten, were it possible for us to do so individually. Then, we act in harmony with the whole, and what returns to us is received as not something we earned, as in getting good karma or getting God to bless us for doing good. We give ourselves to the whole as a gift, and the whole returns to us as gift, for the giving and receiving arise together, as a single Life flowing in harmony with everything. Life is and becomes the gift of Life.

* * *

"Refined action," Roshi Dainin Katagiri, in You've Got to Say Something, uses to refer to Dogen's Japanese word gyoji. This can be rendered, based on meanings Katagiri supplies, "to keep (ji) action (gyo)." He comments the character ji has two parts: "hand" and "sanctuary." And, Katagiri says the sanctuary is the universe. So, refined action is universal, which Katagiri highlights in the following quotes.

Wherever you may be, your life is sustained and supported by the whole universe. The main purpose of human life is to maintain this sanctuary. It is not to climb a ladder to develop your own personal life.

If your effort were not supported by the universe as a whole, you could not make any real effort at all. Pure, refined action makes no distinction between self and others. Trees, birds, and all other beings are completely harmonized in this sanctuary of the whole. This is our life.

* * *

our every breath and movement
arises with the whole universe

when I was born
the universe was being born
the universe was giving birth to me

when I die
the universe will die
yet the universe will live on

why?
the uni-verse is one-verse

the universe is a song
one song

we each, every creature,
are a note in the one song

we are so entwined with all living things
we cannot be separated

we are different, as are notes in the song,
yet we are equal, like notes in the song

the song in a moment would not be the song
without each note comprising the song

each note arises with the song
the song arises with each note

wise action
is never merely personal action

wise action
is communal
enacted with respect for the whole

so, beings should never be treated
as merely an object at our disposal to be used

rather, we are all, together,
servants of the whole

our lives, in this reverence, become whole
the sanctuary supports us
we support the sanctuary

so, if I disrespect myself
the sanctuary is disrespected

and, if I reverence any being
I reverence myself

hence, the attitude with which we act
is more important than the act

we must go forward, step by step,
not as isolated, but with everyone, everything

so, this can cheer one up,
giving a positive, affirming context for even
the smallest of actions

acting within and with the whole
our lives become worship
without our needing to intend to worship

where is this sanctuary?
nowhere, everywhere

*Brian K. Wilcox. "Everything Belongs." Flickr.

*(C) Copyright 2018. Brian K. Wilcox. Move cursor over photos for more details.