|
when I say "life"
i mean the same as "way"
life is ever-flowing, ever becoming life
way is ever-unfolding, always becoming way
we never know, moment to moment,
this way, this life, as something
fixed in and by time and space
for the way, life,
is ever-in-flux
arising with the whole Universe
from potentially infinite causes and conditions
all we see arises
from what we cannot see
we take care of the Universe
by taking care of our lives, now
in "Yes"
we see our small lives manifesting one life,
the ways we walk as expressing one way,
an invitation to adventure
an adventure
that is as real in our daily routines
as moments non-routine
each moment eternally fresh
filled afresh with possibilities
for ourselves, and all beings
to live and walk together in harmony
to be with life, the way
is to be that for all beings
is to be that with everyone, everything
* * *
The truth of life is just to live.
*Dainin Katagiri. You've Got to Say Something:
Manifesting Zen Insight..
Coming upon Roshi Katagiri saying, "The truth of life is just to live," resonated with me immediately, made perfect sense. Years ago, indeed most of my life, I would have totally missed his point, unable to appreciate it, it not sounding other-worldly, holy, spiritual enough. Yet, fleeing the simplicity of life led me back to that same simplicity, here, now, as is ~ thankfully! Now, I see, I feel, what a marvelous gift is the gift of life, without having to capitalize it as "Life," to make it more special ~ when I capitalize life, the context shows I am speaking of life as the means of Life, the seen of the Unseen. Yet, life is the point at which Life touches us in the immediacy of this moment, and life is not to be looked at as inferior for it being a flow of time and space in this dimension we share for a very short time on Earth. Life, yes life, is sacred in itself, nothing needs to be done to make it so, to make it anything.
* * *
I posted the quote online at an author page of mine, hesitating, wondering if that would be wise. Yet, I decided to, for the saying goes directly to a life-changing insight, to a point of a truth so simple we may miss it, and usually do.
This radical, obvious simplicity is intimated by one word, and one I usually avoid, as it is much over-used and usually unnecessary, for redundant. That word is "just." For example, if someone says, "I just went for a walk," why speak of just walking? If you walk, you walk. If walking is walking, why use the adverb? The adverb is unnecessary, unless one is stressing that is all one did, and not that and something else.
Here, as Katagiri uses it, the adverb "just" is vital to his intent. He clarifies this in the next sentence, "This is no attachment." So, this is saying, "Just living is letting life be just what it already is, in its freely unfolding, flowing naturally way." This is accepting life as it is, not because one must, but one wants just to live life, nothing added to it.
* * *
Today, I had an analogy occur of this nonattachment. About thirty minutes into a trail, I stood on a bridge, deep in the wood, a stream flowing under into the river. I stood, musing on the flow. The flow kept flowing. I was with the flow, communing with it. That is what Katagiri is teaching. Life is already life, already happening, and we can be in communion with it. We can flow with the flow. Much of what we humans do is unnatural, for we do not trust the flow. Rather than trust, we turn into managers of life. We reason we can improve on life, sprinkle it with something, call it spiritual life, or Christian life, or Zen life, as examples. Why? Life is life. Just as a stream flowing, life is a flowing. We can be against or in communion with that, the former way is futile, as well as exhausting, the latter is joyful, a way of loving, of gratitude, appreciating the mundane is resplendent with Grace. So, I did not need to hike down into the stream and try to change it. That would be impossible, anyway. And, we feel joy of living, when we feel our flowing with life living.
* * *
We cannot
control, manage, or change
life.
We are not here for life,
we are life, and
to say "Yes" to life,
is to say "Yes" to ourselves,
to the entire Universe.
In this "Yes,"
we feel permission to relax,
and joy arises, with gratitude.
*(C) Copyright 2018. Brian K. Wilcox. Photography by Brian K. Wilcox. Move cursor over photos for more details.
|
