Saturday, March 22, 2014

Chop Wood, Carry Water

There is a Zen proverb that says, 
"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."


I've always used this directive as advice with a slightly different meaning.
When the difficult side of life presents itself,
and there's no way to fix it,
I remind myself to tend to the tasks of daily life
until conditions unfold one way or another.
Chop wood, carry water.

Photo Credit: Gary Coté 
 
Today, warm and sunny, life's travails at hand,
 I "chopped wood, carried water" 
by working outside cleaning up winter's decay.
And at the end of the afternoon,
spring's promise:
the tiniest purple violet poised to unfurl,
hiding itself under a leaf, tender and green.
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