Last Friday, deep in the milieu of illness, I made a decision. I was going to put aside all my Zen books, most importantly all my Koan books (and there are many) and focus exclusively on just two books the next five days – Saturday through Wednesday: “Two Arrows Meeting in Mid Air – The Zen Koan” – by John Daido Loori (Roshi) and “Something A Little Bird Told Me” by Biz Stone. Yeah, still one Koan book but far different from the usual early morning and through-the-day perusal of shelf-loads. The decision came out of the blue – my way of saturated living more and more and more – and it felt exactly right.
On Sunday I decided to extend through Thursday, and on Monday it felt like the “work week” was the way to go and I said to no one other than me that I’d stick to these two books through Friday – today. I’ve been just short of entirely devoted to the plan, a quick peek at two pages in “The Carefree Ease Record” the teeniest goofy blip.
It’s made a difference, and my best, poetic, engaging words can’t say how. Like I’m always saying to my son Spenser – “Trust me.” And there are dozens of wonderful quotes throughout both books I could post here – when I humbly ask others to speak for me. And maybe I’ll post them. But not today.
I finished “A Little Bird’ yesterday. Very wonderful. And I’m not quite halfway through “Two Arrows”, which if you know anything about Koans is like saying it’s barely started on me. Ladeeda, me and Annie Hall on a schoolyard merry-go-round. I’ll continue to stroll into the zendo of Loori’s book.
I’m feeling better, and have no clue how my life’s gonna go past this morning. But, it’s grand still being here. One down, one going.
Leave a Reply