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Chop Wood; Carry Water

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The full quotation:

"Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water."
Zen Proverb

This simple but masterful quote was on the T-shirt of a runner I saw this morning. Having let myself stumble down the dark road of beating myself up, the quote woke me up.

The beauty of this simple yet amazingly profound teaching is that we all travel the road of life over the bumps and valleys and all face the highs and lows, mundanities and profound experiences along with the day-to-day grind. The question is: can we face the road of our life with an enlightened heart and mind or will we stay locked in the deeply conditioned and darker space?

Enlightenment is rarely a "stroke of lightening or luck" that blesses us with sweet bliss and peace forever. Enlightenment is a choice, a path and a discipline. Can we see life through "new eyes"?

I frequently go back to my dark place from which I grew up of powerlessness and weakness. I can be whisked back to this place easily and without much incident. Yesterday, I was taken there by letting my friend's wise and thoughtful suggestions overwhelm me. It is deeply ingrained. The tragedy is that is not real; not my current reality. The problem is that when I slip back into this place, I forget to "chop wood; carry water". Chopping wood and carrying water is our purpose in life. We all have one and we all wrestle with keeping it front and center in our mind and spirit. When it is front and center, we are enlightened. We are free.

The key to life, in my mind, is staying awake to our purpose and to give our gift. This is is the wood and the water. Our chopping and carrying is our daily work -- staying awake and having the will and fortitude to remember our gift and keep it front and center in our mind, body and spirit. This may mean maintaining our body so that we can use our mind to help a cause. It may mean adhering to a daily practice to keep our mind strong and clear. It may mean letting go of the "negative thoughts in our head" (or realize when we have let them back in) so that we can continue to chop and carry.

We all have a purpose in this "wild ride" of life. Staying on our path is challenging but very possible. Carrying and chopping (even when boring, tedious and irritating) keeps us in the game.

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