Friday Night Zen #11
I would share two quotes from The Little Zen Companion that dovetail nicely. Both intimate the importance of awareness - a key activity in all Buddhist traditions:
A monk asked master Haryo, "What is the way?" Haryo said, "An open-eyed man falling into a well."
Zen Koan
[…]
If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark.
St. John of the Cross
None of us have the discipline of mindfulness to the point where we can recall every detail of our day. For most, much of our day is lost to the mundane business of our modern lives. In the Zen tradition, a state of sharp awareness comes from the clarity of mind found after a strong meditative practice, like the crisp scent of the air after an Autumn rain: all the contaminants are gone and the clarity is exquisite.
Quick: what color are the clouds right now? If you have to go to the window to look, your practice of mindful awareness needs work.